20 years of the Faculty of Urban Planning

FACULTY OF URBAN PLANNING,
20 YEARS SINCE ITS FOUNDATION

text: Mihaela HĂRMĂNESCU, Simona MUNTEANU

Preamble. What is the Faculty of Urban Planning today?
Founded in 1997 at the Institute of Architecture and Urbanism "Ion Mincu" in Bucharest, the Faculty of Urbanism is the only higher education institution in Romania that trains urban planners. It is represented at European level in AESOP - Association of European Schools of Urban Planning and in REA - Réseau des Écoles d'Architecture, Urbanisme et Paysage de la France, Europe Centrale et Orientale.
Taking advantage of the festive framework dedicated to the celebration of the World Urbanism Day, 8 November 2017, in the Frescelor Hall of the University of Architecture and Urbanism "Ion Mincu" in Bucharest, the Faculty of Urbanism organized an anniversary event on the 20th anniversary of its establishment within this university.
The anniversary event was structured in several moments, proposing a symbolic journey along its evolution in these 20 years, having as landmarks its outstanding professors, its graduates and students and, last but not least, the specialists who have supported and continue to support it.
Complementary to the event, from November 6-10, 2017, the exhibition of projects and models made by the students of the bachelor and master study programs of the 2016-2017 academic year, as well as their extracurricular activities, was designed, highlighting once again the solid preparation for a professional career. The annual exhibition of the Faculty of Urban Planning, which has already become a tradition, showcases the experience of students gained over an entire academic year and the work they put into their design activities, encourages personal development, individual study and contributes to the ongoing adaptation of the curriculum to urban and rural realities, so that professional training keeps pace with these changes.
Partners: Register of Romanian Urban Planners, Professional Association of Romanian Urban Planners, Xella - manufacturer of the Ytong masonry system, Association of Graduates of Urban Planning and Landscape Design.
Guests: Mrs. Deputy Mayor Tomnița Florescu, Dean of the Faculty of Geodesy - UTCB, representatives of ASE, Faculty of Geography - UB, Faculty of Law - UB, President of RUR, President of APUR, President of AAUPR, President of APGR, President of ASOP.
Highlights of the events
The first part of the anniversary event outlined a brief history of the Faculty of Urban Planning and a tribute to the professors who contributed to the establishment of the institution.
In the opening, the Rector of the UAUIM, the Dean of the Faculty of Urban Planning, the Vice Rector for Academic Development of the UAUIM, took the floor, the speakers emphasizing in their speeches that the Faculty of Urban Planning, although young, is an active and competitive higher education institution, an important core of competence in urban planning, bringing together specialists in the field of urban and spatial planning with a distinct focus on landscape and landscape issues.
The main events in the evolution and formation of the School of Urban Planning were mentioned as well as the main distinctions obtained by the Faculty of Urban Planning and its professors over the past 20 years.

Timeline - 1997: accreditation and opening of the long-term degree program Urban Planning (5 and a half year degree program) and the emergence of the degree programs.
Born out of the need to train specialists in a field of specialization that was new at that time and with a distinct training from that of architects; the urban planning training was provided until then, being included in the curriculum of the Architecture program, providing a share of approx. 40% of total activities. Prior to the establishment of the Faculty of Urban Planning, in 1993 the College of Urban Planning appeared, a short (3 years) study program with the main purpose of training architects with urban planning skills, recognizing precisely this need to train specialists in the field. (excerpt from Presentation of the Faculty of Urban Planning). Source: Ana Opriș, video montage

Types of study programs at the Faculty of Urban Planning
Provides programs for each of the 3 cycles of the Bologna system, with a number of approx. 400 students enrolled in Bachelor and Master degree programs in Urban Planning, approx. 40 doctoral students in the Doctoral School of Urban Planning since 2015. With a staff of approx. 38 full professors in two departments that mainly carry out activities within the urban planning study programs; the Faculty of Urban Planning also provides specialized activities in the other departments of UAUIM such as Technical Sciences, History and Theory of Architecture and Heritage Conservation, Form and Environmental Studies, Design Synthesis (excerpt from Presentation of the Faculty of Urban Planning). Source: Ana Opriș, video montage.

These include the Green Building Educational Initiative of the Year Award (2013) from the Green Building Council Awards, as well as nominations and awards at various competitions in the field, such as the National Biennale of Architecture (2016) with the award for the Public Space Architecture and Urbanism Section with the project "Galați Urban Plan" and the nomination for the project "Revizuire Plan Urbanistic General Plan of Bucharest".

National projects
The Faculty of Urban Planning is identified with an important portfolio of projects carried out during the 20 years of its existence, bringing together components of PATN, PATJs, PUGs, PUZs, studies and research, methodologies, among which we mention, among the representative projects: Revision of the General Urban Plan of Bucharest, 2013 - in progress, prof. dr. arh. Tiberiu Florescu; Updating of the Urban Urban Plan and spatial development strategy of Galati, 2008-2015, profs. dr. arh. Tiberiu Florescu and Florin Machedon; PUG Municipiul București (2000), coordinated by prof. dr. arh. Alexandru Sandu and Doina Cristea, Definition of the National Spatial Development Concept in correlation with the National Development Plan (2007-2013), prof. dr. arh. Doina Cristea; "Model Conceptual Privind Dezvoltarea Spațială" (2001), coordinated by prof. dr. arh. Doina Cristea; Framework Methodology for the elaboration of territorial strategic planning documents, according to European practices in the field (Contract nr.393/12.05.2009, Nr. UAUIM-CCPEC 5/2009, Beneficiary: Ministry of Regional Development and Housing, 2009-2011). Elaboration team: prof. dr. Monica Rădulescu - project director, prof. dr. arh. Doina Cristea and Alexandru Sandu, conf. dr. arh.: Cătălin Sârbu, Liviu Ianăși, Gabriel Pascariu, Mihaela Popa, Arpad Zachi; lect. dr. Claudiu Runceanu; asist. drd. urb.: Adrian Cioangher, Liviu Veluda, architect Maria Lucia Mănescu, asist. drd. urb. Mădălina Moțcanu.
Projects with international funding
The Faculty also has a portfolio of research projects with international funding, covering a wide range of issues: DANUrB - "Danube Urban Brand: a regional network building through tourism and education to strengthen the Danube cultural identity and solidarity", 2017-2019, coordinated by conf. dr. arh. Angelica Stan; "Laboratorio Brăila - Alternative approaches to urban peripheries in a city with stagnant growth", EEA Grants - PA17/RO13 - Promoting diversity in culture and arts within European cultural heritage, 2014-2015, coordinated by conf. dr. arh. Angelica Stan.

Medals, awards and diplomas
A touching moment of the evening was the recognition of the contribution of the professors who founded this institution, by awarding the UAUIM Medal 20th anniversary edition of the Faculty of Urbanism and the Anniversary Diploma for special merits in promoting the field of urbanism to the professors dr. arh. Alexandru Sandu, Angela Filipeanu, Doina Cristea, Peter Derer and Constantin Enache - the first dean of the Faculty of Urbanism. All of the awarded professors have held an academic position in the Faculty of Urban Planning, ensuring a pioneering position in the field, have coordinated a number of specialized projects and have been mentors to many generations of students in the field of urban planning.

https://www.uauim.ro/facultati/urbanism/