Sector 2 has the largest green-blue infrastructure resource in Bucharest. Most of Bucharest’s lakes are concentrated here – 100 hectares of lakes and 27 km of lake shores.
We have a total of 6 lakes of Bucharest: Lake Tei (80 ha), Lake Plumbuita (55 ha), Lake Colentina (29 ha), Lake Fundeni (123 ha), Lake Dobroești (120 ha) and Lake Pantelimon (260 ha) .
Although Sector 2 has a lot of potential, it has been deprived of a vision for the future for too many years. And the development project of the Green Colentina Corridor, started during the mandate of the mayor of USR, Radu Mihaiu, is part of the future development of Sector 2.
“The development of Salbe de Lacuri has been talked about for the past 20 years, but no mayor has dared to do anything. They cynically looked the other way, knowing full well that the banks and lakes had been turned into illegal dumping grounds.
And then, let’s be honest, the former PSD administrations ran away from work, difficulty and responsibility. Because the shores of the lakes are not only swallowed by garbage, but also by the chaos of retrocessions, land concessions, privatizations, uncontrolled developments and abusive constructions that break the continuity of accesses and protection zones”, explains mayor Radu Mihaiu.
The project for the development of the lake area started in 2020 and aims to develop a green promenade circuit of more than 38 km, which bypasses the lakes of Sector 2 and connects several parks through a promenade.
With bike paths, promenades and paths for sports activities. With alveolar areas intended for recreation and relaxation spaces, with equipment and play equipment for children. With amphitheater-like areas for outdoor socializing and events. With pontoons for waterways.
Obviously, with landscaping, but also with protected areas where we have an already developed natural habitat.
“As the lakes of the Colentina River are part of the identity of Sector 2, we aim to integrate nature into the urban landscape and transform the Colentina Green Corridor into a city attraction – the place where Bucharesters can relax, have fun and practice sports in the middle of nature. In essence, we are talking about a natural resource with a major impact on the health of the population, the reduction of pollution in the city and on the economic development of Sector 2”, emphasizes Radu Mihaiu.
The lakeshore development project is a large-scale, long-term one, which involves entering a path untrodden by previous local administrations. For efficiency, work was done in several directions in parallel.
A first step was the conclusion of a collaboration protocol with Romanian Waters in order to start the biggest greening process. To date, more than 70,000 tons of waste have been removed from the sector’s lakes.
“To give you a fair picture of the disaster ignored by all previous administrations, we removed from the rubble of the ’77 earthquake, to the waste of the “rubble samsars”, to appliances, plumbing, furniture, pets, etc. In 2024, we want to complete the entire course of the Colentina river and, in addition, to use a dredger to clean the bottom of the lake, so as to increase the quality of the water and, implicitly, the benefits against pollution”, the mayor elaborates.
In parallel, investments were made in the already existing parks along the lakes. A process that had its challenges and assumed the assumption of difficult planning solutions, in such a way that the parks integrate perfectly with the entire Colentina Green Corridor project.
The Rodica, Ice Factory, Colentina River and Saint Pantelimon parks were developed.
“For the development of Saint Pantelimon park, we had to eliminate other illegal garbage pits, right at the foot of the bridge. And it was a big surprise for us to find in depth the garbage thrown under the rug by the previous PSD administrations. I found what is left after you finish rehabilitating a street: curbs, rubble, cubic stone. They practically formalized a garbage dump in the middle of nature. And that’s the difference between us and them”, explains Radu Mihaiu.
The documentation for the tabulation of unregistered lands in the salba protection area followed, and a series of checks were carried out. 40 illegal extensions – yards and pools extended to the edge of the lake – were abolished.
An important project, part of the Colentina Green Corridor, is the development and modernization of the largest park in the sector – Plumbuita Park and Island (over 20 hectares).
“For 30 years no major investment has been made in the park, as a result it has extensive areas left in disrepair. In autumn we start the works. We are talking about a substantial investment amounting to over 80 million lei, which transforms Plumbuita Park into a multifunctional park for all generations.
We restore and reconfigure walkways, completely replace urban furniture, do massive plantings and transform abandoned areas into ones with useful functions for the community.
For example, Plumbuita Island, from which we removed over 800 tons of garbage, we are turning it into a sports-themed one – with sports fields, fitness equipment, playgrounds, picnic areas. The entrance from Tei Toboc, currently abandoned, is being transformed into a belvedere, picnic area and space for reading in the middle of nature.
In the abandoned area near the Plumbuita Monastery we are making new sports fields, skate park, calisthenics area and pavilions. And we are also adding new functionalities: a running track, a bike path, an area with hammocks, several sports fields, playgrounds with sensory devices, balancing tracks and gazebos for organizing children’s birthdays in the park, and the pedestrian fountain it will be a real “magnet” for children’, explains Radu Mihaiu.
The 4 hectares retroceded and recovered during the mandate of Radu Mihaiu will also be integrated into the Plumbuita Park modernization project.
Another major project, an integral part of the Colentina Green Corridor, is the expropriation of some private, abandoned land full of garbage, for the creation of a new natural park of over 20 ha – Valea Saulei Park.
And also during the term of Mayor Mihaiu, administrative steps were taken for the reunification of Verdi Park, through the expropriation of a 12,000 square meter privately owned land, located right in the heart of the park.
“All the investments made along the chain of lakes have now led us to the most important point: in May 2024 we are launching the International Solutions Competition, in partnership with the Order of Architects, to select the best solutions for the development of the Colentina Green Corridor . This is how things are done thoroughly so that they remain for the next generations: you follow the quality and not the quantity and you follow a correct plan, without shortcuts and without gimmicks”, concludes Radu Mihaiu.
Tags: Corridor Verde Colentina project ecological bomb green promenade encompassing parks Salba Lacuri Sector
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