Iași, Iaşi (FUA), Romania
City population: 342738
Duration: in planning stage – ongoing
Implementation status: In planning stage
Scale: Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Project area: 57877 m2
Type of area: Public Greenspace Area
Last updated: October 2024

The project aims to modernize Ciurchi Park, also known as "Tătărași Park," due to the degraded state of its current infrastructure (1 - 8). Initiated by the Municipality of Iași, the initiative seeks furthermore to increase the amount of green space per inhabitant in the city and reduce overcrowding in other parks, thereby diversifying options for citizens (1 - 9). Planning for the project began in 2022, and the bidding process for its execution was released in April 2024, which is still awaiting a decision (1, 2. 7). The implementation is expected to involve interventions in existing green spaces, including the planting of 120 trees, 1,000 bushes, and approximately 2,000 species of flowers and ornamental plants. The project will also feature a monitoring program for tree species, management of existing vegetation to protect healthy trees, and removal of invasive or degraded plants (1, 2, 4, 8). Additionally, it will include benches, facilities for physical exercise, an underground waste collector, and a rainwater drainage system, among other infrastructure improvements (1 to 8). The project is expected to be financed by the local budget and EU funds, with a total estimated cost exceeding 5,000,000 euros, including taxes (2, 4). It is included in the Integrated Urban Development Strategy 2015-2030 for the city (8, p. 12). The goals of the project are to modernize the park, improve accessibility for citizens in the surrounding area, minimize management costs for the municipality, ensure a sustainable habitat for flora and fauna with minimal invasive interventions, and harmonize architectural proposals with the landscape (6, 8, p. 32). Other objectives include protecting biodiversity, enhancing the park’s aesthetics and the overall city environment, and reducing CO2 emissions, which will ultimately improve the quality of life for surrounding residents (8, p. 141).

Simulation of aerial image of how the park will look after rehabilitation
Simulation of aerial image of how the park will look after rehabilitation
https://apix.ro/foto-cum-va-arata-parcul-ciurchi-lucrarile-au-fost-scoase-la-licitatie-contract-de-20-milioane-lei/

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Parks and urban forests
  • Large urban parks or forests

Key challenges

  • Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
  • Climate change adaptation
  • Climate change mitigation
  • Environmental quality
  • Waste management
  • Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
  • Green space creation and/or management
  • Habitat and biodiversity conservation
  • Regeneration, land-use and urban development
  • Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
  • Water management (SDG 6)
  • Stormwater and rainfall management and storage
  • Health and well-being (SDG 3)
  • Creation of opportunities for recreation
  • Enabling opportunities for physical activity
  • Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
  • Social justice and equity
  • Social interaction
  • Economic development and employment (SDG 8)
  • Tourism support

Principal problems in Functional Urban Area (FUA)

  • Land use and Socio-economic change
  • Rapid urbanization
  • Unequal availability and access to public green spaces
  • Health, Well-being and Social cohesion
  • Inadequate access to recreational opportunities
  • Social fragmentation and isolation

Key priorities

Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation), Biodiversity (conservation and/or restoration), Social Justice and community

Focus

Creation of new green areas, Creation of large parks and urban and peri-urban forests, Maintenance and management of urban nature, Maintenance or upgrade of exisiting green spaces (e.g. parks), Protection of natural ecosystems, Habitat conservation, Monitoring and maintenance of habitats and/or biodiversity, Clearing out invasive alien species and allow natural regeneration maintaining the functionality the ecosystem, Species-specific monitoring and conservation programs

Project objectives

To modernize and rehabilitate Ciurchi Park, which is in a degraded state, by providing exercise and leisure facilities. To enhance green spaces through the planting of various tree and plant species, while monitoring and managing existing vegetation (1–8). To establish a rainwater evacuation system to mitigate heavy rains (5, 7, 9). To reduce CO2 emissions (8, p.141) To create a waste collection platform (1, 2, 4–8). To improve accessibility and usability of the park (8, p. 32). To foster a sustainable habitat for local flora, fauna, and people with minimal interventions (8, p. 32). To enhance the overall livability of citizens, making Ciurchi Park an attractive venue for social interaction and recreation (8, p. 32). To increase green space per inhabitant and reduce overcrowding in existing city parks (6 & 9, p. 150). To develop the area as a national and international tourist destination (8, p. 34).

Implementation activities

1. Developed a feasibility study that lists objectives, indicators and outcomes, organizes necessary actions to achieve them, and suggests management actions and options for infrastructure and existing vegetation later approved by the municipality (8). This includes: 1. Plantation of 120 trees, 1000 bushes, and approximately 2000 species of flowers and ornamental plants (a total of 23 species), also a monitoring program of the plant species, with the protection of existing healthy vegetation and removal of degraded or invasive species (1 & 2 & 4 & 8, p. 56 & 89). 2. To provide benches (with or without backrests), deckchairs, chess tables, playground equipment, fitness equipment (including for seniors), a multifunctional sports field, trash cans, pergolas, equipment for a dedicated park dogs, and an underground waste collection platform, which would also aim at rehabilitating the park. (1 & 2 & 4 & 8). 3. Creating a system for water retention and an automated irrigation system (5 & 7 & 8, p. 35). 4. Taking down the fences already existing around the park (4 & 6). 5. The rehabilitation of trees and paths, removing degraded infrastructure (1 & 2 & 8).

Climate-focused activities

Climate change adaptation:

  • Implement sustainable urban drainage schemes to manage stormwater

Climate change mitigation:

  • Increase the availability of green urban space for carbon storage (street tree cover)

Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities

Biodiversity conservation:

  • Protect and enhance urban habitats
  • Preserve and strengthen existing habitats and ecosystems
  • Reduce negative impacts and avoid the alteration/damage of ecosystem
  • Protect species
  • Control and clean invasive alien species

Main beneficiaries

  • Local government/Municipality
  • 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

  • Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
  • Taskforce groups

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

The municipality of Iași was the main initiator of the project, responsible for selecting the location and providing the land (1, 2, & 8). It engaged an external company, Devize&Info SRL, to prepare a technical report outlining how the park could be improved (8). The implementation of the project will also be assigned to an external company through a bidding process (2). The project is partially financed through EU funds via the PR-NE program, Priority 3: "A Sustainable, Environmentally Friendly Region" (10, p. 17).

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? Yes (PR-NE Prioritatea 3, "O regiune durabilă, prietenoasă cu mediul"/ The Regio Nord-Est 2021-2027 responds to the European Union's Cohesion Policy (10, p. 17). // Standard ANGSt Natural Englands Accessible Natural Greenspace standard and European Common Indicators (8, p. 13). )
... a national policy or strategy? Yes (OUG pentru reglementarea modului şi condiţiilor de valorificare a bunurilor intrate 14 /2007 (8, p. 132 & 9, p. 150 & 13). - National regulation on the land owned by the state and the usage of this land alongside Green space national standard per citizen (8, p. 132 & 9, p. 150 & 13). )
... a local policy or strategy? Yes (It is included in the Integrated Urban Development Strategy 2015-2030 ("Strategia Integrata de Dezvoltare Urbana") of the city (8, p.12). // STRATEGIA INTEGRATĂ DE DEZVOLTARE URBANĂ A MUNICIPIULUI IAȘI ȘI A ZONEI METROPOLITANE 2021-2030 (9 & 10). )

Type of enablers

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

Financing

Total cost

More than €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

Unknown

Impacts and Monitoring

Environmental impacts

  • Climate change
  • Enhanced carbon sequestration
  • Expected enhanced carbon sequestration
  • Environmental quality
  • Improved waste management
  • Expected improved waste management
  • Water management and blue areas
  • Improved stormwater management
  • Expected improved stormwater management
  • Green space and habitat
  • Increased green space area
  • Expected increased green space area
  • Increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
  • Expected increased conservation or restoration of ecosystems
  • Increased number of species present
  • Expected increased number of species present

Economic impacts

  • Increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions)
  • Expected increase of green jobs (e.g. paid employment positions)
  • More sustainable tourism
  • Expected more sustainable tourism
  • Reduce financial cost for urban management
  • Expected reduce financial cost for urban management

Socio-cultural impacts

  • Social justice and cohesion
  • Improved social cohesion
  • Expected improved social cohesion
  • Improved liveability
  • Expected improved liveability
  • Improved access to urban green space
  • Expected improved access to urban green space
  • Increased opportunities for social interaction
  • Expected increased opportunities for social interaction
  • Health and wellbeing
  • Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
  • Expected gain in activities for recreation and exercise
  • Cultural heritage and sense of place
  • Increased sense of place identity, memory and belonging
  • Expected increased sense of place identity, memory and belonging

Type of reported impacts

Presence of formal monitoring system

Yes

Presence of indicators used in reporting

Yes

Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports

No evidence in public records

Availability of a web-based monitoring tool

No evidence in public records

Potential risks of implementation and trade-offs

Unknown

References

1.
Primaria Iasi (2022). Documentari technice Studiu de Fezabilitate Amenajare Parc Ciurchi. Accessed on August 16, 2024, [Source link];
2.
Primaria Iasi (2024). Licitatie pentru proiectare si executie Amenajare Parc Ciurchi. E-Licitatie , Accessed on August 16, 2024, [Source link];
3.
Ziarul de Iasi (2018 ). Cel mai „sălbatic“ parc din Iași. O oază intinsa de liniste, uitata de autoritati. Accessed on August 16, 2024, [Source link];
4.
Andrei, A. (2024). Cum va arăta parcul Ciurchi lucrările au fost scoase la licitație, contract de 20 milioane lei. APIX, Accessed on August 16, 2024, [Source link];
5.
24:Ore (n.d.). Parcul Ciurchi va fi reabilitat și modernizat! . Accessed on August 16, 2024, [Source link];
6.
Gabriela Rusu (2024). Cel mai mare parc de agrement din municipiu va fi construit în cartierul Tătărași. Mihai Chirica „Sperăm să dispară aglomerația spre Copou. BZI , Accessed on August 16, 2024, [Source link];
7.
Alexandra Maisner (2024). Proiectul de amenajare a Parcului Ciurchi a intrat pe linie dreaptă Trei oferte. BZI , Accessed on August 16, 2024, [Source link];
8.
Devize&Info SRL (2022). Studiu de feazabilitate Amenajare parc Ciurchi . Accessed on August 16, 2024, [Source link];
9.
Primaria Municipiului Iasi (2023). STRATEGIA INTEGRATĂ DE DEZVOLTARE URBANĂ A MUNICIPIULUI IAȘI ȘI A ZONEI METROPOLITANE 2021-2030. p. 150. Accessed on October 8, 2024, [Source link];
10.
Primaria Municipiului Iasi (2023). SIDU-ZM-Iasi Lista lunga de proiecte. Accessed on October 8, 2024, [Source link];
11.
Inter Imobiliare (2020). Prezentare cartier Tătăraşi. Accessed on October 8, 2024, [Source link];
12.
STORIA (n.d.). Trai STORIA Tatarasi Sud . Accessed on October 8, 2024, [Source link];
13.
Ministerul Justiției (2007). OG (A) 14 31_01_2007 - Portal Legislativ. Accessed on October 8, 2024, [Source link];
Parcul Ciurchi
Parcul Ciurchi
https://telem.ro/parcul-ciurchi-va-fi-reabilitat/
Simulation of how the park will look after rehabilitation
Simulation of how the park will look after rehabilitation
https://apix.ro/foto-cum-va-arata-parcul-ciurchi-lucrarile-au-fost-scoase-la-licitatie-contract-de-20-milioane-lei/
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.