Source: Green Report. \”Ce rezultă dintr-un maraton de 24 de ore dedicat eco-mobilității urbane\” (What results from a 24-hour marathon dedicated to urban eco-mobility). Author: Irina Breniuc
Published October 31, 2016
At the end of last week, over 30 architects, builders, and ordinary citizens participated in an idea marathon on the theme of urban eco-mobility. For 24 hours, they proposed, debated, and presented their projects to a specialized jury. Now, they hope local authorities or investors will take up and implement as many of these proposals as possible.
It all took place within an international event called Climathon, an idea marathon dedicated to stopping climate change. This year, it was held almost simultaneously in approximately 60 cities across 6 continents. In Romania, it took place in Timișoara and Bucharest. The organizers decided to debate transport solutions for sustainable cities. Here is what the six teams in the capital proposed:
A guide for bicycle infrastructure construction
Marian Ivan, representing the organization Optar, proposed the development of a guide for builders and administrators to function as a standard for designing, creating, and maintaining bicycle infrastructure in Romania. According to him, such a document is especially necessary for Bucharest, declared the most congested city in the European Union and currently in an infringement procedure regarding air pollution.
According to the presentation, a shift of just 1% from cars to bicycles would result in 17,000 fewer cars in the capital. Furthermore, citizens would save €1.4 million in fuel monthly, and authorities could save over €880 million simply by preventing deaths caused by pollution. Moreover, drivers would benefit from having fewer cars on the road, companies would have healthier employees, the administration could lower road infrastructure costs, and investors would benefit from a more attractive development environment.
A bicycle footbridge between Carol and Tineretului parks
Horia Bejan, the initiator of the Rulmentul Verde (Green Bearing) project, also proposed a project centered on bicycle infrastructure. He presented a bike footbridge to connect Carol Park with Tineretului Park. The project would include a bridge for cyclists and pedestrians, an eco-friendly glass urban plaza, and two underground parking lots totaling 44,000 square meters.
Implementation would require an investment of €11 million. However, costs could be amortized through revenue from the parking lots and by renting out commercial spaces in the plaza. Ultimately, 200,000 citizens would have access to 5 kilometers of green route in maximum safety, in an area where no sustainable transport alternative currently exists.
Attractive and eco-friendly bus stations
Students from the Urban Mobility Master\’s program at the \”Ion Mincu\” University of Architecture and Urbanism designed a green and smart bus station that would function as a hub at city nodal points.
The station would provide its own energy using photovoltaic panels or even wind turbines and would collect rainwater. It would feature seating furniture made from recyclable materials, information kiosks, and ticket dispensers. It would also be equipped with dynamo technologies, allowing people to charge their mobile phones by pedaling on stationary bikes or walking on a belt. Finally, it would include bicycle parking, a bike-rental point, and a small commercial outlet.
Such a station could cost between €13,000 and €25,000 depending on size. Designers claim the investment could be amortized in 2 to 3.5 years and would encourage citizens to choose public transport over private cars.
Returning city sidewalks to citizens
The challenge of creating an eco-mobility project was also accepted by the Association of Structural Design Engineers. Their representative, Cristian Onofrei, proposed a solution for clearing sidewalks of cars to encourage walking. According to him, the first step would be building car parks. Then, authorities should install bollards to prevent cars from parking on the sidewalk while finding complementary strategies to reduce private car use.
Using abandoned spaces for community purposes
Adrian Ibric and his team of architects proposed the temporary use of abandoned urban lands. One idea was to set up sustainable parking lots with photovoltaic or green roofs to temporarily solve the city\’s parking problems. Another was greening or decorating fences at the edges of abandoned properties—fences whose appearance currently discourages citizens from walking past them.
The initiators believe such measures would stimulate walking or cycling, ease traffic flow, and create green spaces with educational roles. To encourage their creation, authorities could offer tax deductions to owners and stimulate investors by increasing property value.
Friendlier parking for supermarket customers
Drawing on the experience of the #better initiative for quality and responsibility in construction, architect Florin Enache suggested an alternative layout for parking lots in commercial centers or supermarkets. He proposed arranging parking spaces in a single row, allowing drivers to enter forward from one side and exit forward from the other.
This would reduce parking time from 9 to 4 seconds per car, leading to a 55% decrease in $CO_{2}$ emissions. Additionally, the solution would allow for rapid evacuation in emergencies and make it easier for customers with shopping carts to access their trunks. Although it is 30% less efficient in terms of land use, the project would help developers meet green space regulations and increase customer satisfaction.
These ideas will be integrated into the Climathon platform alongside all proposals generated during the 2016 edition. The initiators hope that authorities or private investors will adopt and implement them, thus achieving the transition toward a more sustainable city.
Irina Breniuc
Citation
Green Report. \”Ce rezultă dintr-un maraton de 24 de ore dedicat eco-mobilității urbane\” (What results from a 24-hour marathon dedicated to urban eco-mobility). Published October 31, 2016. [Online Article].
.
October 31, 2016
At the end of last week, over 30 architects, builders, and ordinary citizens participated in an idea marathon on the theme of urban eco-mobility. For 24 hours, they proposed, debated, and presented their projects to a specialized jury. Now, they hope local authorities or investors will take up and implement as many of these proposals as possible.
It all took place within an international event called Climathon, an idea marathon dedicated to stopping climate change. This year, it was held almost simultaneously in approximately 60 cities across 6 continents. In Romania, it took place in Timișoara and Bucharest. The organizers decided to debate transport solutions for sustainable cities. Here is what the six teams in the capital proposed:
A guide for bicycle infrastructure construction
Marian Ivan, representing the organization Optar, proposed the development of a guide for builders and administrators to function as a standard for designing, creating, and maintaining bicycle infrastructure in Romania. According to him, such a document is especially necessary for Bucharest, declared the most congested city in the European Union and currently in an infringement procedure regarding air pollution.
According to the presentation, a shift of just 1% from cars to bicycles would result in 17,000 fewer cars in the capital. Furthermore, citizens would save €1.4 million in fuel monthly, and authorities could save over €880 million simply by preventing deaths caused by pollution. Moreover, drivers would benefit from having fewer cars on the road, companies would have healthier employees, the administration could lower road infrastructure costs, and investors would benefit from a more attractive development environment.
A bicycle footbridge between Carol and Tineretului parks
Horia Bejan, the initiator of the Rulmentul Verde (Green Bearing) project, also proposed a project centered on bicycle infrastructure. He presented a bike footbridge to connect Carol Park with Tineretului Park. The project would include a bridge for cyclists and pedestrians, an eco-friendly glass urban plaza, and two underground parking lots totaling 44,000 square meters.
Implementation would require an investment of €11 million. However, costs could be amortized through revenue from the parking lots and by renting out commercial spaces in the plaza. Ultimately, 200,000 citizens would have access to 5 kilometers of green route in maximum safety, in an area where no sustainable transport alternative currently exists.
Attractive and eco-friendly bus stations
Students from the Urban Mobility Master\’s program at the \”Ion Mincu\” University of Architecture and Urbanism designed a green and smart bus station that would function as a hub at city nodal points.
The station would provide its own energy using photovoltaic panels or even wind turbines and would collect rainwater. It would feature seating furniture made from recyclable materials, information kiosks, and ticket dispensers. It would also be equipped with dynamo technologies, allowing people to charge their mobile phones by pedaling on stationary bikes or walking on a belt. Finally, it would include bicycle parking, a bike-rental point, and a small commercial outlet.
Such a station could cost between €13,000 and €25,000 depending on size. Designers claim the investment could be amortized in 2 to 3.5 years and would encourage citizens to choose public transport over private cars.
Returning city sidewalks to citizens
The challenge of creating an eco-mobility project was also accepted by the Association of Structural Design Engineers. Their representative, Cristian Onofrei, proposed a solution for clearing sidewalks of cars to encourage walking. According to him, the first step would be building car parks. Then, authorities should install bollards to prevent cars from parking on the sidewalk while finding complementary strategies to reduce private car use.
Using abandoned spaces for community purposes
Adrian Ibric and his team of architects proposed the temporary use of abandoned urban lands. One idea was to set up sustainable parking lots with photovoltaic or green roofs to temporarily solve the city\’s parking problems. Another was greening or decorating fences at the edges of abandoned properties—fences whose appearance currently discourages citizens from walking past them.
The initiators believe such measures would stimulate walking or cycling, ease traffic flow, and create green spaces with educational roles. To encourage their creation, authorities could offer tax deductions to owners and stimulate investors by increasing property value.
Friendlier parking for supermarket customers
Drawing on the experience of the #better initiative for quality and responsibility in construction, architect Florin Enache suggested an alternative layout for parking lots in commercial centers or supermarkets. He proposed arranging parking spaces in a single row, allowing drivers to enter forward from one side and exit forward from the other.
This would reduce parking time from 9 to 4 seconds per car, leading to a 55% decrease in $CO_{2}$ emissions. Additionally, the solution would allow for rapid evacuation in emergencies and make it easier for customers with shopping carts to access their trunks. Although it is 30% less efficient in terms of land use, the project would help developers meet green space regulations and increase customer satisfaction.
These ideas will be integrated into the Climathon platform alongside all proposals generated during the 2016 edition. The initiators hope that authorities or private investors will adopt and implement them, thus achieving the transition toward a more sustainable city.