Last updated: October 2024
The greening of the Luceafarul theater esplanade is an initiative that is part of a corporate social responsibility strategy by the real estate company IULIUS (3, p. 86 & 89). The initiative aimed to expand and complement the green spaces and landscape design of the company's urban ensemble, Palas, located in the center of Iași (1 & 2). The space was previously occupied by a building owned by the company (5). Initially, the plan was to transform the building into a business center after donating it to the municipality (8). However, IULIUS and the Municipality of Iași agreed to demolish the structure and design a public space for the citizens instead (5 to 8). This decision was also influenced by the public’s desire to keep the area open, maintaining a clear view of the historical landscape, which was later incorporated into the municipality’s urban planning (8 & 9). The design features a green field of 2,100 square meters, including 35 trees of various species (chestnuts, plane trees, and Ginkgo Biloba imported from nurseries in Italy) and 3,000 shrubs and bushes (1 & 2). The vegetation is maintained through an automated irrigation system (1 & 2). The initiative aims to improve access to green spaces in Iași (3, p. 86) and to provide a space for recreation, relaxation, and leisure, with benches installed throughout the area (1 & 2). IULIUS intentionally places green space projects in central urban areas to ensure they are accessible to all residents (3, p. 86). Additionally, the municipality requested that the green space enhance the area's microclimate and improve the aesthetic appeal of the surrounding cultural landmarks (9, p. 6).
Grass field and trees in the area
https://apix.ro/esplanada-din-fata-teatrului-luceafarul-ii-asteapta-pe-ieseni-cu-o-noua-amenajare-peisagistica/
Overview
Nature-based solution
- Parks and urban forests
- Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces
- Other
Key challenges
- Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
- Climate change adaptation
- Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
- Green space creation and/or management
- Regeneration, land-use and urban development
- Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
- Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
- Protection of historic and cultural landscape/infrastructure
- Health and well-being (SDG 3)
- Creation of opportunities for recreation
- Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
- Social justice and equity
- Social interaction
Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)
- Climate-Related Hazards
- Heat stress & Extreme temperatures
- Land use and Socio-economic change
- Unequal availability and access to public green spaces
- Health, Well-being and Social cohesion
- Mental health issues (stress, anxiety)
- Inadequate access to recreational opportunities
- Social fragmentation and isolation
Key priorities
Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation), Social Justice and community
Focus
Creation of new green areas, Creation of any other green urban spaces
Project objectives
1. Provide a new green space for the city where the citizens can relax and interact (2).
2. Increase the amount of green spaces in the ensemble of a real state urban regeneration investment, improving the area and the city aesthetically (1 & 2).
3. Transform previous spaces crowded by cars into pedestrian areas (4).
4. Connect diverse key cultural locations in the city through the development of the green spaces into a more accessible and walkable area (4).
5. Help to achieve european standards of green space sq. m. per inhabitant and urban development concepts such as the 15 minute-city (3, p. 86 & 114).
6. Improve the microclimate (high local temperatures) of the area by selecting local species, as well as adaptable species that are extremely well-suited for urban environments, tolerating air pollution and heat (9).
7. Increase the quality of life for the local community of Iasi and access to public green spaces for all citizens (3)
Implementation activities
The esplanade was integrated, from an aesthetic point of view, with the garden of the Palas complex and the Palace of Culture, designed designed to be pedestrian-friendly and provide a scenic space for people to relax, socialize, or enjoy the surroundings.
The area was landscaped with a new square, over 2,100 square meters of heavy-traffic lawn, 3,000 shrubs, and 35 trees. The specimens included chestnuts, plane trees, Ginkgo Biloba, hydrangeas, prunus, lilac, holly, spirea, forsythia, liriope, berberis, and many other shrub species. All the plants came from Italian nurseries specializing in growing large species. The green space was supported by a fully electronically controlled, automatic irrigation system and completed with alleys, benches and installing a light system (1). It is expected that the esplanade will be used as a cultural space by the community, with concerts and events organized there. (2)
Climate-focused activities
Climate change adaptation:
- Increase urban vegetation cover to reduce urban heat island effect
Main beneficiaries
- Local government/Municipality
- Citizens or community groups
Governance
Management set-up
- Co-governance with government and non-government actors
Type of initiating organisation
- Private sector/corporate actor/company
Participatory approaches/ community involvement
- Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
- Deliberative decision-making processes (e.g., consensus building, deliberative polling)
Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project
The company IULIUS carried out the initiative through funding and implementation of the green space in the area after dialogue with the municipality of Iasi, who granted the permission to demolish the old building in the zone and carry out the landscaping project (5). The project was co-planned with the municipality through urbanistic plans that established pre-requisites for the development of the spaces, and IULIUS provided the final design of the space including the selection of the plant species that would be implemented (1 & 2 & 9).
Project implemented in response to ...
... an EU policy or strategy?
Yes
(European standards on green space sq.m. per inhabitant (3, p. 85) 15 min-city urban design (3, p. 114-115). )
... a national policy or strategy?
Unknown
... a local policy or strategy?
Yes
(Urban plan of the municipality of Iasi 92/28.2020 (9).)
Type of enablers
Governance innovations (such as public private partnerships)
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Source(s) of funding
- Corporate investment
Type of funding
- Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
No
Impacts and Monitoring
Environmental impacts
- Climate change
- Lowered local temperature
- Expected lowered local temperature
- Green space and habitat
- Increased green space area
- Achieved increased green space area
- Increased number of species present
- Achieved increased number of species present
Economic impacts
- Unknown
Socio-cultural impacts
- Social justice and cohesion
- Improved liveability
- Expected improved liveability
- Improved access to urban green space
- Achieved improved access to urban green space
- Increased opportunities for social interaction
- Achieved increased opportunities for social interaction
- Health and wellbeing
- Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Achieved gain in activities for recreation and exercise
- Improved mental health
- Expected improved mental health
Type of reported impacts
Presence of formal monitoring system
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports
Yes
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs
Unknown
References
1.
IULIUS (2022). Platani, castani şi Ginkgo Biloba, plantaţi pe esplanada din faţa Teatrului „Luceafărul”. Accessed on September 5, 2024, [Source link];
2.
APIX (2022). Esplanada din fața Teatrului „Luceafărul” îi așteaptă pe ieșeni cu o nouă amenajare peisagistică ». Accessed on September 5, 2024, [Source link];
3.
IULIUS (2023). Sustenabilitate _ Iulius Company Raport 2022 . p. 53 to 55 & 85 to 87 & 114-115. Accessed on September 5, 2024, [Source link];
4.
BZI (2019). Dispare clădirea E.On! Vezi cum se transformă esplanada Teatrului Luceafărul • Buna Ziua Iasi • BZI.ro. Accessed on September 5, 2024, [Source link];
5.
AgoraPress (2021). Imobilul de pe esplanada Teatrului Luceafărul va fi demolat - Agorapress. Accessed on September 5, 2024, [Source link];
6.
Onofrei, I. (2021). Esplanada Palatului Culturii va fi în totalitate pietonală, începând de anul viitor ». APIX , Accessed on September 6, 2024, [Source link];
7.
Onofrei, I. (2021 ). PMI vrea centru turistic în fostul showroom Palas. Clădirea nu va mai fi demolată ». APIX , Accessed on September 6, 2024, [Source link];
8.
Ziarul Evenimentul (2022). Chioşcăreala de la Palas continuă!. Accessed on September 6, 2024, [Source link];
9.
Primaria Iasi (2020). HOTĂRÂRE HCL_92_2020. Accessed on September 6, 2024, [Source link];
10.
SC Iulius Management Center SRL (2020). Palas Iasi . Accessed on September 6, 2024, [Source link];
11.
World air quality index project (2024). Poluarea aerului din Strada Anastasie Panu, Iași, Romania. Accessed on September 6, 2024, [Source link];
12.
Palas Iasi (2022). 12. FB post 𝐄𝐬𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐝𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐮𝐢 𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐮 𝐂𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐢 𝐬𝐢 𝐓𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐭 „𝐋𝐮𝐜𝐞𝐚𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐮𝐥” 𝐚 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐣𝐚𝐫𝐢!. Accessed on September 6, 2024, [Source link];
Working on implementing the green areas
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=4792179880830638&id=147359628646043&set=a.151477884900884&locale=ro_RO
Trees in front of the theatre
https://iuliusincomunitate.ro/mediu/un-nou-spatiu-verde-si-de-relaxare-pentru-comunitate-din-weekend-esplanada-din-fata-teatrului-luceafarul-ii-asteapta-pe-ieseni-cu-o-noua-amenajare-peisagistica
Information about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.