1. Hidden Bucharest? The New and the Old City: A Contradictory Evolution through Regeneration and Gentrification Processes
Coordinators: dr. Bogdan Suditu
Location: Centrul istoric – Zona Lipscani
Time: 3 hours (18 November 10 a.m – 1 p.m)
Costs: 0
Urban regeneration means the process of completely renewing or restoring or reforming urban areas. It is to bring much needed life and vitality back to urban areas. Urban regeneration is basically the government’s strategic (long-term) policy to tackle the fundamental problems: bad housing, insanitary living conditions, low quality of life, etc. The regeneration of the built environment will attract businesses into such areas and the investments. The main strategic objectives of urban regeneration are: community renewal in order to develop confident communities and to improving the quality of life in their areas; economic renewal, social renewal and physical renewal.
Bucharest experiences the process of urban regeneration with many of its areas either already rehabilitated or going through actions of urban reconversion. The historic centre is rapidly transforming, therefore, this process of urban regeneration appears to be a rather frantic activity of street rehabilitation, where some have been started on but not finished (Lipscani, Smârdan, Filitti, Tonitza), and less attention on historical buildings renovation as a result of ownership judicial problems and keeping the cultural identity. The urban regeneration projects are needed to have an impact in reality and be based on getting consensus and wide participation of all the actors involved. However, the area of historic centre seems to be emerging as an important asset for the future municipality strategy to develop it as an urban core of attracting cultural, tourist and financial functions.
2. The Past, the Present and the Future of Bucharest Industrial Heritage – Development vs Regeneration
Coordinators: dr. Daniela Dumbraveanu, dr. Gabriel Simion
Location: Zona Uranus, Autogara Filaret, Cutitul de Argint
Time: 3 hours (18 November 10 a.m – 1 p.m)
Costs: 0
Starting point: Autogara Filaret
The industrial heritage of a capital city such as Bucharest is one of the most complex urban aspects a settlement is facing. The historical complexity of this type of heritage ads on to realities such as its state, its development its urban planning future and not least its integrated regeneration. The capital city of Bucharest as the former highest industrialised centre of the country does inherit a considerable industrial pre-communist heritage along with a vast communist one of the kind.
The past of this type of heritage is certainly interesting and evocative, the present of it raises some very serious problems in terms of urban planning and either developing it or regenerating it. The future of such heritage stands into purpose, why develop but most should it be regenerated? If the answer is yes, then some other questions spring out, what for and whom for? Managing heritage is currently almost a standard procedure across Europe and it is becoming more and more like this for the industrial heritage. The management of such heritage for tourism could be one of the trends for Bucharest industrial heritage along with maybe its further modern development. Regenerated as well as developed industrial heritage areas are certainly attractive but for different types of target groups.