1. General information
Location and description of the intervention
City or FUA
Iaşi (FUA)
Region
Europe
Native title of the NBS intervention
Esplanada Teatrului „Luceafărul”
Short description of the intervention
The greening of the Luceafarul theater esplanade is an initiative that is part of a corporate social responsibility strategy by the real estate company IULIUS (3, p. 86 & 89). The initiative aimed to expand and complement the green spaces and landscape design of the company's urban ensemble, Palas, located in the center of Iași (1 & 2). The space was previously occupied by a building owned by the company (5). Initially, the plan was to transform the building into a business center after donating it to the municipality (8). However, IULIUS and the Municipality of Iași agreed to demolish the structure and design a public space for the citizens instead (5 to 8). This decision was also influenced by the public’s desire to keep the area open, maintaining a clear view of the historical landscape, which was later incorporated into the municipality’s urban planning (8 & 9).
The design features a green field of 2,100 square meters, including 35 trees of various species (chestnuts, plane trees, and Ginkgo Biloba imported from nurseries in Italy) and 3,000 shrubs and bushes (1 & 2). The vegetation is maintained through an automated irrigation system (1 & 2).
The initiative aims to improve access to green spaces in Iași (3, p. 86) and to provide a space for recreation, relaxation, and leisure, with benches installed throughout the area (1 & 2). IULIUS intentionally places green space projects in central urban areas to ensure they are accessible to all residents (3, p. 86). Additionally, the municipality requested that the green space enhance the area's microclimate and improve the aesthetic appeal of the surrounding cultural landmarks (9, p. 6).

Website of the intervention
https://apix.ro/esplanada-din-fata-teatrului-luceafarul-ii-asteapta-pe-ieseni-c…
Principal problems
Climate-Related Hazards
Heat stress & Extreme temperatures
Land use and Socio-economic change
Unequal availability and access to public green spaces
Health, Well-being and Social cohesion
Mental health issues (stress, anxiety)
Inadequate access to recreational opportunities
Social fragmentation and isolation
Implementation area characterization
Climate
Continental (Cold-summer humid continental, Cold-winter dry continental, Cold-summer dry continental)
Ecosystem
Urban or built environment
Address

Esplanada Teatrul Luceafărul
700259 Iaşi
Romania

Location
The NBS is situated in an area, with clear delineation of boundaries and a specific shape (polygon). The NBS project can also have more than one area location (more than one polygon, situated close by).
Area boundary (map-based)
NBS area image
Source of NBS area image
Google maps https://www.google.com/maps/place/Esplanada+Teatrul+Luceaf%C4%83rul,+Ia%C8%99i+700259,+Ruman%C3%ADa/@47.1584813,27.5885337,220m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m14!1m7!3m6!1s0x40cafb9cfc1c5fb1:0xe619900a0eec959!2sLuceaf%C4%83rul+Theatre!8m2!3d47.1588727!4d27.5899006!16s%2Fm%2F0j3gr40!3m5!1s0x40cafb9db2b1c033:0xa38d028067d7b721!8m2!3d47.158367!4d27.5886764!16s%2Fg%2F11b8yhgp75?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MDkwMi4xIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D
Total area
2100.00m²
NBS area
2100.00m²
Area description
Urban (main city)
Type of area before implementation of the NBS
Central Business District / City Centre
Timeline of intervention
Start date of the intervention (planning process)
2021
Start date of intervention (implementation process)
2022
End date of the intervention
2022
Present stage of the intervention
Completed
Objectives of the intervention
Goals of the intervention
1. Provide a new green space for the city where the citizens can relax and interact (2).
2. Increase the amount of green spaces in the ensemble of a real state urban regeneration investment, improving the area and the city aesthetically (1 & 2).
3. Transform previous spaces crowded by cars into pedestrian areas (4).
4. Connect diverse key cultural locations in the city through the development of the green spaces into a more accessible and walkable area (4).
5. Help to achieve european standards of green space sq. m. per inhabitant and urban development concepts such as the 15 minute-city (3, p. 86 & 114).
6. Improve the microclimate (high local temperatures) of the area by selecting local species, as well as adaptable species that are extremely well-suited for urban environments, tolerating air pollution and heat (9).
7. Increase the quality of life for the local community of Iasi and access to public green spaces for all citizens (3)
Key Priorities
Climate action (adaptation and/or mitigation)
Social Justice and community
Sustainability challenge(s) addressed
Climate action for adaptation, resilience and mitigation (SDG 13)
Climate change adaptation
Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
Green space creation and/or management
Regeneration, land-use and urban development
Promote natural styles of landscape design for urban development
Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
Protection of historic and cultural landscape/infrastructure
Health and well-being (SDG 3)
Creation of opportunities for recreation
Social justice, cohesion and equity (SDG 10)
Social justice and equity
Social interaction
Climate change adaptation: What activities are implemented to realize the conservation goals and targets?
Increase urban vegetation cover to reduce urban heat island effect
Implementation activities and NBS focus
Implementation activities
The esplanade was integrated, from an aesthetic point of view, with the garden of the Palas complex and the Palace of Culture, designed designed to be pedestrian-friendly and provide a scenic space for people to relax, socialize, or enjoy the surroundings.
The area was landscaped with a new square, over 2,100 square meters of heavy-traffic lawn, 3,000 shrubs, and 35 trees. The specimens included chestnuts, plane trees, Ginkgo Biloba, hydrangeas, prunus, lilac, holly, spirea, forsythia, liriope, berberis, and many other shrub species. All the plants came from Italian nurseries specializing in growing large species. The green space was supported by a fully electronically controlled, automatic irrigation system and completed with alleys, benches and installing a light system (1). It is expected that the esplanade will be used as a cultural space by the community, with concerts and events organized there. (2)
Type of NBS project
Creation of new green areas
Creation of any other green urban spaces
NBS domain and interventions
Ecological domain(s) where the NBS intervention(s) is/are implemented
Parks and urban forests
Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces
Other
Please specify "other parks or (semi)natural urban green area"
Esplanade (1)
Amenities offered by the NBS
Benches and drinking water stations
Cultural (museum, concert areas)
Design elements for well-being
Visual elements (e.g., expansive views, scenic views, natural light, diverse vegetation)
Services
Expected ecosystem services delivered
Regulating services
Local climate regulation (temperature reduction)
Cultural services
Aesthetic appreciation
Recreation
Mental and physical health and wellbeing
Social and community interactions
Scale
Spatial scale
Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings)
Beneficiaries
Demographics in implementation area
The area of implementation is part of the city center of Iasi, and has been specially targeted by the IULIUS company as the main target of their urban regeneration projects (10). Their PALAS ensemble contains many parks and green spaces, making it one of the most green areas of the city (10). In their sustainability report, they identified 27300 inhabitants being within 15 minutes of the area (3, p. 115). The demographics in the the area tend to enjoy good air quality (11).
Socio-economic profile of the area
Unknown
Communities vulnerable to environmental hazards or climate change impacts
Unknown
Non-government actors
Private sector/Corporate/Business
Primary Beneficiaries
Local government/Municipality
Citizens or community groups
Specify primary beneficiaries
Citizens or community groups: "The temporary building on the esplanade will be demolished at the expense of the Iulius Group company and we will return that public space to the people of Iași through a remodeling of the entire area" (5)
Local government/Municipality: "I (the mayor of Iasi) had an applied discussion with the management of Iulius Group, which showed its openness to our initiative. The temporary building on the esplanade will be demolished at the expense of the Iulius Group" (5).
Marginalized groups
Unknown
Other beneficiaries
Public health (e.g. increased physical activity opportunities, reduced stress)
Governance
Governance arrangements
Co-governance with government and non-government actors
Please specify the roles of the specific government and non-government actor groups involved in the initiative
The company IULIUS carried out the initiative through funding and implementation of the green space in the area after dialogue with the municipality of Iasi, who granted the permission to demolish the old building in the zone and carry out the landscaping project (5). The project was co-planned with the municipality through urbanistic plans that established pre-requisites for the development of the spaces, and IULIUS provided the final design of the space including the selection of the plant species that would be implemented (1 & 2 & 9).
Key actors - initiating organization
Private sector/corporate actor/company
Key actors - Other stakeholders involved (besides initiating actors)
Local government/municipality
Participatory methods/forms of stakeholder involvement (all stakeholders)
Co-planning (e.g. stakeholder workshops, focus groups, participatory mapping)
Deliberative decision-making processes (e.g., consensus building, deliberative polling)
Uncommon actors ("Missing actors")
Unknown
Land owners
Real estate developer
Policy drivers
NBS intervention implemented in response to a Regional Directive/Strategy
Yes
Please specify the "Regional Directive/Strategy"
European standards on green space sq.m. per inhabitant (3, p. 85) 15 min-city urban design (3, p. 114-115).
NBS intervention implemented in response to a national regulations/strategy/plan
Unknown
NBS intervention implemented in response to a local regulation/strategy/plan
Yes
Please specify the "local regulation/strategy/plan"
Urban plan of the municipality of Iasi 92/28.2020 (9).
Relevant strategy or plan
Urban redevelopment plan
Mandatory or voluntary intervention
Voluntary (spontaneous)
Enablers & Barriers
Type of enablers
Governance innovations (such as public private partnerships)
Please provide details (e.g, name of the plan or strategy) for the selected policies or initiatives.
Governance innovations: IULIUS signed an agreement of cooperation with the municipality and was informed the pre-requisites that the development of the new spaces should comply with (9).
Governace and decison-making instruments
Strategic instruments (e.g. GI strategies, green space strategy or plans)
Standards, certifications or guidelines (e.g. standards for accessible green space; biodiversity standards)
Public - private business agreement (e.g. public private collaborations, public-private-partnerships (PPP))
Arrangements for governance cooperation
Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) or agreements (e.g. among local governance and other actors outlining project roles and responsibilities of project implementation)
Barriers
Unknown.
Financing
Total cost
Unknown
Please specify total cost (EUR)
Unknown.
What is/was the Cost/Budget (EUR) of the NBS or green infrastructure elements?
Unknown.
Source(s) of funding
Corporate investment
Type of fund(s) used
Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)
Non-financial contribution
No
Co-finance for NBS
No
Entrepreneurship opportunities
No
Business models
Business models
Green densification model
Which of the involved actors was motivated by this model?
Private for-profit actor (e.g. firm, insurer)
Impacts, benefits
Environmental impacts
Climate change
Lowered local temperature
Expected lowered local temperature
Green space and habitat
Increased green space area
Achieved increased green space area
Increased number of species present
Achieved increased number of species present
Description of environmental benefits
-Expected lowered local temperature: "to be arranged as green spaces to improve the micro-climate" (9, p.6).
-Achieved increased green space area: "The area was landscaped with a new square, over 2,100 square meters of lawn for heavy traffic, 3,000 shrubs and 35 trees" (2).
-Achieved increased number of species present: "The area was landscaped with a new square, over 2,100 square meters of lawn for heavy traffic, 3,000 shrubs and 35 trees" (2).
Environmental impact indicators
Total number of vascular plant species protected or introduced
11
Green space area created (in ha)
0,21
Economic impacts
Unknown
Description of economic benefits
Unknown.
Social and cultural impacts
Social justice and cohesion
Improved liveability
Expected improved liveability
Improved access to urban green space
Achieved improved access to urban green space
Increased opportunities for social interaction
Achieved increased opportunities for social interaction
Health and wellbeing
Gain in activities for recreation and exercise
Achieved gain in activities for recreation and exercise
Improved mental health
Expected improved mental health
Social and cultural impact indicators
Surface area of accessible green spaces (in ha)
0,21
Description of social and cultural benefits
-Expected improved liveability: "The people of Iași will enjoy here an area dedicated to recreation, socialization and fun" (2).
-Achieved improved access to urban green space: "The esplanade will be integrated, from an aesthetic point of view, with the garden of the Palas complex and the Palace of Culture, being designed as a pedestrian and recreational space" (1).
-Achieved increased opportunities for social interaction: "If you want to walk with the family, spend quality time with the little ones running on the grass, sit on the lawn and enjoy a book, socialize with friends over a coffee, on the nearby terraces, this is the right place" (2).
-Achieved gain in activities for recreation and exercise: "Residents will find on the esplanade a pedestrian space for recreation, socializing and playing, dedicated to everyone, but especially to families, where the vegetation is the main attraction" (2).
-Expected improved mental health: "A new green and relaxing space for the Iași community" (2).
Mental health benefits
Restoration and relaxation
Evidence for use of assessment
Presence of an assessment, evaluation and/or monitoring process
Yes
Actors involved in the assessment, monitoring or evaluation of NBS impacts
Private sector/corporate actor/company
Presence of indicators used in reporting
Yes
Type of indicators
Input indicators
Process indicators
Presence of monitoring/evaluation reports
Yes
Link to monitoring/evaluation reports
https://www.iuliuscompany.ro/sustenabilitate
Availability of a web-based monitoring tool
No evidence in public records
Name of any specific impact assessment tools
Unknown.
Use of GIS in mapping impacts
No evidence in public records
Cost-benefit analysis
No
Transparency
Online disclosure of technical reports (e.g. project documents, reports, or data)
Justice
Community satisfaction
Unknown
Trade-offs & Negative impacts
Unknown
Emphasis of existing social inequalities or injustices
No information reported related to negative social justice-related impacts of the NBS project
Measures to prevent gentrification or displacement
No initiatives or policies were implemented
High-quality & Transformative NBS
Multiple impacts delivery (climate, biodiversity, just community)
Yes
Goal setting and impacts delivery
No, although benefits were delivered in all the 3 key areas, but in the planning phase, the project did not aim to address issues in all the 3 key priority areas.
Reaching original project goals
Most of the project goals were achieved
Please specify the achievements of the project goals
Climate action goals:
-Expected lowered local temperature: "to be arranged as green spaces to improve the micro-climate" (9, p.6).
-Achieved increased green space area: "The area was landscaped with a new square, over 2,100 square meters of lawn for heavy traffic, 3,000 shrubs and 35 trees" (2).
-Achieved increased number of species present: "The area was landscaped with a new square, over 2,100 square meters of lawn for heavy traffic, 3,000 shrubs and 35 trees" (2).
Social justice and community:
-Expected improved liveability: "The people of Iași will enjoy here an area dedicated to recreation, socialization and fun" (2).
-Achieved improved access to urban green space: "The esplanade will be integrated, from an aesthetic point of view, with the garden of the Palas complex and the Palace of Culture, being designed as a pedestrian and recreational space" (1).
-Achieved increased opportunities for social interaction: "If you want to walk with the family, spend quality time with the little ones running on the grass, sit on the lawn and enjoy a book, socialize with friends over a coffee, on the nearby terraces, this is the right place" (2).
-Achieved gain in activities for recreation and exercise: "Residents will find on the esplanade a pedestrian space for recreation, socializing and playing, dedicated to everyone, but especially to families, where the vegetation is the main attraction" (2).
-Expected improved mental health: "A new green and relaxing space for the Iași community" (2).
Long-term perspective
Yes
Cost-effective solutions
No
Equitable impacts
A. All stakeholders benefit fairly from the project
Transformative capacity
Ecological change (e.g. ecosystem functions and their distribution)
Magnitude of change
Incremental: shallow; that is, mostly maintaining business-as-usual approaches to adaptation
Application of lessons learned
Unknown
Perception of Environmental Change
Unknown
References
1.
IULIUS (2022). Platani, castani şi Ginkgo Biloba, plantaţi pe esplanada din faţa Teatrului „Luceafărul”. Accessed on September 5, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];
2.
APIX (2022). Esplanada din fața Teatrului „Luceafărul” îi așteaptă pe ieșeni cu o nouă amenajare peisagistică ». Accessed on September 5, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];
3.
IULIUS (2023). Sustenabilitate _ Iulius Company Raport 2022 . p. 53 to 55 & 85 to 87 & 114-115. Accessed on September 5, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];
4.
BZI (2019). Dispare clădirea E.On! Vezi cum se transformă esplanada Teatrului Luceafărul • Buna Ziua Iasi • BZI.ro. Accessed on September 5, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];
5.
AgoraPress (2021). Imobilul de pe esplanada Teatrului Luceafărul va fi demolat - Agorapress. Accessed on September 5, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];
6.
Onofrei, I. (2021). Esplanada Palatului Culturii va fi în totalitate pietonală, începând de anul viitor ». APIX , Accessed on September 6, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];
7.
Onofrei, I. (2021 ). PMI vrea centru turistic în fostul showroom Palas. Clădirea nu va mai fi demolată ». APIX , Accessed on September 6, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];
8.
Ziarul Evenimentul (2022). Chioşcăreala de la Palas continuă!. Accessed on September 6, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];
9.
Primaria Iasi (2020). HOTĂRÂRE HCL_92_2020. Accessed on September 6, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];
10.
SC Iulius Management Center SRL (2020). Palas Iasi . Accessed on September 6, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];
11.
World air quality index project (2024). Poluarea aerului din Strada Anastasie Panu, Iași, Romania. Accessed on September 6, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];
12.
Palas Iasi (2022). 12. FB post 𝐄𝐬𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐝𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐥𝐮𝐢 𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐮 𝐂𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐢 𝐬𝐢 𝐓𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐭 „𝐋𝐮𝐜𝐞𝐚𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐮𝐥” 𝐚 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐣𝐚𝐫𝐢!. Accessed on September 6, 2024, [Source link] [Archive];
Comments and notes
Public Images
Grass field and trees in the area
Grass field and trees in the area
https://apix.ro/esplanada-din-fata-teatrului-luceafarul-ii-asteapta-pe-ieseni-cu-o-noua-amenajare-peisagistica/
Working on implementing the green areas
Working on implementing the green areas
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=4792179880830638&id=147359628646043&set=a.151477884900884&locale=ro_RO
Trees in front of the theatre
Trees in front of the theatre
https://iuliusincomunitate.ro/mediu/un-nou-spatiu-verde-si-de-relaxare-pentru-comunitate-din-weekend-esplanada-din-fata-teatrului-luceafarul-ii-asteapta-pe-ieseni-cu-o-noua-amenajare-peisagistica