Lost and forgotten gardens in Bucharest

Every big city takes pride in one ore two public spaces, that eventually become memorable and iconic for that particular city. I've spent my fair share of trips wondering through gardens and parks like Hyde park in London, Tuileries gardens in  Paris, Eduardo VII Park in Lisbon, and Cismigiu Gardens in Bucharest. But what happens with the ones that disappear?

I found a publication at home, about lost and forgotten gardens in Bucharest, a research conducted by one of my teachers at the Urbanism Faculty, conf. dr. arh. Cerasella Craciun.(Find out more at http://www.cerasellacraciun.ro/cercetare.html) It is a very admirable effort in trying to locate and describe the gardens, as much as possible, but what I discovered was the fact that, even though other establishments and properties occupied them, which is regretable, at least we find out a specific characteristic about the Romanian garden. Wheather it was a private property, or a public one, the Romanian gardens were always a place of parties and feast, a space for theatrical happenings and events (except the church's gardens, of course).

It is a delightful read, which I recommand, with interesting facts about how some gardens passed on their name to certain public/private spaces. Also, how some were partly preserved, for instance "Raşca" Garden, was situated on the grounds of the University of Architecture and Urbanism "Ion Mincu"of today, and in present times, an interior garden exists (but not open to the public, and in pour condition unfortunatly).

Community gardens in Romania?

A new trend has swept the major cities of Europe and it seems to be the perfect way to reduce pollution problems and attempt to expand green areas in town that has both utility and leisure:  urban agriculture. 

 Un nou trend a cuprins marile orase ale Europei si pare a fi metoda perfecta de reducere a problemelor de poluare si incercare de extindere a suprafetelor de spatii verzi in intravilan, care are o utilitate si productiva si recreativa: agricultura urbana.

Urban Agriculture is really trying to bring back the joys of fruit that our grandparents and parents  had, and somehow bring the nostalgia of the"country life." That, of course if this mentality would be re-install in cities of Romania. Strange thing is that this mentality of eating organic and healthy foods, especially by cultivating them in towns comes from the country with the highest rate of obesity: the United States. There are certain urban policies, which regulate how certain plots (unused, abandoned) of land can be collective rented, and are called "community gardens."

Agricultura urbana incearca de fapt sa readuca din bucuriile rodului pe care il aveau bunicii nostri sau parintii nostri, si aduce cumva din nostalgia "vietii de la tara". Asta, desigur daca aceasta mentalitate s-ar instala ulterior si in orasele din Romania. Ciudat lucru, este faptul ca mentalitatea aceasta de a consuma produse organice si sanatoase, dar mai ales de a le cultiva in oras, provine tocmai din tara cu rata de obezitate cea mai mare: Statele Unite. Aici, s-au impus anumite politici urbane (urban policy), care reglementeaza in fapt, modul in care anumite terenuri din intravilan pot fi inchiriate colectiv pentru asa numitele "community gardens".

"Community Gardens" relies heavily on community spirit to bring members of the community together through gardening and agriculture. Divide a piece of land, which did not make use the local authority in order to relax, eat healthy foods in the family, and get to know your neighbors better. These "community gardens" are reduced in size, varying from 3m x 3m, 3m x 4.5 m and topping most times inside the city (in proximity collective dwellings). In addition, the value of the neighboring properties of the gardens will grow in a range of aprox.300m to them.

 "Community gardens" mizeaza foarte mult pe spiritul de comunitate, de a apropia membrii unei comunitati prin gradinarit si agricultura. A imparti o bucatica de teren, care oricum nu folosea autoritatii locale, in scopul de a te relaxa, si de a consuma produse sanatoase in familie, si a-ti cunoaste mai bine vecinii. Aceste "community gardens"  sunt reduse ca dimensiune, variind intre 3m x 3m, 3m x 4,5m si situandu-se de cele mai multe ori in interiorul orasului (in proximitatea locuintelor colective). In plus, valoarea prorietatilor din vecinatatea  acestor gradini va creste pe o raza de aprox.300m, fata de acestea.

The administration and sharing gardens can be done by two methods: "top down" or "grassroots". In the first case, the garden can be maintained by a non-governmental organization such as a private landlord, housing associations, members of one church, university, etc.. and in the second case, a group of gardeners (Guerilla Gardening New York) can associate to form gardens.

Grow it yourself organisation

Modul de administrare si de impartire a gradinilor se face prin doua metode: "top down" sau "grassroots". In primul caz, gradina poate fi intretinuta de o organizatie non-guvernamentala precum: un proprietar privat,  asociatii de locatari, membrii bisercii, o universitate etc. iar in cazul al doilea, un grup de gradinari (Guerilla Gardening New York)se pot asocia pentru a forma gradini.

Below there is a sketch of how community gardens can be placed in relation to neighborhoods (both individual and collective), but also in relation to the city-center / periphery.  In addition, one can see two types of configuration and planting

•      geometric plan container (wood, metal)
•      organic plan alveoli, planted directly in soil.

Mai jos am ilustrat unde se pot amplasa aceste gradini in raport cu cartierele de locuinte (atat individuale cat si colective) dar si in raport cu orasul- centru/periferie. De asemenea, se pot vedea doua tipologii de configurare si de plantare:

• plan geometric cu containere (din lemn, metal)
• plan organic cu alveole, plantat direct in sol.

Meanwhile in Romania ..

I think, the concept of community gardens is a very good idea, proven to have positive impact on the safety of community members and strengthen their ties, regardless of social status, age, ethnicity, etc. In fact, I met such gardens in some cities in Romania (due to pre-revolution laws that sustained them), like Braila, Bucharest, where the few space between the apartment buildings was used for the cultivation of vegetables, fruit, flower plants, but these behaviors slowly disappearing because of the new aspirations and values. The right to property is so deeply ingrained in our mentality, the shock nationalization, that rarely you can find Romanians to see more than the perimeter of his/her property.

If you live in an apartment building, the less interest you have in the green space in front or back of your apartment block: "That's the mayor's concern, not mine" as the general mentality. But if it were our own, should it concern us? Or if state's propery, but we could use it, would we?

I think that if it were our own to use (sustained by legal regulations, laws, policies, urban regulatinons), the city would change, and the problem of the  dirty, unsafe, and crowded cities would gradually start to solve itself, that is, if we stop expecting it to be solved by a single entity/institution.

In cazul Romaniei..

Cred ca in principiu, este o idee foarte buna, dovedit a avea impact pozitiv si asupra starii de siguranta a membrilor comunitatii si intarirea legaturilor lor, indiferent de statutul social,  varsta, etnie, etc.Iar drept vorbind, am mai intalnit astfel de gradini in unele orase din Romania, precum Braila, Bucuresti, unde putinul spatiu dintre blocurile colective a fost folosit pentru cultivarea de legume, fructe, plante floricole, insa aceste comportamente ale romanilor, dispar  incet incet, din cauza unor aspiratii si valori diferite. Dreptul la proprietate este atat de adanc inradacinat in mentalitatea noastra, dupa socul nationalizarii, incat foarte rar mai gasesti romani care sa vada mai mult, decat perimetrul proprietatii sale.

Daca locuiesti la bloc, cu atat mai putin te intereseaza de spatiul verde din fata sau spate: "E al primariei, nu ma preocupa!", ar fi mentalitatea generala. Insa, daca ar fi al nostru, ne-ar preocupa? Sau daca ar fi al statului, dar l-am putea folosi, l-am folosi?

Cred ca daca l-am folosi ca si cum ar fi al nostru (sustinut acest statut de reglementari legale-legi, politici, reglementari urbanistice), orasul s-ar schimba cu totul, iar problema: orasului murdar si aglomerat si nesigur, s-ar remedia de la mic la mare (cu un efort comun), pentru ca nu ne putem astepta de la o singura entitate sa le rezolve.