On 20–21 May, an IDU team took part in a study and experience-exchange visit on the development and management of General Urban Plans (GUPs). The visit was organised within the project “Development and management of integrated urban development plans” (2013–2014), implemented by Ungheni Town Hall with the support of the Joint Operational Programme Romania–Ukraine–Republic of Moldova 2007–2013, in which IDU is a project partner. Representatives of Ungheni Town Hall, Novoselytsya District Council and Novoselytsya Town Hall (Chernivtsi region, Ukraine) also took part.
At Iași City Hall, Deputy Mayor Mihai Chirică gave a detailed presentation of the content and the ongoing update of the Iași General Urban Plan. The current Iași GUP was adopted in 1996 and has exceeded its period of validity. The new GUP provides for extending the built-up area of the city, detailed regulation of the city centre and urban planning regulations for the Viticultori, Cicoarei and Galata areas. The proposed solutions aim at modern urban development and at turning Iași into a metropolis with developed infrastructure linking Western and Eastern Europe – a true hub for communication, technology and innovation.
Particular interest was shown in the presentation of the Integrated Urban Development Plan (IUDP) of the Iași Metropolitan Area, given by Liviu Iacob, head of the project management office of the Iași Metropolitan Area Association. The presentation covered the stages of IUDP development, how the population was involved and consulted, how the plan is implemented, the reasons for amendments and how they are made, and lessons learned from implementation. On the first day, participants also reviewed case studies, conflict situations and solutions in urban regeneration projects.
On the second day, participants were introduced to the PALAS urban complex – an urban development and investment attraction project. Located in the historic centre near the Palace of Culture, PALAS is a genuine “city within the city”. Built around the “lifestyle centre” concept, it includes a shopping mall and shopping street, event halls, a 4-star hotel, class A office buildings, underground parking for about 2,500 cars, a park and green spaces, with a built area of over 270,000 m². PALAS is a first for Romania and the largest private investment outside Bucharest, exceeding EUR 265 million. Discussions covered the launch of the lifestyle centre idea in Iași, the stages of the investment, its public benefits, and the advantages and impact of the public-private partnership.
Gheorghe Sălceanu, GIS Director at Iași City Hall, then presented the software used by the City Hall for the electronic management of the GUP and its GIS information system. The programme ended with a presentation of successful practices in implementing EU-funded projects included in the Iași GUP and the Iași Metropolitan Area IUDP.
The event offered practical insight into GUP management tools. Practices used in the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine will be explored next, with study visits planned for July and September 2014 respectively.