From “red” to green? A look into the evolution of green spaces in a post-socialist city

Promoting green infrastructure and other nature-based solutions in urban environments is considered an effective approach to achieve resilience and meet sustainability goals. Countries with a post-Socialist history are still struggling to increase the amount of green spaces in cities. Bucharest is an example of a city that has undergone considerable transformation during the Socialist period (1948–1990) and after. Back then the drivers of urban transformation were mainly related to public land management, whereas after the fall of the Socialist regime private development prevailed. Our study aims to analyze the shift in the amount and distribution of green spaces in Bucharest as a consequence of the transition from a centralized planning system to a market-based system. We used historical maps and aerial images to determine spatial-temporal changes in the structure of Bucharest's urban parks and their surrounding areas. To determine the influence of planning approaches on green spaces, we analyzed the legislative framework from the Socialist period (labeled as “red”) and post-Socialist period. Our results showed that the fall of the Socialist regime represented an important institutional change affecting urban green spaces. There was a major increase in the surface and number of green spaces during the Socialist period and a decrease afterwards as a consequence of a weak legislative framework, restitution of lands and ownership conflicts. Our findings provide valuable knowledge on the evolutionary urban processes and sustainability approaches of the post-Socialist period in Romania and important insights for improving planning efforts and maximizing ecosystem services in cities

Using local knowledge and sustainable transport to promote a greener city: The case of Bucharest, Romania

Cities undergoing climate change and rapid urbanization are faced with significant transformational processes that affect the environment and society, challenging them to become more sustainable and resilient. The promotion of nature-based solutions represents an efficient approach to meet sustainability targets in cities and improve the quality of life of citizens. The association of large components of green infrastructure, such as urban parks, with physical activity can counteract the sedentary lifestyle endemic to cities and improve the overall health and well-being of individuals (Carrus et al., 2013; Scopelliti et al., 2016). By promoting a sustainable means of transport and connecting green spaces within a highly urbanized city, bicycle lanes represent an effective tool for associating physical activity with nature in cities allowing bicycle users to benefit from the positive health effects of nature-based solutions. Our study focuses on the potential of bicycle lanes to improve functional connectivity among green spaces. We administered 820 questionnaires in 34 green spaces (i.e., urban parks) in Bucharest, Romania, to identify the factors influencing the use of bicycle lanes connecting urban parks and to understand which planning criteria for bicycle lanes are considered as the most important by park visitors. We applied binary and ordinal logistic regressions and found that the factors affecting bicycle lane use are illegally parked cars and lack of accessibility to urban parks. The criteria preferred by park visitors for bicycle lane planning are determined by experience level and frequency of bicycle use. To develop a functional and integrated bicycle lane network that can make cities healthier and more sustainable, policy makers are advised to engage in a public participatory process and focus on the needs of bicycle users