The Action Plan aims to enhance Braşov, making it a multicultural, sustainable and inclusive destination
Braşov is the most popular Romanian destination. Thanks to its charming mediaeval ambience, it has been chosen as a backdrop in many recent period films.
Despite this, the city is threatened by neglect and abandonment of its historic urban area (HUA), caused by the scale and overly commercial nature of tourism leading to a lack of preservation for the local identity and heritage. This is why the Municipality strives to reset the balance of users within the HUA to enable citizens to reconnect with their historic centre, through innovative actions that will act as a catalyst over time for engagement and social and economic transformational change.
Through the development and implementation of the Braşov HUB, we will be able to reclaim the public domain and create innovative recreational spaces for our children, our families, and our citizens. We will co-design the public realm in a manner that puts citizens first, more inclusive and accessible, more inviting and calmer, balanced between old and new, always in close connection to our historic heritage – Flavia Boghiu, Deputy Mayor of Braşov
Urban regeneration and citizens’ engagement to make Braşov’s center vibrant again
Braşov’s HUB-IN aims to turn the historic centre into a people-centric Hub, attractive for all ages – a family-friendly place as well as a vibrant destination, home to a range of innovative and creative entrepreneurs, where the community thrives. To achieve this, the regeneration process will involve the development of creative and sustainable solutions to showcase the local heritage, turning it into a source of inspiration, and actively involving the local community.
Starting from the roadmap, an action plan has been designed to strengthen and emphasise the authenticity of Braşov. Indeed, the three actions are oriented towards making the HUA attractive and pleasant for its different user groups, inviting people to relax and be surprised by its changing ambience and feature objects.
Action 1 – Transforming the Public Realm – through a series of interrelated regulatory changes, re-design of spaces and programmes of events to enable local people of all ages to reconnect with their historic centre.
Action 2 – Presenting the Historic City as a Classroom – through co-creating a series of ‘Pretext Objects’ within the public realm as a catalyst for heritage-led community engagement, learning and stimulation of new creative enterprises.
Action 3 – Creating an Immersive Nighttime Experience – through a comprehensive heritage-focused lighting strategy, codesigned with citizens and stakeholders to increase evening footfall, attract new businesses and residents and stimulate regeneration.
Citizens’ engagement is key to success. This is why the most important challenge is to ensure that residents – starting from the youngest – are actively involved throughout the entire regeneration journey and included in decision-making processes.
Braşov’s HUB-IN will focus on highlighting tangible and intangible heritage, creating an equilibrated public space among its different functions (cultural, commercial, leisure, relaxation) and maintaining and attracting residents to avoid museumification of the HUA, making sure it continues to be inhabited by locals, who are part of its soul and are the custodians of the local heritage.
Find out more on Brașov’s HUB-IN here!
