Nature-based solutions implemented in Romanian cities
Innovation in public transport, housing construction and seismic impact mitigation is facilitating the transition of cities towards inclusive and sustainable industrialization. The fifth episode of the ‘Romania Unfolds’ documentary series highlights concrete examples of how technological progress contributes to the development of modern infrastructure.
Seismic safety through innovation
Bucharest is the European capital with the highest seismic risk, with more than 3,000 buildings vulnerable to earthquakes, including tens of thousands of apartments and common spaces. In Europe, seismic risk is concentrated in only a few countries, affecting more than 140 million buildings.
Re:Rise is the first organization in Romania dedicated to taking action to reduce seismic impact through concrete projects and solutions, public awareness campaigns and civic engagement. The organization’s mission is to act as a bridge between people at seismic risk and technological, administrative and human resources.
Through the “AfterTheEarthquake” project, Re:Rise, together with the Geo-Spatial Association, continues the mission to reduce the seismic impact by implementing innovative post-seismic tools: the Digital Registry of Tools, the Emergency Response Drone Mapping system, the National Earthquake Volunteer Program and the Sensing of Vulnerable Buildings.
Future solutions for the present
In the European Union, 75% of buildings are energy inefficient. There are about 6,000 passive houses in the EU, while in Romania there are only about 30.
Inginerie Creativă is a design office specialized in passive houses, redefining the construction field through innovative and sustainable technical solutions, promoting energy efficiency and reducing the carbon footprint with each project implemented.
Passive houses are buildings designed to be energy efficient, with very low energy consumption for heating and cooling, without relying on other external sources. Passive houses can reduce total energy consumption by up to 60-75%, depending on local climatic conditions and the quality of the reference building.
Building such a house in line with European standards costs about 30% more, but it pays for itself in as little as 15 years in bills, explains Marius Șoflete, founder of Inginerie Creativă.
Sustainable infrastructure, driving economic development
By 2023, European countries such as Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands have opted exclusively for electric buses. As a result, 36% of new buses sold in Europe are electric, while in Romania only 3.9% of the urban fleet is electric.
According to Eurostat, Cluj-Napoca is among the top 10 cities in Europe in terms of quality of life. Here, 55% of the city’s population uses public transport on an average day. By 2030, the aim is to make Cluj-Napoca’s transport system 100% clean.
Measures adopted in Cluj-Napoca, such as prioritizing public transport, have facilitated the transition to electric mobility, contributing to an integrated vision of urban development and change in citizens’ mindset.
Pedestrian areas have also been extended, numerous plantings have been carried out, and the banks of the river Someș have been relandscaped with dozens of plant species. “Public spaces need to be rethought, adapted to climate change. There are nature-based solutions to be implemented in cities“, says Ovidiu Cîmpean, MP and founder of M100.
„Romania Unfolds”, initiated by Veolia Romania in 2023, is the first mini-documentary series on sustainability launched in Romania, following stories from local communities where the key to solving local challenges is based on a sustainable solution.
