Iași, Iaşi (FUA), Romania
City population: 342738
Duration: 2020 – ongoing
Implementation status: Ongoing
Scale: Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Project area: 16158 m2
Type of area: Vacant or abandoned land
Last updated: October 2024

Iasi has limited access to green-blue open spaces and fails to meet national and European standards for per capita green space and proximity to larger green areas. Additionally, the city experiences significant fragmentation in its green spaces. To address these issues, the municipality of Iasi launched a project in 2020 to restore a vacant and degraded area, transforming it into a park. Funded by European resources, the project aims to rehabilitate the neglected land by constructing a green park and introducing local vegetation. The primary goal is to provide a leisure and relaxation space for local citizens and visitors while improving the quality of the surrounding air by converting much of the terrain into green space. The vacant land is situated in the historic Ticau neighborhood, which has been affected by municipal neglect, characterized by poor infrastructure and limited connectivity to the city's main areas. Furthermore, the project aims to reduce the heat island effect by creating green oases in a city marked by many “hard surfaces,” such as paved areas, which contribute to this phenomenon expected to intensify in the coming years. Originally scheduled for completion by the end of 2022, the project has been delayed due to a lack of funds and is now expected to be finished by the end of 2024 (Refs 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 11).

Planted tree sapling in the park
Planted tree sapling in the park
https://www.ziarulevenimentul.ro/stiri/au-aparut-primii-copaci-in-zona-de-agrement-ca-rosetti/au-aparut-primii-copaci-in-zona-de-agrement-ca-rosetti--217544982.html

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Parks and urban forests
  • Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces

Key challenges

  • Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
  • Climate change adaptation
  • Environmental quality
  • Air quality improvement
  • 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
  • Health and well-being (SDG 3)
  • Creation of opportunities for recreation

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
  • Inadequate access to recreational opportunities

Key priorities

Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation)

Focus

Creation of new green areas, Creation of large parks and urban and peri-urban forests, Transformation of previously derelict areas, Transformation of vacant land into green spaces

Project objectives

To increase the availability of green space per capita in Iasi to meet national and European standards and address inequality in access to these spaces. To improve access to green spaces by ensuring a higher percentage of the population lives within 300 meters of a green area of at least 0.5 hectares. To rehabilitate and transform abandoned and degraded areas into functional green spaces, such as parks, enhancing urban livability. To enhance air quality by converting vacant land into green spaces that serve as natural air filters. To reduce the urban heat island effect by creating new green areas. (Ref. 1, 2, 3, 4)

Implementation activities

The majority of the area will be converted into green spaces, transforming approximately 1.61 hectares of the total 1.79-hectare site into vibrant ecological zones (Refs 1-4). The process will begin by clearing the existing vegetation to prepare the land for further development and improvement (Ref 4, p.70). Following this, land modeling will be conducted to create a suitable landscape that accommodates both planting and recreational activities (Ref 4, p.70). To establish durable green spaces, perennial plants and turf will be planted across the surfaces of the area (Ref 4, p.70). Finally, the project will include the planting of trees and shrubs to enhance the greenery and biodiversity of the site (Ref 4, p.70).

Climate-focused activities

Climate change adaptation:

  • Increase urban vegetation cover to reduce urban heat island effect

Main beneficiaries

  • Citizens or community groups
  • Young people and children

Governance

Management set-up

  • Government-led

Type of initiating organisation

  • Local government/municipality

Participatory approaches/ community involvement

  • Consultation (e.g. workshop, surveys, community meetings, town halls)
  • Co-management/Joint management

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

The City Hall of the municipality of Iasi initiated the project and took a leading role in its implementation by forming a partnership with a local company responsible for executing the project. Governance arrangements included online and physical consultations with local communities that included discussions on design of the park. Additionally, the City Hall established partnerships with community organizations representing women, young people, and people with disabilities and discussed future plans for involvement in park's maintenance for underrepresented groups. The project is co-financed by the EU (Refs 4, 6,7)

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? Yes (EU Regional developmental strategies: First Programului Operaţional Regional 2014 – 2020, Axa prioritară 4, Prioritatea de investiții 4.2 . After delay, Planul de Dezvoltare Regională (PDR) Nord-Est 2021-2027 . The intended increase in green area is intended to respond to the min 26sqm required by EU regulations and to WHO recommendations on urban population residing within 300m to green spaces (Ref. 4, p. 71; 9, 10).)
... a national policy or strategy? Unknown
... a local policy or strategy? Yes (Planul de Acțiune Oraș Verde Iași (PAOV) / Planul Local de Acțiune pentru Mediu al județului Iași (PLAM)/ Planul Urbanistic General al Iași (PUG) / Strategia Integrată de Dezvoltare Urbană (SIDU) (Ref. 4). )

Type of enablers

Governance innovations (such as public private partnerships), Funds, subsidies or investment for GI/NBS in the city (available for the city or provided by the city)

Financing

Total cost

€2,000,000 - €4,000,000

Source(s) of funding

  • Public local authority budget
  • EU funds

Type of funding

  • Earmarked public budget
  • Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)

Non-financial contribution

Type of non-financial contribution
  • Provision of land
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
  • Public authorities (e.g. land, utility services)

Impacts and Monitoring

Environmental impacts

  • Climate change
  • Enhanced carbon sequestration
  • Expected enhanced carbon sequestration
  • Prevent the frequency and/or intensity of heatwaves
  • Expected prevent the frequency and/or intensity of heatwaves
  • Environmental quality
  • Improved air quality
  • Expected improved air quality
  • Green space and habitat
  • Increased green space area
  • Expected increased green space area

Economic impacts

  • Increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions)
  • Expected increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions)

Socio-cultural impacts

  • Health and wellbeing
  • Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
  • Expected gain in activities for recreation and exercise
  • Enhanced cognitive restoration, relaxation and stress relief
  • Expected enhanced cognitive restoration, relaxation and stress relief

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

Other

References

1.
Lucian State (2023). News on advancement of the project in 2023 . Ziarul Evenimentul , Accessed on August 7, 2024, [Source link];
2.
Ionut Onofrei (2020). News on signing contract with construction company, 2020 . Apix, Accessed on August 7, 2024, [Source link];
3.
Ziarul de Iasi (2020). Press release on start of the project . Accessed on August 7, 2024, [Source link];
4.
PAOV (2023). Green City Report of Iasi . p. 70-71 Accessed on August 7, 2024, [Source link];
5.
7 Iasi (2022). News on the project being slow and stopped . Accessed on August 7, 2024, [Source link];
6.
Alex Andrei (2022). News following on non-advancement of the project . Accessed on August 7, 2024, [Source link];
7.
City Hall Iasi (2024). Last municipal document updating on the project and for funding requests . Accessed on August 7, 2024, [Source link];
8.
Populatia Ro (n.d.). Demografie judetul Iasi . Accessed on August 8, 2024, [Source link];
9.
City Hall Iasi (2019 ). First City Hall decision on Implementation of project. Accessed on August 8, 2024, [Source link];
10.
PDR Nord-Est (n.d.). PDR Nord-Est 2021-2027 - Regio Nord-Est 2021-2027. Accessed on August 8, 2024, [Source link];
11.
Municipiul Iasi (2015). Strategia integrata de dezvoltare urbana .;
State of the construction of the park
State of the construction of the park
https://www.ziarulevenimentul.ro/stiri/au-aparut-primii-copaci-in-zona-de-agrement-ca-rosetti/au-aparut-primii-copaci-in-zona-de-agrement-ca-rosetti--217544982.html
State on the construction of the park, 2023
Development of green spaces and construction of the park
https://www.ziarulevenimentul.ro/stiri/au-aparut-primii-copaci-in-zona-de-agrement-ca-rosetti/au-aparut-primii-copaci-in-zona-de-agrement-ca-rosetti--217544982.html
naturescapes bannerInformation about this nature-based solution was collected as part of the Naturescapes project funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No 101084341.