The Importance of Landscape Design Projects in Changing the Perception of Peripheral Landscapes

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Cinq Continents – Romanian Online Journal of Geography, Vol. 1, No.3 (Winter 2011), p. 252-265

THE IMPORTANCE OF LANDSCAPE DE-SIGN PROJECTS IN CHANGING THE PER-

CEPTION OF PERIPHERAL LANDSCAPES.

CASE STUDY: PARCUL TINERETULUI

(YOUTH PARK) OF CRAIOVA

Ant oa ne ta -Ca ri na POPESCU, Ph.D . St d. , Fa cult y of Geograp hy, University Babeş-Bolyai, Cluj-Napoca

Abstract:

Towns and cities change over time, and the process of change is inevitable because the political, eco-

nomic and social systems of a community constantly generate new demands that trigger urban devel-

opment. This urban progress has to take into consideration not only the socio-economic development of

the areas considered, but also the quality of life and most importantly, the aesthetics of residential are-

as, green areas, and leisure and recreation areas that exist in any city. Having as a starting point the ac-

tual case of the Youth Park in Craiova, we attempt to analyze the evolution and transformation

undergone by this park, as well as the surrounding area, through the decades. We shall also discuss the

importance of landscape planning projects which are subordinate to public actors’ decisions and meet

the European requirements of urban regeneration.

Keywords: landscape design project, urban remodeling, periphery, perception, Craiova



1. IntroductionUrban development changes landscapes. This simple assertion is a valuable observation for every city in

the world that experiences a process of economic and demographic growth. For the city to develop, it

needs to expand both horizontally and vertically into the surrounding space. Expansion into surrounding

space is the simplest option and is considered to be the least expensive (taking into account the price of

property), but it is also the option which produces the most visible change in the landscape.

This change of landscape is represented by the quarters which appear around the city like apexes. They

develop around a nucleus of attraction, represented, as in the case of the peripheries of Craiova, by a

large surface, a logistics park, or an element of the natural world (lake, forest, park).

The modifications which we observed in the city of Craiova excited our interest in the role that design

would have in the creation of new landscapes. Thus, we started with the idea of a landscape to lead to

the idea of a periphery. The goal of our approach was to integrate the landscape design project into the

development strategies of cities and to try to approach the city as a city-landscape, which implies re-thinking the city through the intermediary of the landscape and to approach the concept of the city-

garden.

The landscape design project which we chose is an urban park situated in the western periphery of the

city of Craiova (Figure 3). It is an area that is very rich in regards to natural elements, but perceived as

unsafe by the inhabitants of the city because of the Roma population, the majority in that part of the

city. However, the park itself can be considered a real success from the point of view of landscape de-

sign. It is frequented mostly by people possessing a car (it is situated 4 km from the city center), in

search of a quiet, green corner, and, contrary to what could be expected, there are no Roma.

The problems which the park is faced with are in general the problems of the periphery where the parkis located (low quality of services, few means of access, stigmatization of the Roma). Thus, it is impossi-

ble to envision its development without taking into account the rehabilitation of its environment. It is

with this logic that we have analyzed the landscape design project as a possibility for revitalization of the

periphery, envisioned as a tool to ameliorate the quality of life of both the river population of the zone

being studied and of Craiova in general.

Concepts and Definitions

The landscape touches many domains in an important manner, such as culture, environment, sociology,ecology, etc. It constitutes a resource that is favorable for human activity in general and highlights the

living environment of populations. Thus, the landscape becomes an important part of people’s quality of

life. It should therefore be taken into account in the politics of design of zoning laws, urban develop-

ment, tourism, etc.

In conformity with the definitions featured in the Acts of the European Convention on Landscape (Flor-

ence, 20 October 2000), which Romania adopted in 2002:



-

“landscape” refers to a part of the territory as perceived by populations, the character of which

results from the action of natural and/or human forces and their interrelations;

-

“landscape policy ” refers to the formulation by competent public authorities of general princi-

ples, strategies and directions which permit the adoption of specific measures for the protec-

tion, management and design of the landscape;

-

“landscape design” includes actions which present a strong prospective character, aimed at the

development, restoration, or creation of landscapes [2].

The landscape design project constitutes not only a conceptual tool for research, but also an operational

tool to be taken into account in the case of the urban periphery. In fact, it is in this space that the maxi-

mal confrontation arises between the values of natural, semi-rural, and urban landscapes. As an opera-

tional tool, the landscape project is situated at the crossroads of the functional determinations of space

and the decisions of the actors involved, who adopt economic and social strategies through the instru-

ments of power. A precarious equilibrium results, to which the landscape design project proposes to

find technical, functional, and economic solutions [3].

Alexandre Chemetoff [3], considers the landscape project as another way of doing urban development

and zoning design. That means that it is necessary to think of the whole in its heritage and geographic

dimensions. The landscape is the living memory of the stories which have shaped it. At the same time,

the landscape is seen as the theater of urban operations, in which the inhabitants, investors, and au-

thorities participate together.

Among the multiple theories which are attached to the landscape project, it is important to mention

those which support collective identities. The sites enter in relation to each other, in a succession of

built-up spaces and empty spaces, which reflect the importance of the landscape as a whole, not only as

a public space, but also as a support of territoriality, linked to the “heritage responsibility” of the space

[4].

In the same way, in professional practice, the landscape project takes on the role of an urban renais-

sance. It is detached from reductive conditions of an administrative or economic nature, which make it

merely an instrument of setting up projects and not an instrument of innovation.

Function

The triangular diagram (Figure 1) expresses the capacity of the landscape project to initialize communi-

cation between the social need of the landscape and the spatial and functional configuration of the zone[3]. Most of the time, this social need is ignored in urban projects, the initiative of the urban project be-

ing the result of pressures from economic agents. On the other hand, the landscape project is a tool

which passes from the hand of the landscape designer to the hand of the politician; the landscape pro-

ject is a part of the whole of urban strategies and of plans, politics, and measures at the level of the city.



Finally, communication between the social and political structures means that the landscape project can

act within the public space of the landscape, in accordance with the principles stipulated by the Europe-

an Convention on Landscape.

Figure 1. Diagram of the place of the landscape design project within the typology of constraints and

determinations (both functional and political) of the social order (Source: Stan, 2009:198)

2. Tools and Method of WorkIn general, the method of work which we present is based on the analysis of the steps necessary for the

elaboration of a landscape design project. Our goal is to present the methodology and the steps to fol-

low in the context of the realization of the project concerning the design of the Youth Park of Craiova.

These steps are: delimitation of the zone of study, reading the landscape, analysis of the historical evo-

lution, analysis of the peripheral landscape, evaluation (diagnostic) of the zone being studied, strategic

vision of intervention in the landscape, elaboration of the plan of intervention, implementation, and

monitoring.

Our research is based principally on qualitative methods and on the observation of phenomena at the

site.

Every approach to landscape starts from the analysis of the functional dynamics and the problems of thelandscape. Orthophotomaps seem to be the most adequate for representing the evolutions of lot size,

the extension of urbanized zones, the regression of forests, etc. They are derived from aerial views, but

do not give information on the way that the landscapes are perceived on the ground. This is why photo-

graphic observation is a complementary tool to aerial views and is indispensable to permit a better ap-

preciation of the evolution of the landscape dynamics from a qualitative point of view.



3. Results and Discussion

Revitalization of Urban Peripheries Through Landscape

If the words “town planning” bring to mind zoning, functionalities, management, rules, regulations, ori-

entations, scale, and land use indexes, the word “landscape,” in contrast, brings to mind the history of

places, culture, identity, and the specificity of the observed location.

Interventions in the analyzed geographic environment take two opposite directions: on one hand, eco-

nomic planning for progress, and, on the other hand, a qualitative evolution of the aesthetic design [3].

Urban growth, as a process of town planning, ought to be envisioned as an opportunity to reopen the

discussion on the value of the urban landscape. Finding and restoring the value of the urban landscape

must start with the fair evaluation of impact that urban growth has on the landscape. To do that, it is

possible to identify the degrees to which the town has taken over the surrounding areas: first a neutral

integration into the preexisting landscape, then the increased value of the qualities of the landscape,

and finally a negative impact, the exploitation and destruction of the natural landscape. In analyzing the

degrees of modification of a landscape which is impacted by urban growth, it is possible to distinguish

the actions to take in order to raise its value. These actions, according to the degree of effect on the

landscape, are: improvement of the landscape, renovation, rehabilitation, restoration, recycling, revitali-

zation and restructuring. In every case, the approach assumes the interpretation of the existing qualities

and values and the implementation of projects which take into consideration the expectations of the

river population. So the goal of landscape design projects is to improve living conditions by measures

which regulate land occupation, the choice of functions of the zone, the restructuring of certain loca-

tions, traffic, etc. Furthermore, the timely revitalization of the space should be related to the macro-

zone and to the city as a whole, and thus to an integrative logic.

Geographic Context and Divisions

The city of Craiova is situated at the intersection of the southern extension of the Carpathian Mountains

and the northern boundary of the Romanian Plain. Craiova is located in the Jiu valley, between the Ama-

radia (north) and Preajba (south) rivers, and is bordered by the Bălăcița Plain on the west and the Olteț

on the east. The area of the municipality of Craiova is about 150-160 km2. Its administrative territory

includes the villages of Făcăi, Popoveni, Mofleni, Rovine, Izvorul Rece, and Șimnicu de Jos (Figure 2).

The city of Craiova developed on the alluvial deposits of the Jiu River. The city occupies the terraces of

the east bank of the Jiu. Craiova, together with its villages, is located in a corridor that is well defined bylandforms and ranges from 70-75 m wide at the level of the alluvial plain, to 140-150 m at the level of

the terraces. The city is bounded by several hills: Dealul Bucovăț (165 m), Dealul Cârligei (160 m), and

Dealul Mare (150.5 m) on the west; and Dealul Viilor (209.5 m), Dealul Mestecăniș (203.5 m), and Dealul

Cârcea (191.5 m) on the east [5].

The zone of study is situated in the western part of the city of Craiova (Figure 2). The study zone is com-

posed of the Fața Luncii quarter and the Mofleni village (known as being the old village of Bucovățul



Vechi, annexed to the city). The zone of study is delimited by Babadag Street to the north, Banu Stepan

Street to the south, the Jiu River plain to the west, and the Ciupercă traffic circle to the east.

Figure 2. Localization of the study zone in the morpho-hydrologic context of the city of Craiova (Source:

Le plan integré de développement urbain pour le pôle de croissance representé par la ville de

Craiova, 2006, p. 18)



The area that we have defined as a study zone (Figure 3) contains part of the central zone, part of the

first outer ring (the suburbs), and part of the second outer ring (the peri-urban space). It is a veritable

interface between rural space, natural space (represented by the Jiu River plain), and urban space (rep-

resented by the city of Craiova). We have followed the residential space and its spatio-temporal pro-

gression from the older central zone to the more recent suburbs.

Figure 3. Boundary of the administrative territory of the city of Craiova

Reading the Landscape

In relation to the macro-landscape context, we have divided the zone being analyzed into three distinct

sub-zones, according to the height of the buildings, the type of living conditions, the index of land occu-



pation, and the existing infrastructure. The first sub-zone belongs to what is called the central zone of

the city, the second belongs to the suburbs, and the third belongs to the peri-urban space (Figure 4).

Figure 4. Functional zoning of the study zone

Historical Evolution of the Landscape Being Studied

In the Middle Ages this territory was occupied by vast forests, where the boyards of Oltenia organized

hunts.

Starting from the second half of the 19th century, the forest was managed by the State.

In 1879, engineer F. S. Krzesevchi mapped the region for the first time. Located in a wetland zone, the

site would become the object of drainage efforts in order to diminish the negative impacts of the wet

zones on the urban population [6].

At the beginning of the 20th

century, the mayor of Craiova, Nicolae Romanescu, began a true urban re-generation of the city. He invited the French landscape architect E. Redont to design a large park for Cra-

iova. E. Redont designed two large parks: the Bibesco park (which is called N. Romanescu park today)

and the park on the Jiu River plain (which is called the Youth Park). The first is situated in the southeast

part of the city and the other in the southwest part.



During the period of 1935-1936, the Youth Park was already laid out, distinguishing itself by the con-

struction of a large swimming pool. After 1950, following the urban growth, this park became a popular

place for numerous riverbank residents who came during the summer to enjoy the coolness of the for-

est and the pool. The zone developed to include a campground, a restaurant, taverns, and playgrounds

for children. From 1990 to 2005, the Youth Park, as well as the zone around it, was neglected, and the

Roma population established itself there. This laid the foundations for a quarter with a strong ethniccharacter, and determined the other inhabitants of Craiova to avoid that area.

Only in 2006 did the local administration again take interest in this zone. The municipality launched a

project to revive the zone so that it would once again become an attractive and frequented area. Thus

the landscape design project for the Youth Park (Figure 5), as the new center of leisure activities for the

city of Craiova, began to take form. In 2009 the inauguration of the Youth Park took place.

Figure 5. The Youth Park landscape project (Source: SC Comir SRL, 2007) [7]

Analysis of the Peripheral Landscape

The periphery that we are analyzing (Figure 6), and which surrounds the park, is formed by quarters with

a strong ethnic character, which determines the specifics of the living conditions. On one side can be

observed poor and unwholesome living conditions and slums of the shantytown type, in the Mofleni

quarter near the town dump. On the other side are located the sumptuous residences of the well-off

Roma, bordering the street which enters the city from the west side (Știrbei Vodă Boulevard).



Between this polarization of wealth is found an intermediate category: semi-rural living conditions, con-

sisting of one-story, 2- or 3-room houses, which have outbuildings for animals, agricultural lands in the

surrounding area, and a road network of dirt paths, or paved roads in the best of cases.

Figure 6. The spatial evolution of the peripheral landscape

Evaluation of the Impact of Urban Growth on the Landscape

Urban growth causes modifications in the zones adjacent to the city. As these phenomena are perceiva-

ble in the landscape, it is possible to observe the advance of the peripheral front towards the Jiu River.

In the landscape, we can identify the succession of several types of periphery, beginning with the sub-

urbs, the inner periphery, and the outer periphery, which is of a more rural character. One can then

speculate on the uncontrolled extension of the peri-urban space, of its impact on the quality of living

conditions, and on the perspective of future changes which are planned for that zone.

Diagnostic

To be able to formulate a strategy of intervention in the landscape, the completion of a diagnostic (Ta-

ble 1) for the region is indispensable. This step, and the completion of a SWOT diagram, should be seen

as a tool which will subsequently determine the main lines of strategic intervention in the space.

Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Proximity of the city

Existence of greenspace

Existence of openspace

Pronounced ethnic

character Lack of construction

and technical infra-structures

Inadequate wastestorage

Highlighting free

spaces Extending green

spaces

Managing the waterflow of the Jiu Riverfor pleasure activi-ties

Proximity of the

dump Elevated crime and

insecurity

Ethnic conflicts



Vision of strategic intervention in the landscape

The goal of the project is to integrate the study zone into a green metropolitan axis that will include the

Jiu River as well. The park will be a major point on this axis, a center of development for the western

part of the city. Moreover, the landscape design project has in view the material and social improve-ment of the Hanul Roșu and Bucovăț quarters, which have recently fallen into disfavor. For these already

constructed zones, the project includes plans for protective screens, while keeping open the lines of

communication and also permitting exchanges between the residential spaces and the park. Further-

more, the interconnection of this zone with the rest of the city aims to diminish the segregation and iso-

lation of the zone, as well as the stigmatization of the riverside populations.

4. ConclusionFrom the landscape design viewpoint, the landscape design project of the Youth Park was a great suc-

cess. The aesthetic transformation of the former thickets of the Jiu River plain is remarkable. Theequipment of the park includes infrastructures for walking, for sports practice, for children’s games, or

for organizing sociocultural events in the park. However, as far as concerns the revitalization of the

neighboring periphery, the planned objective in the urban plan for intervention has not been attained.

The impact that the park was supposed to have and the attraction that it was supposed to exercise for

investors and for the inhabitants of the city of Craiova did not take place. Even though it is possible to

observe an improvement in the inhabitants’ perceptions of the park, as a zone for leisure and pleasure

activities, after the completion of the landscape design project of the Youth Park, we are far from the

vision of desired development for the municipality of that zone. On the one hand, the park does not

have the necessary strength of attraction for investors, and on the other hand, it does not suggest the

functions of production of goods or services. It can improve the quality of life for the inhabitants of thecity, but it does not produce wealth that can be redistributed in the river community. Thus, it is neces-

sary that the landscape design project be associated with a project for economic development, so that

the intervention in the zone and its development can be effective.



5. References1.

Lassus, B. Villes-Paysages, couleurs en Lorraine. (City-Landscapes: Colors in Lorraine) Ed. Mar-

gada/Batigère, 1990; Paris: cited by Stan, A., 2009; p. 197.

2.

***Convention Européenne du Paysage (European Convention of Landscape), 2000; p.3.

3.

Stan, A. Peisajul periferiilor urbane – revitalizarea peisageră a zonelor periferice. (Urban

Peripheral landscape – Landscape revitalization of the peripheral zone) Ed. Universitară Ion

Mincu. Bucharest, 2009; p. 198-199

4. Beauchard, J. La bataille du territoire.(The battle of territory) l’Harmattan, 2000: cited by Stan,

A., 2009; p.200.

5.

*** Le plan intégré de développement urbain pour le pôle de croissance représenté par la ville

de Craiova (The integrated plan of urban development for the pole of growth represented by

the city of Craiova); 2006.

6.

Ciobotea, D., Bădescu, I., Zarzără, I., Pleniceanu, V., Avram, C., Lukacs, S. Grădinile şi par-

curile Craiovei. (Gardens and parks of Craiova) Editura de Sud, 1999; Craiova.

7. *** Étude de faisabilité Aménagement du Parc Lunca Jiului, élaboré par SC Comir SRL. (Design

feasibility study of Lunca Jiului Park, elaborated by SC Comir SRL) Craiova, 2007.

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The Importance of Landscape Design Projects in Changing the Perception of Peripheral Landscapes