Created by Heritas Foundation
Define a set of planning instruments, as well as a set of capacity building tools aimed at civic initiatives addressing urban issues. The challenge is brought forward by a civic group seeking to prove that, by engaging all stakeholders into a co-creation process, urban development can capture the benefits of the market without compromising on living standards.
After the dismantle of the centrally planned system in the early 1990s, Romania was slow in building an administrative capacity to deal with the new urban planning issues. The re-enactment of private property rights and the changes in the socio-economic context triggered a real estate boom which forced municipalities to adopt various derogation criteria from existing planning practices. This approach led to a strong process of sub-urbanisation of the peri-urban areas. Based on a plot by plot development, it sought to maximise the investors’ profit and paid little to no attention to providing basic amenities. As a result, dysfunctional dormitory neighbourhoods sprung at the fringe of the city, with inhabitants relying entirely on the existing network of urban services and individual car use.
Sibiu is one of the most developed medium-sized cities in Romania. Since the early 2000s, it has been at the forefront of urban development, being the first city in Romania to implement a comprehensive rehabilitation programme for its historical city. Building upon the innovative character of the city, we focus on three main objectives:
1. Draft a strategic public policy document concerning the provision of new residential areas.
2. Develop a set of innovative planning instruments able to capture the benefits of implementing the above-mentioned policy.
3. Develop a set of participatory and capacity building tools aimed at civic initiatives addressing urban issues.
Our testing ground will be Câmpușor, an 180ha area whose ownership structure comprises of privately owned agricultural plots. Any development initiative should be based on a strategic, phased masterplan that takes into consideration the whole area. This approach amounts to a pioneering effort in Romania, as it assumes the reconfiguration of the plots and depends upon an on-going negotiation and mediation process between the owners that neither the local authorities, nor the developers are willing to undertake.
Given the two-folded approach to this challenge, we can identify several target groups. On the one hand, the stakeholders (council, private owners/developers) will benefit from a set of innovative tools in dealing with urban development issues. If implemented, the future inhabitants of Câmpușor, as well those of the city will benefit from a sustainable and inclusive residential development.
On the other hand, the informal civic group that first approached the topic will benefit from a set of capacity building tools. Heritas represents the interests the group and, alongside its civil society partners, is willing to undertake a mediator stance. The informal civic group comprises of both interested citizens and several NGOs seeking to promote a different urban development paradigm.
Câmpușor is greenfield situated between a river and a railway, in the western part of Sibiu. The ownership pattern is fragmented and consists of over 150 long, narrow plots.
Over the past decade, Heritas Foundation acted as a partner for local administrations, coordinating the rehabilitation programme of the historic centre of Sibiu and developing several strategic documents focused on heritage preservation, urban and tourism development. Founding the Transylvanet Federation, it established a network of partner organisations focused on raising awareness, capacity building and legislative projects in the field of heritage preservation.
The civic initiative that launched the challenge brings together a wide range of expertise, in fields such as urban planning, economics, legal and social sciences or computer sciences. At the same time, it benefits from the expertise of the Sibiu Community Foundation in grant making and community engagement.
Sprawled urban development acts as a parasite to the core city and a restorative, post-factum intervention is almost impossible. We believe that a strategic planning approach, supported by the active engagement of stakeholders as partners within the development process, results into a higher quality of life for the end-users, while reducing implementation costs.
Consequently we need new policies and tools that harmonize with this new communication matrix:
- a policy draft including its supporting planning instruments that can lead to a new development paradigm, while capturing the benefits of all parties involved;
- a set of tools aimed at a civic initiative seeking to consolidate its position as a mediator between public and private interests.
We commit to support the implementation of solutions with:
• information, data and expertise on the issue;
• connections to potential partners;
• access to our distribution channels;
• endorsement and promotion.
We seek to develop a long-term cooperation with the solution provider. As such initiatives span over long periods of time, we want to form strong relations with experts in various domains. Throughout the implementation period, we are willing to work together with the solution provider or help organise any events that can lead to the development of a qualitative planning instrument (meetings, city hackathons, partnership and access to local academia and research expertise etc.).
Heritas has constantly used its knowledge to support innovative approaches; community building played an important role throughout all its projects. The initiative is also supported by the Sibiu Community Foundation – one of the most active grant makers at local level and a strong mediator between the interests of civil society and those of the private and public realm. All other citizens and NGOs active within the civic initiative that led to this challenge offer their experience and involvement to the solution provider.
Envisioning a set of new, co-assumed planning instruments, based on a grass-root initiative, is a pioneering action for Romania. If successful, such a tool is easily transferable at national level and could, ideally, be adopted by the local administrations.
The challenge complies with the ethical standards of the project agreement and it does not raise any ethical issues at societal level. At the same time, it promotes social inclusion and open governance, seeking to develop tools that support the involvement of all citizens in the development and management of their living environment.
