Location: Târgu Mureș, Romania

Area: 10 ha

Year: 2018

Client:  Târgu Mureș City Council

Collaborators: Archigraf, Linea Studio, K. Boda Ilona

Award: MY CITY Tîrgu Mureş/Marosvásárhely/Neumarkt Design Competition - 3rd prize, 2018

Status: concept

LIVEABLE CITY CENTER - walkable cities and the human scale

“...human scale must be a natural part of the urban fabric in order to invite people to walk and cycle. (...) The human body, senses and mobility are the key to good urban planning for people. 

Jan Gehl: Cities for people

The pillar of our concept was to create unified and pedestrian-friendly city centre, first and foremost by reshaping the traffic system. The segregation of the public space results not only in a divided city center but in a fragmented interception of the spaces. Thus the spaces limited by the built environment, functional diversity and the cultural values foreshadows an ideal downtown. Targu Mures' city centre, full of life was not only a dream but an exisiting opportunity, at least before the traffic system overtook the public space.

A quality-built environment together with safe pedestrian access would improve the city life significantly. Safe and exciting spaces appropriated with functionality result in a true city centre.

Through connecting the architectural, historical and cultural values - physically and mentally - through civil engineering and landscaping solutions will create a centre for social interaction and functional, and intellectual core. Integrating those values not only creates an attractive environment but also gives identity to the space. The axes, the visual connections, the surroundings, the temples and public institutions raise the city center' quality a level up. 

Our strategy focuses on all the elements defining a city core such as axes, visual connections, temples and public institutions, and the surroundings. By enhancing their function and importanse we bring the quality of the city centre  to another level. 

Thinking forward in our concept we proposed sustainable and environment-friendly solutions to be integrated on a city scale. We put an emphasis on different solutions which would help face the challenges the cities of today are already facing: storm water management, ecological planting and latest tree-planting technologies.