5th PEER REVIEW SESSION IN IASI 3-4 OCTOBER 2013

In the morning session the following issues were touched in the Iasi Knowledge Ambassador’s presentation.

The target area is situated at the fringe of the city. Approximately 2000 people are living there in:

•     social housing (the rent does not exceed 10% of the household income)
•          convenient flats – as part of the social housing (the rent does not exceed 25% of the household income)
•          blocks built in the framework of a government programme (National Agency for Flats –NAF)

STRENGTHS

• Provision of public services in the close vicinity of the target area, such as nursery, kindergarten, public schools, civil info centre run by the local authority
•          Good public transport connections (tram, bus) to the city centre, industrial areas and the railway station
•          Full support of local government – problems identified and are included in the Municipalitiy’s Investment Plan
•          Effective partnerships with civil society organisations
• 

       Façade of the block of houses (NAF) in Pacurari

       The factory in the residential area

WEAKNESSES

•     Lack of green spaces and sports facilities in the area
•          Lack of social meeting places, community centre or cultural facility
•          Lack of ownership feeling and tendency to damage public infrastructure
•          Social issues (low level of education,  alcoholism, domestic violence, child abuse)
•          Inhabitants are not motivated to cooperate, lack of solidarity among the inhabitants
•          Security problems due to anti-social behaviour
•          High public utility charges and high level of accumulated debt due to this
•          Increasing unemployment

Playground in Pacurari           

Interior of one of the NAF flats

Site visit in the target area gave the chance for the participants:

•          to meet residents of the blocks both in the social housing and the NAF flats
•          visit the Pacurari district civil info centre run by the local authority
•          visit the Elena Cuza elementary school - children from the Pacurari area and the Roma community attended. In the school the latest pedagogical methods and the integrated approach are applied. The teachers built up good connections with the leaders of Roma community and closely cooperate with the parents as well.

Once the Knowledge Ambassadors delegated by partners to the Iasi Peer Review Session learnt about the key issues at the Pacurari area they presented relevant good practices from Malaga (participatory approach in planning), Magdeburg (neighbourhood management), Södertalje (cooperation with minority groups), and Budapest (urban acupuncture) as ideas to be considered and adapted to the LAP of Pacurari.