History has long demonstrated that epidemics spur innovation and new solutions. City sewerage systems, public transit and housing regulations are just a couple of examples.

The Covid-19 pandemic has forced us to reboot much of our urban living - from home to office, park to restaurant. Some cities have increased parkland, others cycle lanes, others have redesigned public spaces. Architects are rethinking urban infrastructure to promote a more local way of life.

But there are still challenges: access to local parks, and providing more outdoor space for restaurants and cafes to cater to customers while maintaining social distancing.

What are the right solutions for a specific community? How to anticipate what a city needs and what its challenges are? And how to use technology to enhance and accelerate these changes?

Finally, how to build a coalition of stakeholders: city halls, businesses, citizens to make sure the changes help all members of the community?

In the first episode of Emerging Europe Talks in 2021, Andrew Wrobel speaks to Radu Puchiu, one of the founders of H.appycities, a Romanian start-up that builds digital platforms and mobile applications that empower communities, regions, cities or countries to think and act intelligently, aided by technology, for the benefit of the citizens.