Romanian architects are well aware of the lack of investors' confidence in their profession driven by the poor mentality towards the role of design in the construction activity and also by some pseudo specialists who develop projects at unrealistic costs. However, the architectural services, which do not involve excessive costs throughout a project, can optimize the works in terms of budget. Furthermore, the design activity must be treated as a profession that brings not only economic benefits, but also cultural, with the purpose to elevate the constructed environment. Unfortunately, architects who practice this profession do not enjoy the confidence they deserve. These deficiencies can be solved only by a proper public education on the very important role of an architect. At the same time, the domain faces a serious slippage from the rules of professional conduct. Architects also consider that the poor training of the new graduates and the lack of interest and reliability of the younger generation led to a trend of de-professionalization of the sector. The main difficulty of the architecture sector is the collapse of the construction market which generates a limitation of opportunities in this domain. Investment in construction is closely linked to the general economic context. So far, business forecasts are negative and, as a result, the Romanian architects predict the maintenance of the current level of activity, in the most optimistic scenario. In terms of urban development, the architects believe that it requires, in the first place, a reconsideration of the traffic. Also, architecturally speaking, urban development has to be based on constructing tall buildings in small areas, which have to be evenly distributed throughout the city. It is very important that the urban and rural population is informed about the use of the building materials and techniques of application and also about the disastrous consequences of the misuse of the proper construction materials. Overall, during 2012, the Romanian architecture and design companies and offices reported a slight increase of revenues, but the maintenance of the favourable situation depends on the development of Western European economies. For further information and a detailed analysis of the current Agenda Constructiilor issue, click here!