The theme of the anniversary edition of Street Delivery is “Under Question”. Between September 26–28, Arthur Verona Street in Bucharest will once again become more than a festival: a collective exercise of questions, answers, and scenarios for the kind of cities we want to live in.

According to the organizers, this edition is also a tribute to all those who, over time, have defended and valued public space, the common good, and harmonious coexistence. From its beginnings, Street Delivery has been a platform for people who care about their surroundings: artists, idealistic or pragmatic activists, poets, musicians, architects, designers, urban planners, communities, researchers, gardeners, journalists, advertisers, graphic artists, writers, teachers and students, photographers, craftsmen, performers, and organizations that bring the city to life.

After an edition dedicated to Generation Z, which turned the street into a space for dialogue on how young people relate to the city and the future, the 2025 edition of Street Delivery, placed “under question,” reopens Arthur Verona Street not only to pedestrians, but also to collective curiosity: how can we build cities that bring us closer together, how can we nurture ties between generations, and how can we rethink shared space as a place of encounter and reflection?

At the milestone of its 20th edition, the community is asked directly: what impact has Street Delivery had on the city and its residents? What role has it played, what role does it have today, and what role should it have in the future?

“We want to reclaim public space authentically and reconnect with its values — safe, comfortable, open, inclusive spaces where we feel the city’s pulse, spaces that inspire us to get involved in building and defending the common good. Public space is a space of reconciliation and healing, both for the built city and for its people. By exercising social interaction, concern for beauty in the urban space, respect for others and for the public interest, Street Delivery becomes a manifesto for the right to the city,” said Maria Duda, curator of the 20th anniversary edition of Street Delivery, “Under Question.”

Debates: Ambassadors of Street Delivery and questions “under discussion”

This anniversary edition brings forward six key themes about how we live and share the city. Six large panels will be installed on Arthur Verona Street, each with a guiding question. Each panel will spark a public debate coordinated by an “ambassador” — a prominent voice from culture, architecture, activism, or journalism. These questions will become markers of the festival, but also reference points for a wider discussion about the future of public space.

• Andrei Cohn – “The City and Communication.” The film director and screenwriter invites the community to ask: how can we coexist without alienation? He will highlight how individualities — citizens, communities, neighborhoods — have shaped cities like Istanbul, Paris, or New York, while Bucharest still lacks a shared civic spirit.
• Tudor Ganea – “The City and Image.” Architect and writer, Ganea will explore how the image defines the city: how we see it, represent it, and experience it.
• Carmen Gheorghe – “The City and Women.” Activist and president of E-Romnja, Gheorghe will address how women — Roma and non-Roma alike — access the city and claim their place in public space.
• Iulia Iordan – “The City and Loneliness.” Writer and museum educator, Iordan will reflect on how the city creates isolation but can also provide opportunities for closeness.
• Emilia Șercan – “Truth and Information.” Investigative journalist, Șercan will lead dialogue on how public space can be built on truth and transparency, in an age of fake news.
• Cristian Neagoe – “Street Delivery? or !” Environmental activist and co-founder of Street Delivery, Neagoe will turn the questions back to the event itself: what has it meant over 20 years, and what should it mean in the decades to come?

These six debates, introduced in recent years to transform Street Delivery from a street festival into a tool and promoter of public policy, will once again connect public administration, professionals, and civil society in an open dialogue. In 2025, these six questions will physically populate Arthur Verona Street, prompting informal discussions, debate exercises for students, and broader conversations among professionals who, over the last two decades, have contributed projects that improved the city in small or significant ways.

42 community projects on stage at this year’s edition

This summer’s open call — a defining feature of Street Delivery — gathered 70 proposals from organizations, artists, and civic groups engaged in the life of the city. Of these, 42 projects were selected to contribute to the anniversary edition. They will bring to Arthur Verona Street workshops, artistic installations, civic interventions, and practical experiences designed to put the city “under question,” to encourage learning through play and exploration, and to build bridges of empathy between people.

Organization

Street Delivery is co-founded and funded by the Cărturești Foundation and the Order of Architects of Romania through the Architecture Stamp, with partners ARCUB, the Bucharest City Hall, and TIAB. The 20th edition, part of the Open Streets – Urban Promenade program, is organized and curated by the association Baza. Deschidem orașul. Street design is by BAAB, and graphic design by Sorina Vazelina.

Written by News.ro | 23 septembrie 2025, 15:13