29 July 2022
Bistrița

 

The charming Romanian city of Bistrița is located in northern Transylvania and prides itself on its heritage sites dating back to the Middle Ages. After sharing the success of its previous passages project in August 2021, the Intelligent Cities Challenge (ICC) caught up with Corina Simon, International Relations Responsible and Project Manager within the European Integration Department of Bistrița municipality, to find out about the city’s progress.

Bistrița’s ICC projects

Revitalising the city centre, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, has been Bistrița’s focus throughout its ICC journey. While its city centre is small, it has a historic and charming setting which is full of historical monuments that attract many citizens and tourists. Bistrița wanted to make the most of the elements whilst reviving the city with the latest technologies and smart infrastructure.

After careful consideration of how to cater to the high level of transit tourism that Bistrița receives, a concept paper on “High and slow tourism” was developed. This paper has now successfully been integrated into the Local Development City Strategy 2015-2030. This is a huge achievement for the city as it means that future projects can be developed, and new financing can be found.

Through its work on ICC, Bistrița launched a successful smart tourism project called ‘The Story of Wine in the Passages of Bistrita’. This experimental event attracted many visitors to explore the historic passages of the city through guided tours. It was so successful that the City Hall will now fund the majority of this year’s extended edition.

Looking ahead in Bistrița

In addition to these projects, Bistrița is also working on several territorial cooperation projects under Urbact III, Horizon 2020, Erasmus+ and under the Regional Operational Programme 2014-2020, Regional Operational Programme 2021-2027 and the National Recovery Plan. Ms Simon wishes to use the city’s experience with these programmes to educate others so that they are better equipped when developing projects that meet the new standards.

Currently, Bistrița is also working on other areas such as buildings’ energy efficiency and green mobility.

Energy efficiency has always been a focus area for Bistrița and will be put directly into the spotlight now as the city looks beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. Both public and private residential buildings are targeted for a regional operational programme focused on energy efficiency. It is hoped that this project will be extended to the historic buildings in the city.

Bistrița also boasts several green mobility and transport projects. The city is working to develop a train that will bring people into the city centre in a safe way that reduces pollution. The city will therefore turn its attention towards developing green and blue transport corridors by improving bicycle tracks and reconfiguring streets.

When reflecting on the experience of ICC, Ms Simon recalled how despite the initial confusion and uncertainty, Bistrița has since received great advice and is now well equipped for the future with a range of valuable resources. It is now aware of financing opportunities and is connected to cities with similar needs and experiences.

The ICC is pleased to see how Bistrița has grown and developed throughout its journey and hopes to see continued success!