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New residential areas in Bucharest Metropolitan Area - Location, type and characteristics
Abstract
1 ABSTRACT Bucharest is a city whose development had been extremely confined in space during communist era, mixing indiscriminately inside it all kinds of industries and residential areas, storehouses, parks, schools etc. Land price was not a factor of influence at that time (state owned almost all real estate), but it is reshaping Bucharest and its surrounding territory right now. The residential areas are sprawling rapidly, changing the land use, creating new neighborhoods and affecting traditional rural ones. Only pure economics reasons being taken into consideration when building those residential areas, there are all sort of negative impacts: traffic congestion, bad zoning, deforestation. Our study is aimed at identifying where such residential areas are being built, what their structures and features are, how they fit into the existing system.
... In the context of the increasing human pressure on the environment , especially in urban and metropolitan areas (P˘ atroescu et al., 2009), indicators represent instruments that can be used to reduce information gaps (Uuemaa et al., 2013), analyze environmental impacts (Ioj˘ a et al., 2007), compare scenarios (Petrov et al., 2011), communicate results to the public (Li et al., 2009) and aid in the decision-making process (Jaeger et al., 2010). ...
... natural energy and material cycles of ecosystems (Tong et al., 2012), the local climate conditions, biodiversity, and water resources (Liu et al., 2011). Conflicts over land uses represent a characteristic of urban development, especially in the context of metropolitan areas (Pacione, 2013), which are confronted with a high degree of pressure from various developers (P˘ atroescu et al., 2009). As a result, conflicts emerge either between various land uses (residential vs. industrial or agricultural) or between different economic or social groups (residents, farmers, developers, etc.) (Darly and Torre, 2013). ...
... The spatial component of land-use conflicts has shown a high manifestation in the last two decades in the countries of Eastern Europe, where the shift from a centralized planning system to an uncontrolled urban development (P˘ atroescu et al., 2009) has facilitated the emergence of these types of conflicts in various forms and places. Land-use conflicts are increased by the fact that decisions on projects and developments for different land uses are still made based on incomplete information (Uuemaa et al., 2013); ideally, these situations would require accurate and high-quality decisionmaking to resolve these complex issues (Kamruzzaman and Baker, 2013), therefore illustrating the need for adequate indicators to measure the relevant driving forces and impact factors (Mubareka and Ehrlich, 2010). ...
... In the context of the increasing human pressure on the environment , especially in urban and metropolitan areas (P˘ atroescu et al., 2009), indicators represent instruments that can be used to reduce information gaps (Uuemaa et al., 2013), analyze environmental impacts (Ioj˘ a et al., 2007), compare scenarios (Petrov et al., 2011), communicate results to the public (Li et al., 2009) and aid in the decision-making process (Jaeger et al., 2010). ...
... natural energy and material cycles of ecosystems (Tong et al., 2012), the local climate conditions, biodiversity, and water resources (Liu et al., 2011). Conflicts over land uses represent a characteristic of urban development, especially in the context of metropolitan areas (Pacione, 2013), which are confronted with a high degree of pressure from various developers (P˘ atroescu et al., 2009). As a result, conflicts emerge either between various land uses (residential vs. industrial or agricultural) or between different economic or social groups (residents, farmers, developers, etc.) (Darly and Torre, 2013). ...
... The spatial component of land-use conflicts has shown a high manifestation in the last two decades in the countries of Eastern Europe, where the shift from a centralized planning system to an uncontrolled urban development (P˘ atroescu et al., 2009) has facilitated the emergence of these types of conflicts in various forms and places. Land-use conflicts are increased by the fact that decisions on projects and developments for different land uses are still made based on incomplete information (Uuemaa et al., 2013); ideally, these situations would require accurate and high-quality decisionmaking to resolve these complex issues (Kamruzzaman and Baker, 2013), therefore illustrating the need for adequate indicators to measure the relevant driving forces and impact factors (Mubareka and Ehrlich, 2010). ...
... Areas with forests or water bodies were mainly affected by urban development, as they were considered extremely attractive for residential projects. The fragmentation of oxygen generating surfaces in the influence area of post-communist cities is present in numerous studies (Boentje & Blinnikov, 2007;Hirt & Kovachev, 2006;Pătroescu, Niţă, Iojă, & Vânău, 2009;Sykora & Ourednícekin, 2007). ...
... Environmental services offered by oxygen generating surfaces from the inner city and peri-urban area (Forest, Konijnendijk, & Randrup, 1999), as well as natural protected areas and regional activities parks should be studied in their spatial dynamics and temporal diversity. In post communist countries such as Romania, the expansion of industrial surfaces was followed by their restructuration (Ianoş, 2004) and by a residential expansion (Pătroescu et al., 2009) which generated major ecological changes. The metropolisation of large cities, especially in post communist capitals, induced a spatial re-organisation inclusively for the polarised towns from the influence area. ...
As urban development has become an increasing problem, urban planning is required to integrate social and economical needs with the sustainable use of natural resources. Since the urban development is favoured by the amount and diversity of the natural resources (land, mineral resources, green areas, aquatic surfaces) available in the area of influence of the cities and its negative externalities aren't limited inside the urban limits the conservation of those resources became an important issue in the scientific circles. Lately planners have been using GIS techniques and remote sensing, based on international and local databases, in finding the most probable scenarios and the best available solutions in order to promote a sustainable development of urban areas. Four models of natural resources conservation have proved effective in the influence areas of cities: protected areas, yellow-green belts, regional parks and oxygen generating surfaces. The establishment and management of these can be better realised by GIS techniques, because of their efficiency and ease of use, the suitability and general availability of data.
... Several studies in the worldwide literature have looked at local projections of petroleum vapours on petrol station workers' health and the impact of petrol stations on their immediate surroundings, and gas stations as a major source of VOCs [12,13] . The inclusion of petrol stations within residential zones in human settlements was determined by the uncontrolled and rapid sprawl of built-up houses unique to Romanian urban ecosystems [14] . This is why we're interested in doing a temporal analysis of incompatible land use and land-cover to find evidence for the velocity of change in terms of locational conflicts between residential areas and gas stations. ...
The poor state of the environment, especially in urban areas, has become a major global issue, with developing countries such as Nigeria voicing growing concern. There is a scarcity of knowledge on the environmental impact of PFSs as a result of the loss of life and property, as well as other serious socio-economic implications of non-compliance with PFSs siting criteria. The historical literature on the impact of residential buildings, the environment, and human health on PFSs in Nigeria, as well as the study’s gap, is examined in this research. It also outlines DPR compliance with PFSs location as well as established criteria for prohibiting PFS siting in Nigeria’s states. Relevant publications on PFSs-related topics were downloaded from Google Scholar. The goal of this study is to look back on a previous essay about PFSs in Nigeria and its impacts on the environment and human health. This study’s main purpose is to give a complete overview of Nigerian PFSs. According to the article analyzed, the majority of PFSs were located close to residents, with setbacks from the road and residential areas of less than 30 m in 90% of the filling stations. As a result, the landowners can band together to argue that a facility that is improperly sited cannot be built. A great deal of public participation is required. A campaign should be launched to raise awareness among filling station owners and other developers of the dangers of non-compliance with established norms. All violators of the established norms, as well as corrupt officials of enforcement agencies/bodies, should face open punishment so that others might learn their lessons. Finally, appropriate planning is required to allow future road expansion.
... Romania's present urban planning follows the same paths of former socialist countries with the re-establishment of private property rights and the shift to a free market economy (Stanilov, 2007b). Population growth changes consumption patterns with citizens preferring individual residential dwellings to collective units (Pătroescu et al., 2009;Stanilov, 2007a), owning private cars (Suditu, 2009), and shopping in retail units (Hirt, 2009;Nae and Turnock, 2011). To fulfil these demands, land is needed to develop new residential areas and wider commercial zones. ...
Urban sprawl is a significant challenge in urban areas and its negative influence on the quality of living confronts the scientific community, authorities, and stakeholders in identifying solutions to mitigate or minimize this trend.Vacant lands are common in the urban landscape, particularly in sprawling cities. In this paper, we hypothesized that by increasing the attractivity of urban vacant land through urban green space development, residential development will intensify within the city boundaries, enhancing the concept of a compact city as opposed to urban sprawl and simultaneously negating urban densification. Planning new urban green spaces increases the efficiency of the urban green infrastructure and provides ecosystem services. We used analytical hierarchy processes to determine criteria to be deemed necessary when planning new urban green spaces. We also determined the suitability of 27 types of green spaces being part of an urban green infrastructure and assessed green areas recommendations for five urban zones. Finally, we identified available vacant land for potential future urban green spaces in Ploieşti, Romania.Our results have demonstrated that criteria such as biodiversity conservation, climate change regulation, and air quality improvement are to be adopted when planning new urban green spaces. Natural features are to be included, thus urban forests, transitional ecosystem, or local natural reserves are suitable in providing the desired ecosystem services in urban areas. Land availability assessments disclosed the locations and areas of presently available tracks. The proposed methodological framework provides a valuable approach to urban green space planning in the context of urban sprawl in the cities.
... It is located in a plain where the average summer temperature rises above 22°C (Cheval et al., 2009). With a population density of more than 8000 inhabitants/km 2 and a total of over 1.9 million, the city is facing problems such as urban sprawl (Grădinaru et al., 2015), traffic congestion and air pollution (Pătroescu et al., 2009). As a consequence of economic development and the increase in number of private cars, the city's transport infrastructure is forced to withstand frequent traffic jams and an insufficient number of parking lots, often supplemented at the expense of green spaces. ...
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.
... Another planning challenge of the former socialist cities was the management of the ex-industrial sites being transformed into brownfields. In most of the cases these sites proved to be a proof of urban regeneration being reconverted into commercial areas, logistic and business center or residential area [17, 18] despite the general negative feedback from the local population that were nostalgic after their former work places [19]. A high number of researchers identified that institutional actors play a major role in planning and a main issue is the control of residential areas expansion [20]. ...
Researchers and planners worldwide have emphasized the need for a better planning in an urbanizing world. The expansion of urbanized areas has increased people's access to modern facilities and urban infrastructures but decreased the quality of life due to social imbalances characterizing large cities. The quality of urban landscape can be used as an indicator of high or low quality of life levels. Our study proposesed the assessment of urban landscape using an Urban Landscape Quality Index (ULQI) used for mapping the landscape quality within a city. The methodology used for calculating ULQI was based on an expert assessment of the urban landscape items from a first rank city from Romania followed by the calculation of the index itself. The assessment was made at a neighbourhood level and using the generated values we were able to process a map representing the quality of the urban landscape in the inhabited areas of Ploieşti. The results were compared with the answers from a survey targeting the landscape quality perception of the locals. A 75% accuracy was recorded between the visual assessment of the urban landscape and the perception of the locals. The study showed that using visual assessment of the landscape and calculating ULQI is an efficient and useful approach that doesn’t require a high amount of resources and can generate an outline over a city in short period. ULQI values can be used by planners, landscapers or authorities in order to prioritize the areas of an urban area that need to be taken into consideration.
... For future development of these areas, not only their economic benefits but also their disadvantages have to be taken into consideration, and it should prime the solving of the existing problems not the generation of new ones (Pătroescu et al., 2009). ...
Given the lack of usable data in the correct assessment of housing quality in an urban ecosystem, it is necessary to establish a system of environmental indices that can be used to evaluate and compare the attractiveness of urban neighborhoods. Oxygen generating surfaces fulfill multiple functions and give a certain quality to urban environment and housing, especially through the green spaces. Green spaces have an unequal distribution in the area of Bucharest. The structure, functions, adding availability and/or attractiveness of green areas define the neighborhoods in which they are located, and whether they are topophile or topophobe ones. In the present study, based on field observations, processing of cartographic materials and using the green spaces as most relevant index, topophile and topophobe neighborhoods have been identified in Bucharest. The tendency of residential areas development was also evaluated and it was found that it depends on the attractiveness of existing urban parks or neighborhood gardens. Rezumat. Distribuţia spaţiilor verzi urbane – indicator al topofobiei-topofiliei cartierelor rezidenţiale urbane. Studiu de caz: Sectorul 5, Bucureşti, România Pe fondul lipsei de date utilizabile în aprecierea corectă a calităţii locuirii într-un ecosistem urban se impunea stabilirea unui sistem de indicatori de mediu care, prin ierarhizarea valorilor, să permită evaluarea atractivităţii unui cartier urban în raport cu altul. Suprafeţele oxigenante, prin componenta lor spaţii verzi, îndeplinesc funcţii multiple şi conferă o anumită calitate mediului urban, deci locuirii. Spaţiile verzi sunt distribuite heterogen în arealul Municipiului Bucureşti. Prin structură şi funcţii, la care se adaugă accesibilitatea şi/sau atractivitatea, ele definesc cartierele în care sunt localizate, dar şi apartenenta lor la areale topofile sau topofobe. În studiul nostru, pe baza observaţiilor de teren şi prelucrării materialelor cartografice s-au identificat în Municipiul Bucureşti cartiere topofobe şi topofile, pornind de la indicatorul spaţiu verde. De asemenea, s-a evaluat tendinţa de densifiere a rezidenţialului în funcţie de atractivitatea generată de existenţa parcurilor urbane sau a grădinilor de cartier.
... Local projection of gasoline vapours on gas stations workers health [8], the impact of gas stations on their immediate surroundings and gas stations as an important source of VOCs [9] are the subject of several studies in the international literature. Uncontrolled and rapid sprawl of buit up residences specific for Romanian urban ecosystems [10] had determined inclusion of gas stations within residential areas in human settlements. This reason sustain our interest regarding a temporal analysis of incompatible landuse and land-cover to obtain arguments for the rapidity of changes in terms of locational conflicts between residential areas and gas stations. ...
Incompatible land-use and land-cover indicate the trend in territorial planning and generate instability and conflicts leading to degradation in terms of environmental quality. Urban landscape structure of Bucharest suburban area has changed lately, especially due to expansion of residential areas, increasing the risks of a chaotic urban development. The consequences of this residential expansion have led to malfunctions, outlining a disadvantage area due to environmental problems. In this context, residential areas are frequently located in the proximity of gas stations in Bucharest suburban area. This paper presents the relation between residential areas and gas stations in order to evaluate causes that led to their proximity. Results have pointed out using a number of 60 gas stations (21 gas stations in residential areas and 39 in non-residential areas) the causes and the temporal dynamics of locational conflicts, suggesting that unplanned development and residential agglomeration are the main consequences of territorial conflicts. In this respect of incompatible land-use and land-cover expansion, it is required an evaluation and hierarchy in order to start new coherent plans of space development.
... Residential spaces with deficient access to urban parks represent priority areas for urban rehabilitation [29], [32], their functionality being affected by the unbalance induced by the heavy development of built spaces [33], [34]. In order to avoid the expansion of these areas is necessary to correlate the space offer with the environment's support capacity for new residential areas [35], [36]. Also, in the southern and western parts must be introduced financial incentives for diminishing current unbalances. ...
Urban parks size, spatial distribution and endowments represent essential indicators used for measuring the sustainability of urban environments and the quality of life in residential spaces. The paper assesses the deficit of urban parks in Bucharest by delimitating categories of residential spaces according to their accessibility to the city parks. We have set categories of residential spaces with poor access to urban parks and considered them to be priority intervention areas for urban rehabilitation in this aspect. Deficient access to Bucharest urban parks was correlated with development of new residential areas, as these tend to further increase the high density of built space and consequent traffic congestion. Identifying critical areas that lack good access to urban parks allows city public authorities to draw adequate measures to improve or to avoid worsening of the situation in a city with numerous environmental issues and an unpredictable future evolution.
As urban development has become an increasing problem, urban planning is required to integrate social and economical needs with the sustainable use of natural resources. Since the urban development is favoured by the amount and diversity of the natural resources (land, mineral resources, green areas, aquatic surfaces) available in the area of influence of the cities and its negative externalities aren't limited inside the urban limits the conservation of those resources became an important issue in the scientific circles. Lately planners have been using GIS techniques and remote sensing, based on international and local databases, in finding the most probable scenarios and the best available solutions in order to promote a sustainable development of urban areas. Four models of natural resources conservation have proved effective in the influence areas of cities: protected areas, yellow-green belts, regional parks and oxygen generating surfaces. The establishment and management of these can be better realised by GIS techniques, because of their efficiency and ease of use, the suitability and general availability of data.
As urban development has become an increasing problem, urban planning is required to integrate social and economical needs with the sustainable use of natural resources. Lately planners have been using GIS techniques, based on international and local databases, in finding the most probable scenarios and the best available solutions. Four models of natural resources conservation have proved effective in the influence areas of cities: protected areas, yellow-green belts, regional parks, and oxygen generating surfaces. The establishment and management of these can be better realised by GIS techniques, because of their efficiency and ease of use, and the suitability and general availability of data.
As urban development has become an increasing problem, urban planning is required to integrate social and economical needs with the sustainable use of natural resources. Lately planners have been using GIS techniques, based on international and local databases, in finding the most probable scenarios and the best available solutions. Four models of natural resources conservation have proved effective in the influence areas of cities: protected areas, yellow-green belts, regional parks, and oxygen generating surfaces. The establishment and management of these can be better realised by GIS techniques, because of their efficiency and ease of use, and the suitability and general availability of data.
Des « complexes résidentiels » sont apparus en Roumanie au cours des dernières années, depuis l'inauguration du « Village français » à Bucarest en 1994. Ils ont en commun l'importance accordée à la sécurité et au confort, ainsi qu'un prix garantissant un « entre-soi » de l'élite urbaine. Ce premier projet a eut un effet d'entraînement qui s'est accéléré à partir de 2001-2002 et qui a conduit, selon un processus d'agrégation spatiale, à la constitution de deux pôles de « résidences fermées » dans le Nord Est de la capitale. La concentration de ces nouveaux produits immobiliers s'explique par la recherche d'une maximisation des avantages accordés par leur site et situation, qui souligne le rejeu de la bipolarisation Nord Sud de la capitale dans les années 1990, notamment en terme de ségrégation résidentielle. Cette organisation conduit à interroger le choix de « l'entre-soi », le rôle de l'imitation d'une élite étrangère et la conjonction des aménités urbaines, parce qu'ils conduisent à une étrange paradoxe : loin de séparer des indésirables, les clôtures séparent du complexe mitoyen. Cependant, le développement du marché immobilier conduit à une diversification de l'offre et l'émergence d'une hiérarchie entre les « résidences fermées », qui conduit à interroger le rôle de la clôture dans la tension entre le « vivre ensemble », la recherche d'une meilleure qualité de vie et la fragmentation urbaine.
In Don’t Call It Sprawl, the current policy debate over urban sprawl is put into a broader analytical and historical context. The book informs people about the causes and implications of the changing metropolitan structure rather than trying to persuade them to adopt a panacea to all perceived problems. Bogart explains modern economic ideas about the structure of metropolitan areas to people interested in understanding and influencing the pattern of growth in their city. Much of the debate about sprawl has been driven by a fundamental lack of understanding of the structure, functioning, and evolution of modern metropolitan areas. The book analyzes ways in which suburbs and cities (trading places) trade goods and services with each other. This approach helps us better understand commuting decisions, housing location, business location, and the impact of public policy in such areas as downtown redevelopment and public school reform.
Corruption in the public sector erodes tax compliance and leads to higher tax evasion. Moreover, corrupt public officials abuse their public power to extort bribes from the private agents. In both types of interaction with the public sector, the private agents are bound to face uncertainty with respect to their disposable incomes. To analyse effects of this uncertainty, a stochastic dynamic growth model with the public sector is examined. It is shown that deterministic excessive red tape and corruption deteriorate the growth potential through income redistribution and public sector inefficiencies. Most importantly, it is demonstrated that the increase in corruption via higher uncertainty exerts adverse effects on capital accumulation, thus leading to lower growth rates.
Ecogeographical integration of industrial estates in Bucharest
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Scenarii de restructurare ecologica urbana specifice ariei urbane si metropolitane a Bucurestiului (Ecological restructuration scenarios in Bucharest metropolitan urban area)
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Mijloace si tehnici de evaluare a calitatii mediului in aria metropolitan a Municpiului Bucuresti (Instruments and techniques for assessing environmental quality in Bucharest Metropolitan Area)
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techniques for assessing environmental quality in Bucharest Metropolitan Area). Bucharest: Editura Universitatii din
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