ALBA IULIA
TOWARDS A CITY FOR PEOPLE AND CULTURE HEALTH CHECK MINI-REPORT
Liveability & equality as a starting point Liveable cities are attracting people. They are attractive places where people want to live, work, meet, shop and spend time. This illustration shows how city planning focusing on creating attractive public
space and a high density of people and activities can create a positive spiral that caters for a sustainable and liveable city.
the city is living The city has a high density of people, functions, buildings - and thereby an active city pulse
people live in the city public transport nearby
People choose to live and work in the city because they find the public realm and city life attractive
It is easy to serve the city with nearby and frequent public transport due to the high density of residents and users
LIVEABLE CITIES attractive public realm
people walk & bike
Many people present in the street create a need for attractive public spaces & street scapes designed for people - in a human scale
Short travel distances from home to public transport and destinations gives low car ownership - people walk & bike more
streets for people The infrastructure for pedestrians & bikes is expanded in order to cater well for the growing number of pedestrians and bikes
Gehl - Making Cities for People
For many years, the modern city has been planned with a focus on moving people out of the City Centre to green areas in the suburbs and ensuring easy access for cars. This leaves City Centres with few residents and car domination
in all public spaces. This illustration shows how sprawling of the city, and the subsequent car domination, creates undesirable environments which leaves cities congested, polluted and unattractive to city life.
the city sprawls The city expands and sprawls outside the City Centre, to get fresh air and green, creating low density of people
people leave the city People don't want to work or live in the city and move out of the congested and polluted City Centre
sparse public transport ?
NOT LIVEABLE CITIES cars occupy public realm
?
?
The sprawling city is difficult to serve efficiently with public transport causing long distances to transport hubs and an inefficient time schedule
car dependency
Car traffic & parking dominate the streetscapes and public spaces in the city
roads are expanding
Long travel distances and low service by public transport create car dependency - few people who walk & bike
The infrastructure for cars is expanded in order to solve the growing problem of congested roads and streets
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A vision for Alba Iulia A CITY FOR PEOPLE & CULTURE People decide to live in places for many reasons, some of those places become attractive and desirable to all, the challenge we have is to try and bring this to Alba Iulia. During our visit, we conducted a workshop
together with forty citizens and city officials from various background, to get a glimpse of what they would like their future city to look like. Below is a summary of their ideas.
Art and Culture
Already an important cultural and historical city in the region and for the entire country, the cultural scene in Alba Iulia is starting to establish itself. Beginning with the extensive renovations of the Alba Carolina Citadel and the introduction of various tourism driven cultural and historic functions, it is now time for the city to re-invent itself as a city for art and culture for all it’s citizens! For this to be achievable stronger connections are needed between the Citadel and surrounding neighborhoods with the creative community invited in to contribute in curating the urban environment.
‘The city under the lights’
The Living City
Alba Iulia is home to more than 63,000 inhabitants, with a mixed demographic. A major city in the region, it is an economic driver than has seen many young adults flocking back to their home city to work and live, after completing studies in cities such as Cluj Napoca or Bucharest. Although the recent focus of development has been to improve the city for tourists, it is important that quality of life for people living in the city is not forgotten. Alba Iulia should be re-appropriated and rediscovered by it’s citizens and become a living room for all Alba Iulian's.
Landscape and green
Set within rich surroundings, the landscape within which Alba Iulia is located has the best Transylvania has to offer. From the rolling Mamut hills north-west of the city, to the Mures river in the south, the landscape is a great amenity for the citizens. The city also boasts a number of parks, with the Citadel acting as a large green recreational landscape. The wider landscape is, however, poorly connected to the rest of the city and many of the city parks should be developed into recreational destination.
Gehl - Making Cities for People
Inhabitants rediscovering their city
‘We should value our city and live in it as if it were our living room’
Green mobility
The focus of the city’s mobility future is green and soft. A reduction of car traffic and focus on providing citizens with a variety of modes of alternative transportation is necessary. From developing the city’s bike lane network, to improving rail connections to surrounding cities and the capital, it is clear that an integrated and comprehensive transportation network, that reduces car dependency, frees up city roads and public space is required.
A city for Children
As a future city for people, we should not forget that Alba Iulia should also be a city for children. A place where kids can explore their city as a playground and be inspired by it. A city where the Children taking back their city young can meet and play safely. In order to achieve this, we need to focus on the city as a ‘daily destination’, and make sure all future plans and developments support the daily life that already unfolds.
A city for recreation
In a city the size of Alba Iulia it is evident that there is already an abundance of public life -not only in the Citadel but also in the neighborhoods surrounding it. Be it work life, residential or recreational life, it is important that the future city provides opportunities and supports the daily patterns of the city and it’s inhabitants. The city lacks places for relaxation, where people of all ages are welcome and can meet. Places that are not commercial and invite all no-matter background or income.
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All user groups, from webpage
Children
ANALYSIS CITY LIFE LACKS DIVERSITY AND POSSIBILITIES TO UNFOLD Central locations in Alba Iulia have very little city life. In places like Piata Iuliu Maniu, Iuliu Maniu Park only few people choose to stay and spend time. The most busy people places are those where visitors are being offered several different functions and activities, and where the natural amenities are creating an attractive sensory environment away from traffic.
Staying activities
The longer each person stays in public space, the more city life accumulates. We conducted staying registrations and age & gender surveys in selected squares, parks, and streets, to observe what people are doing, where they are doing it and when. The activities were plotted onto the map below - giving a picture of the activity levels and types across the six different locations. The registrations were conducted on Wednesday the 6th of July - the weather was warm and partially cloudy, with some wind.
Children playing makes up
GETTING TO AND AROUND
only
5% of all activity
even though 25% of all people registered were children
Walking
Cycling Physical_Activity Cultural_Activity
47
Commercial_Activity
people/h
Children_Playing
Physical_Activity
PARCUL IULIU MANIU Cultural_Activity
Physical_Activity
10
Cultural_Activity
236
people/h BD. TRASIVANIEI
Commercial_Activity Children_Playing
181
Lying_Down
people/h
Bring_Your_Own_Seating
PARCUL UNIRII
Parcul Unirii
Physical_Activity
PIATA CETATII
Bring_Your_Own_Seating Commercial_Activity Cafe_Seating Children_Playing Secondary_Seating
Cultural_Activity
Lying_Down
Commercial_Activity
Bring_Your_Own_Seating
Children_Playing
Cafe_Seating
Parcul Iuliu Maniu
Physical_Activity Secondary_Seating
Cafe_Seating
Lying_Down
Secondary_Seating
Bring_Your_Own_Seating
Bench_Seating
Cafe_Seating
Waiting_Transport
Secondary_Seating
Standing
Bench_Seating
Piata Cetatii
Bd. Transilvaniei
people/h
111
people/h
THE GATE ROUTE
Lying_Down
19
people/h PIATA IULIU MAINIU
Bench_Seating Waiting_Transport Standing
Physical_Activity Cultural_Activity Commercial_Activity Children_Playing Lying_Down
Cultural_Activity Bench_Seating
Bring_Your_Own_Seating
Commercial_Activity Waiting_Transport
Cafe_Seating
Children_Playing Standing
Secondary_Seating
Lying_Down
Bench_Seating
Waiting_Transport
Bring_Your_Own_Seating
Waiting_Transport
Standing
Cafe_Seating
Standing
Piata Iuliu Maniu Secondary_Seating Bench_Seating Waiting_Transport
Children playing
The gate route
Cafe Seating
Standing
Physical activity
Waiting for transport
Standing
Movable seating
Bench seating
Lying down Cafe seating
Secondary seating
Commercial activity Cultural activity
Gehl - Making Cities for People
Young
Women
Old
Men
FEW PUBLIC SPACE ACTIVITIES Children well-represented in public space
This is very rare, and in many other cities, fewer children use public spaces in comparison to the city’s demographic makeup.
15% Alba Iulia 0-14 years
25% Sites Surveyed 0-14 years
Percentage values in grey describe the demographic makeup of Alba Iulia, based on data from the National Institute of Statistics
Adults between ages of 30-65 (particularly Basic are under-represented suggesting a females)
lack of invitations in the public realm for the working population.
29% Alba Iulia F 30-65 years
16% Sites Surveyed F 30-65 years
26%
18%
Alba Iulia M 30-65 years
Sites Surveyed M 30-65 years
Percentage values in blue describe demographic makeup of people registered during stationary activities conducted on Wednesday the 6th of July
Few programmed parks and squares attract city life - all day, all seasons
Bus/Rail
Bench seating was the number one activity registered in all parks, and was one of the only opportunity for staying
Car
Seating in Iuliu Maniu park poorly placed with views towards parking lot
Few areas for older children to play
Playground at Str Nicolae Balcescu offers invitations for play only to the very young. The space has a lack of green and trees, offering little protection from sun for playing children
Older children roller-blading along busy streets, not protected from the risk of traffic accidents.
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ANALYSIS PUBLIC SPACES ARE GENERALLY OF LOW QUALITY OUTSIDE THE CITADEL Within the Citadel, public spaces are generally of high quality, with high level of protection from traffic and weather, good opportunities for walking and staying and a high level of enjoyment. Outside the Citadel it is a different story. With cars dominating the landscape, many public spaces offer limited safety for pedestrians and limited opportunities for staying, with low quality design and sensory experiences
Spaces in the City Centre lack invitations
Out of all spaces surveyed, the City Centre had public spaces of least quality. Both squares and parks were underused due to a lack of accessibility but also a lack of invitations. Few opportunities for seating and activity were witnessed, with many buildings and ground floor programs offering very little to public space surrounding them. The station forecourt has least quality for pedestrians, and as a result, the city lacks a grand welcome.
City Hall Sq. Ramparts Parcul Iuliu Maniu
Bd. Transilvaniei Parcul Unirii Piata Iuliu Maniu
Piata Cetatii Piata Alexandria
Cathedral Sq. Court of Appeals Park
Good Medium
Station Forecourt
Gehl - Making Cities for People
Bad
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5
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8
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10 11 12 Quality Criteria
PUBLIC SPACES OUTSIDE THE CITADEL ARE OFTEN OVERLOOKED Lack of connection to history and culture
Piata Alexandria has great potential to be better connected to the Citadel and become a cultural space for the city
Parcul Iuliu Maniu is a prominent space in the City Centre, with some traces of culture which could be emphasized and celebrated
Multiple levels and underpasses create inaccessible public spaces, that are unsafe
Sunken square and underpass in front of the City Hall with limited accessibility and reduced safety
Underpass at the intersection of Bd. Trasilvaniei and Bd. Horea privatized and converted to games hall, with limited accessibility and reduced safety
Many public spaces and parks are surrouding by parking reducing feeling of safety
Parking at edges of Iuliu Maniu Park
Parking at edge of Piata Alexandria
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RECOMMENDATIONS
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CELEBRATE THE CULTURE AND THE LANDSCAPE THE Citadel AS A CREATIVE HUB
Develop the northern part of the Citadel near the Batthyaneum Library and Framm's into a creative hub with workshops and studios for the creative community that can be open to the public and showcase local crafts. Offer low rent to artists in return for exhibitions and events.
Batthyaneum Library viewed from the 'Mote Route'
Make culture and art visible in the rest of the city particularly in areas that have a strong connectivity to the Citadel. Art in the surrounding neighbourhoods can bring cultural identity to spaces most used by residents, and also be used as a wayfinding tool, connecting the city to the Citadel. Art festivals could also be implemented to mark and celebrate future up-and-coming areas within the city.
Key spaces such as Piata Alexandria with strong visual and pedestrian connection to the Citadel could be a site for an art installation
Improve connections between the city and the Citadel through wayfinding clearly marking all access routes into the Citadel, as well as providing a higher level of legibility within it. Extra access points may also be added to increase connectivity, for example at the cross roads of St. Gemina and St. Nicolae Balcescu. This would create a natural and direct route to the City Centre and it’s many institutions. Visible shortcut
Visible traces at Str. Gemina and Str. Nicolae Balcescu show need to additional access from City Centre Gehl - Making Cities for People
THE Citadel AS A CREATIVE HUB Make the University an active part of the Citadel by transforming part of the Citadel's public spaces into informal spaces for working, small scale learning environments, meeting places and knowledge hubs. A program should be elaborated which encourages students to start-up businesses of their own in the Citadel and collaborate with existing business owners. The university may also be engage to create a student guide for the city. 1st of December University 1918 Alba Iuia, in the Citadel
THE LANDSCAPE AS THE CITY’S NARRATIVE Strengthen the visual connection between the city, the Citadel and the wider landscape to create a stronger sense of identity and better legibility of the city. To support wayfinding in Alba Iulia’s streetscape, the vegetation needs to be maintained in order to open up visual corridors to landmark buildings and unique landscape features • Prune street trees in main visual corridors towards the mountains and landmark buildings in order to establish a strong visual connection and to support wayfinding. • Prune tree trunks in order to allow for a better visual connection across the streets
Connection to Citadel
View from Piata Alexandria to the third gate in the Citadel should be strengthened
STRATEGY FOR LANDMARK BUILDINGS Utilize existing cultural facilities such as the ‘Casa de Cultura a Studentilor’ and ‘Casa de Cultura a Sindicatelor’ and build a closer relationship between internal functions and public space. Open up ground floors and facades to create free connectivity between inside and outside. Encourage these facilities to put on events in the public space surrounding them, whilst also becoming everyday destinations. I.e. if the ‘Casa de Cultura a Studentilor’ had a cafe program, this could spill out into the surrounding park. Inactive space in front of the Culture house could become a main attraction in the city 13
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RECOMMENDATIONS
CELEBRATE THE PUBLIC SPACE NETWORK PUBLIC SPACES FOR PEOPLE
Upgrade the main park in the City Centre by removing car parking and the road currently divining the park in two. This would create a continuous park experience that is free of car traffic, legible and safe. The upgraded park should be programmed to invite a variety of users throughout the day with low lighting at night time for safety. A variety of opportunities for seating should be integrated as well as areas for children to play, and outdoor serving.
Remove parking
Parking lot diving park
Transform Piata Iuliu Maniu into a space for people by removing parking and introducing greenery and programming that supports and complements the surrounding functions, for example the hotel, restaurants and court houses. This could become a key space for those working and living in the City Centre to meet one another and spend time.
Provide a grand welcome to City Hall by upgrading City Hall square and filling in the sunken space to make a single level public destination accessible to all, with increased sense of safety. The new public square should act as a welcoming space for those working and visiting the City Hall and be programmed and designed to act as an extension of the City Hall itself, with spaces for outdoor working, informal meetings, and quiet areas for breaks. A close relationship between the new square and the internal functions is crucial for a lively public space. Relocating the main entrance so that it addresses the future square, not only encourages this relationship, but also directs footfall through the new public space, increasing the possibilities for interaction within the public realm.
Piata Iuliu Maniu looking east
Locate main entrance here
Fill in to make an accessible, safe and coherent public space
Image showing view of city hall with sunken space in the main square. Gehl - Making Cities for People
Create a people friendly beginning and ending at Bd. Transilvaniei by removing parking and continuing pedestrian treatment of the street. Doing so also allows the cycle lane to be prioritized and allows for a more natural pedestrian connection between the Boulevard and the Unirii park. This connection can be further improved by widening the pedestrian crossing or introducing different surface paving to mark the space where Bd. Horea and Bd. Transivaniei meet. This surface could be smaller scale cobbles that helps slow down car traffic across Bd. Horea and prioritizes pedestrians.
Remove parking & pedestrianize
Remove parking & pedestrianize
Continue connection
Parking at both ends of Bd. Transivaniei
Allow more nature into the Citadel and reduce the high level of maintenance required. Identify areas where grass may grow higher and native flora, particularly perennials may be introduced. An example of appropriate planting could be; Calamagrostis Epigeios, Daucus Carota, Agrostis Capillaris, Pseudolysimachion Spicatum among others. In green areas where maintenance is required, alternative modes should be investigated, with the aim to reduce noise from maintenance machinery such as lawn mowers and therefore allow for green spaces to be quiet and pleasant to be in and enjoyed throughout the day. Maintenance of green areas should be reduced
Build structures in the Citadel to house services such as restrooms and thereby reducing visual clutter. This should be prioritized in key spaces such as the Cathedral Square shown to the right, where portable restrooms create an unappealing visual and sensory experience. Restroom structures should also be constructed along the ‘mote route’ and all dumpsters and other such equipment should be placed away from main spaces and routes of the Citadel.
Portable restrooms should be removed
Portable restrooms next to the Catholic Cathedral
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3
RECOMMENDATIONS
BALANCE TRANSPORT NEEDS STREETS FOR PEOPLE
Downscale size of streets and celebrate green links and boulevards such as the Calea Motilor, with it's current street layout providing maximum space for cars but minimum space for pedestrians. The street could be transformed into a space which places an emphasis on pedestrians with wider sidewalks and continuous cycle lanes as well as green medians to ease street crossing. Slower speeds for such streets should also be imposed to create a safer environment for both cyclists and pedestrians.
Four lane Calea Motilor could be transformed into a green boulevard supporting more transport modes.
Minimize intersections to prioritize pedestrians where possible, moving any petrol stations to the periphery of the city. Pedestrian crossings in particular should be placed taking into account natural pedestrian flow and therefore avoiding detours where possible. Bike lanes should also be continued across intersections making cycle traffic visible to cars.
Large intersection at meeting of Calea Motilor and Str. Nicolae Balcescu could be minimized
Introduce more calm low speed streets particularly in residential areas and parallel parking streets. The parking street along Iuliu Maniu Park in the City Centre, is an example of this and could be transformed into a shared street for cyclists and pedestrians. For maximum effect, parking should be removed and car traffic should be restricted to sections of the street - not allowing through traffic, and thereby reducing number of cars driving through this space. Improving the street for pedestrians would also allow a closer relationship between building functions and park. This approach could also be used on the parking street parallel to Str. Octavia Goga. Parking street on eastern edge of Iuliu Maniu Park could be transformed into a pedestrian space Gehl - Making Cities for People
BIKE STRATEGY Create a green boulevard ring with a continuous bicycle route connecting existing green streets together. This green link would tie together Strada Octavian Goga, Bulevardul Incoronarii, Bulevardul Horea and Calea Motilor, and therefore connect neighbourhoods surrounding the Citadel. The new boulevard ring may also emphasize and celebrate access points into the Citadel overlooked today, and provide multiple invitations for recreation. It should be designed as a destination for people and not a traffic corridor.
Str. Octavia Goga, where part of the Green Boulevard Ring already exists and could be upgraded.
Transform City Hall car park into bicycle parking to set an example for the citizens of Alba Iulia and communicate the vision for the city. All employee parking should be removed with some that may be relocated to the paid parking area on Std. Tudor Vladimirescu.
Empty and unordered parking lot in front of City Hall
Develop a coherent bicycle network with a focus on a continuous and safe experience but not at the expense of pedestrians. It is crucial that all cycle lanes to be implemented are based on a larger strategic cycle plan. Future cycle lanes should be mapped out carefully on key streets, connecting destination in the city together. Bicycle lanes should not compete with the pedestrian network. Both sidewalks and cycle lanes should co-exist with cycle lanes designed into the street layout, next to sidewalks.
Cycle lane taking over entire sidewalk near the Cetatea Market 19
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RECOMMENDATIONS
THE URBAN FABRIC AND BUILT FORM DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
Maximize the urban capacity in central areas Generally, Alba Iulia has a low density built fabric combined with a large block structure. The expansion of Alba Iulia has been focusing on greenfield development, leaving the centre relatively undeveloped. Sensitively increasing urban capacity is necessary for Alba Iulia. • Include city growth into existing fabric of the City Centre by densifying it, particularly along leftover spaces at the edge of the Citadel • Replace worn down buildings and supplement blocks in order to create a strong edge towards the streets. • Ensure a permeable grid structure with a fine grained pedestrian and bicycle network through the big blocks. Plan on reducing city sprawl by defining the limits of new development. Focusing all new construction within the outer city ring and on brownfield sites. This would reduce sprawl - which ruins rural areas - and instead create a cluster of urban density respecting the natural setting surrounding Alba Iulia. Concentrating development would lead to a small and compact city footprint which makes walking distances short, favorable and pleasant.
QUALITY PROGRAM FOR BUILDINGS
Develop leftover land
An example of underdeveloped land in the City Centre
Boundary for limiting development
Limit new development whilst densifying outlined area
Develop a set of regulations and quality criteria guiding all future development which would ensure a high quality urban realm and public space for people. This should include guidelines on for example: • Street layouts and intersections, including generous sidewalks and cycle lanes • Reduced building setbacks to ensure building frontages that define public spaces • Heights and FAR on given plots • Functions etc.
New development Micesti, with lack of regulation and limited infrastructure Gehl - Making Cities for People
Diversify building stock - future development should provide mixed accommodation types. Currently, Alba Iulia has two types of housing options mid-rise apartment buildings and single family homes in the form of villas. Furthermore, all new development in the area appears to be low density villas, largely developed on greenfield sites. Diversifying housing stock would accommodate a variety of tenants with different needs and incomes. Mixed housing could include mid-rise apartments blocks, courtyard blocks, row houses, townhouses, villa apartments, or single family homes. To achieve social and economic sustainability, more efficient use of the plots should be considered creating complex multiple dwelling arrangements. These solutions would address issues of growth and change, affordability and economic flexibility, changes in use, sub-letting, as well as the requirements of generational living.
A typical mid-rise apartment block in Alba Iulia, as one of only two housing options
Newly built villas in the Cetate neighbourhood
Upgrade key landmark buildings dominating the urban landscape and public space particularly those that have a close relationship to the Citadel. The ‘Electrica furnizare’ and ‘Hotel Cetate’ located at the western and eastern entrances to the Citadel, ruin many panoramic views towards the city. These landmark buildings, together with the Raffaiser Bank building near the Court of Appeals, should be upgraded in such a way that they add quality to the urban realm and no longer have a detrimental effect on city views.
Landmark buildings to be upgraded
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Consultants:
Client:
GEHL Vesterbrogade 24 DK-1620 Copenhagen V DENMARK
ALBA IULIA MUNICIPALITY Cod 510134 Alba Iulia Strada Calea Motilor, nr 5A ROMANIA
Project Lead: Henriette Vamberg Email: Henriette@gehlpeople.com Project Manager: Eveline Petcu Email: Eveline@gehlpeople.com