Integrating and exploiting Danube’s landscaping potential in integrated urban development - case study for Calarasi city

Abstract

The majority of the cities worldwide were built next to water. The need for water consumption, water transport, waterbased industry, water defense etc. influenced a city's history and development. However, the last decades show a continuing concern for the aesthetics of a city's waterfront. Based on the idea that "waterfront is an extraordinary resource for a city, to be used ‘strategically’ to revitalize and reinforce its economy and to ‘build’ or consolidate its specific ‘image’ (Bruttomesso, 2006) cities on the Danube developed major waterfront reconstruction programs. However, Danube's landscape potential in Romanian cities is seldom exploited. Calarasi city's new urban projects now include the redevelopment of both its Danube riverfront and its main arteries. The aims are to revitalize a former industrial city image and to invite the people to regain both the city's riverfront and its unexploited public spaces. To this end, research was conducted on both the city's inhabited structure and on the urban unexploited landscape potential. The results and diagnosis led to drawing strategic directions on future urban landscape transformation and on applying concrete concepts for landscape management. The strategy proposes incorporation of old, new and future social-urban poles into a modern and coherent urban system. Detailed solutions have been proposed for key urban development areas and for small squares and green strips alike.