The Bucharest Metropolitan Area Intercommunity Development Association (ADIZMB) is the main institutional mechanism for cooperation covering the Bucharest–Ilfov area. Established in 2008 under Romanian legislation governing associations and foundations, the organization operates as a partnership between the Municipality of Bucharest, through the Bucharest City Hall, and Ilfov County, through the Ilfov County Council, with the role of supporting the coordinated development of the metropolitan area. Its mission is to support integrated approaches and facilitate collaboration between institutions, so that the solutions proposed for the area’s development are coherent, applicable, and adapted to local realities.
The main objectives of the Association focus on developing and promoting regional projects that bring mutual benefits to member administrative-territorial units. These projects cover a wide range of areas, such as social, educational, infrastructure, environmental protection, research and development, interregional and transnational cooperation, entrepreneurship development, as well as emergency management.
In addition to its role in facilitating cooperation, ADIZMB also seeks to strengthen a strategic perspective on the metropolitan area. The Association contributes to monitoring urban development at the metropolitan level and to conducting territorial analyses, modeling, and impact studies necessary to inform sectoral public policies, integrated strategic plans, and planning documents in areas such as urban planning, climate resilience, energy transition, and urban mobility. In this way, its work supports better-informed decisions and contributes to better coordination of efforts aimed at improving quality of life.
The Association operates in a complex metropolitan context, which concentrates a significant portion of Romania’s economic activity, investments, and strategic infrastructure. The Bucharest–Ilfov region is one of the most important urban and economic centers in Southeast Europe, making a common approach focused on cooperation and complementarity not only useful but necessary. This is precisely why the Association constantly seeks out development opportunities that can be leveraged for the benefit of the region, through its own projects, partnerships, or initiatives supported by national and European funding.
An important element of our work is our openness to partnerships and international cooperation. Through involvement in specialized networks and collaboration with institutions and organizations with similar interests, the Association strengthens its ability to identify relevant solutions and bring experience, best practices, and applied expertise to the metropolitan area. This international dimension complements the institution’s local role and helps connect Bucharest and Ilfov County to the European dynamics of urban development.
Metropolitan development is not just about infrastructure or urban planning, but also about the ability to build trusting relationships among public actors, to support impactful initiatives, and to maintain a balanced vision for the future of the Bucharest metropolitan area. In a rapidly evolving region where community needs are becoming increasingly diverse, this form of cooperation remains essential.
FOUNDING MEMBERS
The Association for the Intercommunity Development of the Bucharest Metropolitan Area (www.adizmb.ro) is the primary formal arrangement covering the areas of Bucharest and Ilfov County. It was established in 2008, in accordance with Romanian legislation (Ordinance 26/2000), as a partnership between:
The Municipality of Bucharest – It constitutes a functional structure with ongoing activities that implements the decisions of the General Council and the provisions of the General Mayor, addressing the current issues of the local community in Bucharest.
The Ilfov County Council – The County Council is the local public administration authority established at the county level, responsible for coordinating the activities of the communal, town, and municipal councils to achieve public services of county interest.
Management
Gianina PăNăTăU
Director
Gabriel – Laurentiu Trușcă
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF ROADS
Marian RUSU
DEPUTY ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR
PARTNERSHIPS AND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
In 2025, ADIZMB’s involvement in national and European initiatives and cooperation frameworks aimed to strengthen institutional capacity and gain access to expertise relevant to the development of the Bucharest metropolitan area. These collaborations provided a practical working framework in which organizational models, tested solutions, and approaches used in other metropolitan contexts were analyzed.
Beyond the representational aspect, the value of these efforts lies in the opportunity to directly understand how similar challenges are addressed and to identify courses of action adaptable at the local level.
FZMAUR – Federation of Metropolitan Areas and Urban Agglomerations in Romania
At the national level, ADIZMB is part of the Federation of Metropolitan Areas and Urban Agglomerations in Romania (FZMAUR), which brings together the country’s main inter-municipal cooperation structures.
In 2025, involvement within the federation facilitated direct dialogue between metropolitan areas and the exchange of experiences on topics such as institutional organization, the role of ADI-type structures in project implementation, or the relationship with central authorities. This framework allowed for a better understanding of how these issues are addressed in different local contexts.
At the same time, FZMAUR remains a relevant forum for shaping common positions regarding legislative initiatives and funding programs aimed at urban and metropolitan development.
METREX – Network of European Regions and Metropolitan Areas
At the European level, ADIZMB is a member of METREX – Network of European Regions and Metropolitan Areas, a platform that brings together over 50 regions and metropolitan areas across Europe.
Through this membership, ADIZMB has access to a collaborative framework where key topics for metropolitan development are discussed, such as mobility, spatial planning, housing, the energy transition, and governance. The network’s unique feature lies in the practical nature of the exchange of experiences, based on concrete examples and solutions already implemented in other metropolitan areas.
In 2025, this involvement provided access to up-to-date information and relevant practices at the European level, contributing to a better understanding of how these challenges can be addressed within the context of the Bucharest metropolitan area.
The experience gained within the network was also leveraged at the local level, including through the organization, in 2024, in Bucharest, of a METREX event that brought together over 150 experts in metropolitan development from across Europe.
In 2025, ADIZMB, through its director, secured a second term as Vice President of the network, reaffirming its active involvement in shaping the European metropolitan agenda.