1.

LOCAL CONTEXT

Bucharet

Bucharest is the biggest city of Romania as area and population. Currently, the Municipality
is facing serious problems in ensuring a healthy life environment for its citizens.

• Social issues

It is obvious that today, the automobiles dominate the streets of Bucharest and dictate the
urban planning and design of the city.

With over one million and a half registered cars for two million inhabitants, Bucharest is one
of the most motorized and also crowded cities of Europe. According to the Ministry of
Administration and Interiors the number of listed automobiles in Bucharest has rapidly
reached 1.235.233 by the end of November 2009. This means 1.57 cars per inhabitant.
Consequently, Bucharest residents spend hours stuck in traffic jams on a daily basis. And
finding a parking space at the destination is a very difficult task1. ()

The main avenues and boulevards converge to the centre and then disperse to the
peripheral areas, turning thus the centre into the main connexion zone between the areas of
the city. This leads eventually to an even larger number of vehicles in the centre.
Bucharest is a dynamic city and continues to change. And this change has to effectively
incorporate the new commercial “dinosaurs“ built without regard to the limited potential of the
city concerning traffic.

Bucharest has experienced an intensive growth and a significant activity in the

retail/commercial sectors. By the end of 2011, the number of commercial areas – malls, will
get to 20 units only in Bucharest, to be more precise, one mall for 100000 inhabitants, most
of them located at peripheral areas of Bucharest.
The only manner that one can arrive there is by his/her personal car. It is clear that with
these numbers and predictions the city is heading for a total extermination of any local
businesses and for an amplification of car use shopping trips.

The hallmark of the office boom has been the rapid propagation of locations in the peripheral
areas and, to a lesser extent, at secondary areas within the city centre.
Moving a company’s head offices from one location to another became a major risky
decision for its managers. If by now the most common discussions for job interviews were
related to salary package, the number of hours to work per week or job responsibilities, lately
the employers had to face a new dilemma raised by the future employees: Where is the
company located?

Relocation of offices in Northern area of Bucharest has increased the length and complexity
of journey-to-work patterns. These sites cannot be easily served by public transport, by
bicycle, or by any other alternative mean of transport, resulting thus in a heavy reliance on
the private car.

1
Source for dates and estimations: www.zf.ro

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 • Infrastructural issues

The personal automobile is convenient instantly available, offering point-to-point trips,

becoming a lifestyle. In Bucharest, walking or bicycling are considered an act of courage.

Most of the sidewalks, especially those in central areas are narrow and occupied by cars
forcing pedestrians to use the road for some distances. This turns walking or bicycling into a
“life-risking manoeuvre” and places barriers to any person’s desire to walk.

The neglect of pedestrians and bicycling safety has turned these modes into dangerous
ways of getting around. Without even getting to the point of comfort for the pedestrian, since
there is a boundary in the safety area concerning this issue there is no point in bringing up
the comfort of walking or cycling.

Traffic signals have generally been installed to maximize the flow of motorized vehicles.
This usually happens, by increasing the delay time on some smaller roads and by
diminishing the delay for pedestrians.
Intelligent traffic lights that relief traffic jams require pedestrians to wait for a long periods
of time to cross the streets and once they do, the delay for pedestrian crossing is very small,
becoming thus a threat to their lives.

In Bucharest there is still a problem of how to stripe or designate space for cyclists.
Designers face the problem that most of the streets are surrounded by built environment and
are already constrained by large amounts of automobile traffic. Finding the extra width for
bike lanes is often very difficult. The administration made an effort in designing these lanes
along the sidewalks (never along the streets), but it is very common to encounter parked cars
along the route or rough areas with no legible marking.

An important aspect for the bicycle riders is the lack of bicycle racks outside any public
building in Bucharest.
Weather conditions are also very important for Bucharest. Very hot weather or on contrary
cold, rainy and snowy weather conditions affect the comfort and the willingness of people to
walk or cycle.

• General way of thinking – psychological issues

Some studies find perception as an important factor related to walking or cycling for
transportation. The decision to walk or bicycle is ultimately a behavioural one.

This is linked to what “society” means – people rely on other people’s opinion in order to
shape their attitude and behaviour. Also “normality” is important for most of the people. They
need to be perceived as having a normal attitude and behaviour inside their community. The
car symbolises power, independence and status. Any non-motorized alternative gives its
users a low status image.

In Bucharest, like many other communities, there are more reasons not to walk or bicycle
than otherwise. Why do the residents of Bucharest choose not to walk or bicycle? Is it
culture, image, pricing, the lack of facilities or the inability of caring goods? It is probably a
combination of all.

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Although the majority in the city, the pedestrians tend to have limited rights, while the
scenery of unlimited number of cars tends to extent rapidly. Crossing a street with no traffic
lights is almost always a matter of “driver’s clemency”, not a “pedestrian right”.

The mental ranking in traffic of Bucharest residents still places car users on 1st position, and
pedestrians on the last. The experienced safety and the personal security of the latter is very
much threatened especially those of the elderly people, children or women.

• Political / organizational issues

The Administration in Bucharest has been struggling with concerns of increasing traffic
congestion and decreasing quality of life. The automobile is often targeted as the primary
cause for these problems.
Still, they try to adjust the city to the new requirements of the motorized vehicles without
seriously considering any other non-motorized alternative. The administration is concerned
with the living conditions and the sustainable development of the city of Bucharest. Still, a
problem occurs while the adoption of any measures for pedestrians or cyclists: they are
easily perceived as measures against car drivers. This tends to be a real worry for the
politicians since it is always “exploded” -or exploited by the media.

2. TARGET GROUPS AND APPROACHES

Describe your target groups that you want to reach with your message. (Note: this point is
not about stakeholders. They are dealt with in D6.2. This point is about the people you want
to make change their travelling habits, i.e. parents and children going to school, employees
going to work, customers doing their shopping and people looking for recreation). Also look
at the 5 approaches that are explained on pages 36–39 of the proposal and list the
approaches that connect to the specific target group. You can use a simple table like the one
below:

Target group Approach General way of Message

thinking
People going to shopping “I think it is cheaper “Spend your money on goods
large malls on to do my shopping instead of fuel.”
the city’s in malls.”
periphery
People open for workplace; “I have got a bike “Your bike is not only for
cycling school & but I use it only on sports. Discover it as a
kindergarten weekends.” vehicle and use it for going to
work / school.”
… … … …

3. ACTION PLAN

The campaigning ATU organises in Active Access is structured around two pillars: the
campaigning for the local administration and the local stakeholders and the
campaigning for schoolchildren. We identified these two groups in the Dissemination plan
(deliverable D…..) as “the administration group” and “the school group”. Both these

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campaigns are sustained by activities developed in collaboration with the health
institutions (“health group”) and with professional in urban planning and transport
(“professionals group”). Through these two campaigns and through a “street event”
organized each year, ATU will also try to reach individualised groups like “the
shopkeepers group” and the greater public.

A. The activities developed during the campaign for the “administration group” are
the following:
1. organization of meetings with local stakeholders;
2. organization of an walking audit;
3. organization of workshops that have as central subject walking and cycling.

1. The meetings purpose is to approach each stakeholder and to present him/her in

brief Active Access and its objectives. They will happen one or two months before the
walking audit and the workshop. Local institutions and administration representatives and/or
managers will be handed with a written Active Access presentation and brochure. By this
their interest about the subject will be alerted. In the same time they will be invited to
participate to the walking audit and workshop scheduled in May.

In Bucharest the following institutions / groups / persons will be approached:

- Mayor of Bucharest 1st district (Andrei Chiliman)
- Chief architect of Bucharest (Gheorghe Patrascu)
- Chief architect of Bucharest 1st district (….)
- Manager of Transport, Streets and Traffic Department within Bucharest
Administration (Ion Dedu)
- Manager of the Environment Protection and Eco-civic Education Department within
Bucharest administration (Monica Nazare)
- General manager of the Street Administration, Bucharest (Alina Roman)
- Manager of the Urban Design Centre, Bucharest City Hall (Andreea Radu)
- President of Romanian Architects Union (Prof. dr. arh. Peter Derer)
- AGIR (Ioan Cuncev or….)
- Institute of Public Health, Bucharest (dr. Andra Neamtu, dr.Alexandra Cucu)
- Bate saua sa priceapa iapa (Geo Gulda)
- TUB Platform (Theodor Frolu)
- UAUIM – Mihaela Popa or / and…..
- De la scoli…sau Inspectorat….

While in Alba-Iulia :
- The Mayor of Alba-Iulia (Mircea Hava)
- Department of ….(Ms. Crina Iacob, Mr.Nicusor Moldovan)
- Chief architect of Alba-Iulia (Ms. Harda)
- Chief architect of Alba County (Ms. Marginean )
- Architect Mr. Magda – in charge with cycling lane project
- ONG-uri ?

2. Both in Bucharest and Alba-Iulia the area chosesn for the walking audit should be
part of the central zone of the city. In Bucharest the site proposed for the first walking
audit comprises: a section of Magheru Boulevard , Amzei Street and a section of

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 Victoriei High-Street (see fig….) The meeting point to start the walk will be at Romana
square, Magheru Boulevard and the end point at……., Victoriei High-Street. The area
has mixed-uses most of them being commerce residence but also cultural and
administrative. In Alba-Iulia……

During the walking audit ATU team will comment and analyze together will the audience,
form a pedestrian perspective the existing walking environment - its deficiencies, positive
aspects and its changing potential. Participants in the audit will be given a map of the area
with signs that highlight the important observations and stops.

The whole walking audit will be organized and managed based on the consultations and
advices given by the project coordinator - ENU and work package leaders and partners
Walk21, FGM-AMOR and DIFU.

3. After the walking audit the stakeholders will be invited to a one day workshop. The
first half-day will propose guided discussions and activities about the walkabout.
Observations, feelings, ideas, general impressions will be noted both on a panel and on a
large scale map. They will serve as a basis for the document elaborated by ATU that will
present conclusions and recommendations.

The second half-day will be organized around themes that seek to improve the pedestrians
and cyclists condition in the city. These themes will be organized around presentations made
by ATU team or by other stakeholders (Institute for Public Health, Buhcarest,….) with whom
ATU made partnerships. Also the second part of the workshop will include conclusions
gathered from the training sessions organized in schools – of most interest being parents,
teachers and children feedback about the obstacles / fears they faced when they are trying to
walk or cycle to school. Last but not least discussions and attention will be given in both
cities to the implementation of a pedestrian / cycling network (projects, measures,
opportunities and obstacles).

Responsibility within ATU team in managing the campaign for the local administration:

Meetings with Walking audits Workshops

stakeholders
Octavia Stepan / Simona Octavia Stepan / Simona
Alba-Iulia Simona Braniste
Braniste Braniste
Octavia Stepan / Simona Octavia Stepan / Constantin
Bucharest Octavia Stepan
Braniste Enache

Production of campaign materials

1. For the meetings organized with each stakeholder the following materials are needed:
written presentation of the Active Access (2-3 pages) project and a power point
presentation (no more then 10 slides). They will be designed and made by ATU team
having as support materials handed by Active Access coordinator and Work Package
coordinators.

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 2. For the walkabout ATU team will make/design a map representing the site audited
printed on A4 sheets (25) and on A0 sheets (3).
3. For the workshop that will follow the walking audit ATU team will present in power point
format one or two case studies focusing on the one hand on stakeholders’ involvement
in promoting and implementing walking and cycling projects, measures and activities
and on the other on the benefits brought by walking and cycling for health and local
economy. These presentations will have as support the best practice collection and the
best practice report (deliverable……) elaborated by the Active Access coordinators and
consortium partners.

Partnerships / subcontracting

In order to present the benefits of walking / cycling for health ATU will sign, in both Bucharest
and Alba-Iuila, a partnership agreement with the Institute of Public Health. Based on this
partnership representatives of this institution will be invited during the workshops to deliver
presentations.

Also subcontracts2 will be made with key professionals to deliver presentations and
participate in the discussions: Theodor Frolo (The TUB platform – Bucharest), Geo Gulda
(Bate saua sa priceapa iapa, Bucharest - NGO promoting cycling,……..), D-nul Magda –
Alba-Iulia, etc.
For the organization of the walking audits and workshops subcontracts3 will be made with
one or two students to help with promotion and administrative issues.

Press coverage

The press will be informed about the walking-audit through an e-mail invitation sent one
week in advance. The following newspapers are targeted: Jurnalul national – national
coverage, Observatorul Urban – Bucharest and Alba Iulia - local coverage,…..etc
After the walking audit and the workshop a press release will be given to inform the media
about the event and the conclusions reached.

Β. The “school group” campaigning will have the message: “I walk, I think” (see
derivable… Dissemination plan explaining the concept behind this message) and is
organized based on training sessions focused on three types of activates:
- the “traffic snake game”;
- presentations about the benefits of walking/cycling depending on the children’s age
group (3-5 years – kindergarten, 6-10 primary school, 11-14 secondary school, 14-18
college);
- contests organized for each class that have as central theme walking/cycling. (for
details about the contest types see also deliverable…..Dissemination plan)

ATU will organize the training sessions in Bucharest’s 2nd and the 3rd districts and in Alba-
Iulia. 6 kindergartens, 8 primary / secondary schools and 4 high-schools will be involved in

2
contract type: author’s right
3
contract type : civil convention

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Bucharest whilst in Alba-Iulia 3 kindergartens and 3 primary schools. Depending on pupils
age the activities will take place as follows:
- in kindergartens children will be presented the benefits of walking /cycling and be
involved in bicycle contests and drawing contests;
- in primary / secondary schools pupils will participate in a “traffic snake game”, be
delivered presentations and be involved in logo or essay contests;
- in high-schools pupils will be delivered presentations and be involved in logo or
essay contests.

All the training sessions will happen with assistance and support coming form the local
Police; their representatives will be invited to make presentations about rules and behavior
that should be obeyed and followed as a cyclist or walker in traffic.

Before organizing these activities and especially before “the traffic snake game” parents and
teachers will be approach through the “teacher–parents” meetings. During theses
meeting ATU team will explain: Active Access project and what a traffic snake game is and
how can parents / teachers help. This will be made through power point presentations and “a
letter for children’ and parents’ health” presenting the benefits of walking and cycling as a
daily physical activity.

Pupils from primary / secondary schools and high-schools will be asked before and after the
training sessions to complete a survey in which they will answer questions about their
daily trip from home to school – by which mode is made, what do they see, how do they
perceive their journey, what do they think that should be improved.

Also parents will be asked to complete a survey focused on: their daily mode of transport,
the perception they have about causes and number of injuries caused by motorized and non-
motorized traffic, their openness to shift to non-motorized transport modes, improvements to
be made to stimulate them taking their children to school walking or cycling.

The results of these surveys will be included in the presentations and discussions held
with local institutions in the “workshop activity”- campaigning local administration group
(see above).

Responsibility within ATU team in organizing and managing the training sessions:

Kindergartens Primary / secondary schools High-schools

Simona Braniste / Octavia
Alba-Iulia Simona Braniste Simona Braniste
Stepan
Ana Dragutescu / Octavia
Bucharest Ana Dragutescu Ana Dragutescu
Stepan

Production of campaign materials

The training sessions will be advertised in the schools through posters that announce the
place and time when traffic snake game and other contests take places – by this the interest
of pupils form other classes and schools will be raised. Also before and during the training
session pupils, teachers and parents will receive brochures that present: walking / cycling
benefits for health, facts, figures, case studies and other people personal stories. These

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materials will be designed by ATU team based on the support and advice coming from the
Active Access coordinator and work package leaders.

After the training sessions the children will be rewarded with small gifts like: T-shirts, caps,
cups, inscribed with Active Access representative logo/icon, accessories for bikes like
protection for saddle, etc. They will be designed by ATU team with help coming from
project coordinator, FGM-AMOR and C4M partners.

Partnerships / subcontracting

For the campaigning organized with “school group” partnerships will be signed with the
Inspectorate of Schools (Bucharest and Alba-Iulia) and the local Police (Bucharest and
Alba-Iulia). Also, ATU will subcontract the printing of the dissemination materials needed in
the school group campaigning (posters, brochures, T-shits, caps, cups, etc) to a local
specialized firm.

Χ. The workshops organized with the local stakeholders (see point A) and the
campaigning organized in schools (see point B) will be also used to established a
common ground for promoting walking / cycling through a “street event” taking place
every year in the same period of time (most probably during Mobility Week).

Together with the local administration and stakeholders, the site that will host the street
event will be chosen. In Alba –Iulia this site should comprise the Citadel area and
Transylvania Boulevard (pedestrian). In Bucharest attempts will be made to involve the
ancient city centre an area ongoing pedestrianization works

The street even will consist of several activities like: competitions between educational
institutions previously involved in the schools campaigning, micro-events – conceptual-
walking demonstrations, short artistic plays, or short classic instruments concerts (most of
them with children or young professionals help), other co-participants / co-organizers stands
to promote and present walking/cycling benefits for health.

Before and during the street event shopkeepers having facilities in the area that border the
street event site will be approached face-to-face or in small groups. They will be informed
about the benefits of walking / cycling for their businesses. Also, they will be encouraged to
be supportive for the “street event” and for the Active Access campaigning in general.

Production of campaign materials

ATU will advertise the street event by:

- a poster designed to have a picture with a famous politician or a personality
recognized locally (his/her professions being inscribed on the poster) – the message:
“Some relax walking/cycling!”
- sending post or e-mail invitations to the previous identified stakeholders
- inviting the citizens living or passing by the site where the event will take place –
flayers (at least 200/event) and postcards (at least 100/event) will be used
- publishing articles/announcements in the local newspapers and announcing the event
at the local radio stations and (if possible) TV posts

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Partnerships / subcontracting

Pt print altele

Press coverage

The photos and films made during the street event will be published in the local press and on
the internet (youtube.www)
Notifications in the local newspapers and European portals (ELTIS, ECOMM) about the
whole campaigning and the street events will be made through articles or press releases (at
least 3).
A final PowerPoint presentation about the results of AA and the campaigns organized in
Alba-Iulia and Bucharest will be made public at the final meeting organized with all the local
stakeholders involved.

4. DIFFICULTIES AND SOLUTIONS

Think over what you have written in the previous points and think about possible difficulties
that you can encounter during your implementation. These difficulties can occur generally, or
may affect only one of your target groups or a few of your planned actions. Try to figure out a
solution for these possible difficulties. (However, do not worry if you cannot figure out a
solution for all of them – part of the reason for asking you for this information is so that
support partners like can provide you with more support.) You can use a simple table like the
one below:

Difficulty Solution
It may be difficult to convince elderly Co-operation with local doctors, giving
people to walk regularly. “prescriptions for walking”.
Shopkeepers are struggling against the Creating a survey proving that their
economical crisis and it may be difficult to participation can give them new customers
convince them to participate. and incomes.
… …

5. ANTICIPATED RESULTS
Explain what you hope to achieve with your application and how your town / city / region will
be a different place as a result of Active Access. Refer to the objectives and indicators in
Chapter 2 of the proposal. Do not worry, you do not have to achieve all of these, but they
may help you to be sure about what you want to achieve with your activities.