Chișinău : the green structure of a city in transition

Abstract: The Republic of Moldova is not very well known among people living in the rest of the world. It is a rather small country and its borders are not more than 20 years old. As a former part of the Soviet Union it is a country in transition. This transition is present at many levels, not only from a planned economy to a market economy and a wish to become a part of the European Union, but also in the way of thinking, which include city planning. This master thesis is a result of a twinning agreement started in 2009 between Borlänge and Chişinău municipalities, where both sides realised the need of a Green Structure Plan in Chişinău. The aim of this master thesis is to produce a Green Structure Plan for the capital city, Chişinău. The plan is based on sustainability from an ecological, social, and to some extent economic perspective, and it gives the answer to what a Green Structure Plan is and how it can be used as a tool for sustainable urban development. Further, it investigates how a Green Structure Plan can be applied to the city of Chişinău. The work with this master thesis has passed through four phases: preparations, an eight week long field study, processing of the gathered material, and proposal. During the inventory and analysis phase a range of different methods were used to get as a diverse and precise perspective of the city as possible. The methods we have used for the inventory are: literature studies; a case study of Borlänge Green Structure Plan; site visits, observations and photography; studies of maps and plans; interviews; and a public workshop with citizens. Methods used for analysis are SWOT-analysis, Lynch-analysis, and Patrik Grahn’s eight park characters. One of the greatest challenges of today’s society is to achieve sustainable urban development. The values of environment, nature, and culture need to go hand in hand with values from a social and economic perspective. The preconditions to create enduring sustainable development of the urban environment are to a great extent determined by how the built environment is preserved and developed (Boverket 1999, p.12). Chişinău has great potentials for connected green structures with high economic, social, ecological and cultural values. There are vast green spaces in the suburbs and a river floating through the city. Also, the city is connected with the only larger forest area left in the country, Codrii forest. However, fractioning of green links, increased traffic, lack of finances for maintenance, pollution, and unregulated growth within green areas are threats to green spaces today. For a sustainable development of the city these threats need to be adjusted. Also, it is important to keep the historic traces and the identity of green spaces as they are important factors from a social and cultural perspective. We have partly based our project proposal on the General Urban Plan for Chişinău from 2004. New ring roads are planned within and outside of the city to handle the traffic situation. Our first proposal concerns the management of increased amounts of traffic in the city, where the purpose is to protect the existing green links and encourage a more sustainable network of transportation. Inventories, analysis and proposals are also made for existing park areas within Chişinău. People use these spaces as their living rooms. Older men play chess, ladies talk, and young couples sit on benches. There are three types of green space in Chişinău; public gardens, parks and forest-parks. Due to similar maintenance, character and function some of these areas are not used according to their potential. We have offered a new way of categorising green spaces according to Uppsala’s park program, based on the existing classification in Chişinău. We believe a diversification of the maintenance, function, and character of green spaces will create more efficient use and increase the value of the green space, since more people will have the opportunity to find a park suitable for their needs. Also, we have focused on the River Bîc which is a backside and barrier today going through the city. The river is regularly flooded which affects big parts of the city, and is threatened by pollution from domestic and industrial waste. However, it does have great potential as a blue-green spine through the city, becoming a public blue-green parkway. To decrease the frequent risk of floods, a plan has been made by the Water Management projecting Institute, Acvaproiect, where the river is broadened, slopes are reinforced with concrete and where the water flow is controlled by valves. In comparison, our suggestion is to prevent flooding in a more natural way, going back to the original meandering shape of the river. If slopes are stabilised by planted vegetation new habitats will be created, supporting the local flora and fauna. Also, a flood plain can prevent flooding as well as becoming a recreational parkway and tourist attraction. This thesis should be seen as a first step towards the sustainable development of Chişinău. Further inventories and analysis are needed in order to comprise all green space in Chişinău. We have provided an example of how to include economic, ecological and social factors when planning for the green structure through added habitats for the native flora and fauna, reinforced green links, increased quality of public green spaces, and a sustainable transportation network. The economic investment needed is high, but simultaneously it provides an opportunity to make a long-term profit through the improvement of people’s health and life quality, by attracting tourists and business investors, and by stabilizing the ecological system in Chişinău.