1. General information
Location and description of the intervention
City or FUA
Craiova
Region
Europe
Native title of the NBS intervention
Parcari ecologice
Short description of the intervention
As a consequence of the rehabilitation of a highway that connects Craiova to Bucuresti, the municipality of Craiova implemented ecological parking spaces in the areas that went alongside this road. It was a much-needed solution in a city that lacks in green spaces. The first experimental parking space was implemented in 2008. Most of the parking spaces are located near building blocks (1).
Address

Craiova
Romania

Total area
48702.00m²
NBS area
2878.00m²
Type of area before implementation of the NBS
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
unknown
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
2008
End date of the intervention
2013
Present stage of the intervention
Goals of the intervention
1. To reduce emissions from trafficking by encouraging use the of ecological means of transport respectively: suburban, electric or electric vehicles, hybrids and bicycles;
2. To improve the mobility of the population in general and in the workforce on the two major East-West industrial platforms of Craiova;
3. To decrease the costs and pollutant emissions of public transport as a result of the rehabilitation of the tramway electric network;
4. To improve the road transport infrastructure in the metropolitan area of Craiova as a result of the upgrading of 48 702.5 sqm of the road surface (1).
Quantitative targets
To transform 2878.70 sqm of urban space in green space (1);
To serve the 316.602 inhabitants of the city (1);
To serve the 91.000 owned cars (1).
Monitoring indicators defined
1. Amount of space needed to be transformed in green space
2. Amount of turf needed
3. Numbers of cars needing the parking spaces (3)
Implementation activities
1. Underground uneven passage built on an area of ​​545 m
2. Creation of 2240 sqm green space area
3. Installation of 37 electrical pole lights
4. Creation of 2500 ecological parking places
5. Creation of 12 pedestrian crossings
(1,2)
Type of NBS project
NBS domain and interventions
Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented
Grey infrastructure featuring greens
Green parking lots
Vegetation Type
Amenities offered by the NBS
Services
Expected ecosystem services delivered
Regulating services
Air quality regulation
Cultural services
Aesthetic appreciation
Scale
Spatial scale
Meso-scale: Regional, metropolitan and urban level
Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings)
Beneficiaries
Governance
Governance arrangements
Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative
The municipality of Craiova acknowledging the level of pollution and the lack of green spaces in the city, initiated this intervention.
Key actors - initiating organization
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
EU body
National government
Local government/municipality
Participatory methods/forms of community involvement used
Policy drivers
NBS intervention implemented in response to an Regional Directive/Strategy
Yes
Please specify the "Regional Directive/Strategy"
The intervention mentions the Council of Europe Directive, 96/62/CE, on the assessment and management of ambient air quality (1)
NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan
Yes
Please specify the national regulations/strategy/plan
The intervention mentions the Governmental Decision HG 586/2004, on the establishment and organization of the National System for Integrated Air Quality Assessment and Management (1)
NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan
Yes
Please specify the "local regulation/strategy/plan"
The intervention has been approved by the Craiova's Municipality's Decision Hotararea 1/2012, "Development of ecological transport in Craiova " which depicts in detail the measures taken by the municipality, the impacts on the population and on the environment (1)
Mandatory or voluntary intervention
Mandatory (based on policy)
Intervention is mandatory
Enablers
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS vision/strategy/plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Presence of specific city-level GI/NBS section/part in a more general plan - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Presence of city network or regional partnerships focused on NBS - mentioned in connection to the project
Unknown
Presence of GI / NBS research project - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
The intervention is mentioned as a part of MODERN - MObility, Development and Energy use ReductioN, part of the CIVITAS PLUS program. The city of Craiova alongside other 4 European cities adopted this project which aims to increase the quality and the effectiveness of the public transport system (from the environmental and from the service point of view) (4)
Subsidies/investment for GI / NBS in the city - mentioned in connection to the project
Yes
Please specify
EU Funds:
Regional Axis Operational Program, Priority 1, intervention area 1.1: Integrated Urban Development Plans (1)
6 mil. EURO
Co-finance for NBS
Yes
Co-financing governance arrangements
Unknown
Was this co-governance arrangement already in place, or was it set up specifically for this NBS?
Financing
What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements?
Unknown
What are the total amount of expected annual maintenance costs?
Unknown
What is the expected annual maintenance costs of the NBS or GI elements?
Unknown
Please specify cost savings
Unknown
Please specify total cost (EUR)
8.195.672 Euro, of which 6 mil. Euro - EU, 132.255,19 euro - Craiova's Municipality, 1.575.708,45 euro- national budget
Non-financial contribution
No
Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?
Please specify technological innovation
It is an infrastructural innovation since the products are generally resistant to extreme temperatures from + 40 degrees Celsius to +90 degrees Celsius, to radiation, oils and fuels, ultraviolet, etc. The producers also have a guarantee of these 50-year-old pavements, meant to break any comparison with asphalt concrete put on the sidewalk or the alleys of Craiova's neighborhoods. (2)
Please specify novelty level of the innovation
It was new on the Romanian market at the time of its development (2008).
Replicability/Transferability
Please specify Replicability/Transferability
Unknown
Impacts, benefits
Description of environmental benefits
In 2013 the municipality of Craiova issued a monitoring report that did contain instructions on monitoring but not results on reporting are available. In the document, the municipality concludes that through the NBS there was an increase in green spaces in the city (Craiova was a city that has the fewest green spaces in the country, compared to other cities) by creating 2500 parking lots of 2240 sqm. It was also expected from the NBS to decrease the level of air pollution in the city by lowering the level of car emissions (1,2)
Description of economic benefits
The municipality of Craiova issued a monitoring report but not one with results, however the authorities were expecting that the NBS will lower the costs for the urban management in terms of parking spaces but also help with the urban mobility and fluidization of traffic.
Social and cultural impacts
Description of social and cultural benefits
Unknown
Type of reported impacts
Indicators
Indicators used referred to area size that was transformed in parking green spaces, as well as the amount of money spent to implement the NBS. Other indicators were not relevant for presenting the benefits and dealt more with monitoring. (1)
Analysis of specific impact categories
Job creation: The NBS created ...
Negative impacts: Did the project cause any problems or concerns?
No information was found regarding negative impacts of the project
COVID-19 pandemic
Unknown as of August 2020.
Methods of impact monitoring
Process of recording NBS impacts
Methods used to evaluate the impacts of NBS
Evidence for use of assessment
Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process
Yes
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports
Yes
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Impact assessment mechanism
Name of any specific impact assessment tools
Unknown
Use of GIS in mapping impacts
No evidence in public records
Citizen involvement
Citizens involvement in assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Citizens involvement in the analysis of the assessment/evaluation
Unknown
Follow-up to the evaluation / assessment
Unknown
References
List of references
1. Primaria Municipiului Craiova, Dezvoltarea transportului ecologic in Municipiul Craiova (2012), Available at http://www.primariacraiova.ro/pozearticole/userfiles/files/01/4058.pdf (Accessed 31-8-2020)

2. EcoMagazin (2008), Parcari ecologice in Banie, Available at http://www.ecomagazin.ro/parcari-ecologice-in-banie/ (Accessed 31-8-2020)

3. Ziarul Olteniei (2013), Transport ecologic în Craiova cu peste opt milioane de euro – piste de biciclete, parcări pentru maşinile hibrid/electrice, (Website not available in 2020)

4. EU portal, MODERN – MObility (2008), Development and Energy use ReductioN, Available at http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/90661_en.html, (Accessed 31-8-2020)
Comments and notes
Public Images
Image
Green parking spaces
https://www.ecomagazin.ro/parcari-ecologice-in-banie/