Planting Design 2013 Working Group 26 - Case Study A

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"Târgului" River, Câmpulung Muscel, Romania

Name	Târgului River
Location	Câmpulung Muscel
Country	Romania
Authors	Radu Mircea Giurgiu


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Rationale: Why is this case interesting?

Please give a short introduction to the site you have selected (not more than 150 words)

Why did you select it?

I came across this site during a workshop I have participated to this summer, in Câmpulung Muscel, Romania. We were making a landscape observatory in the city and soroundings, making notes of the changes that ahve happened in time. This river is called "Târgului" which means "of the market". It goes through all city from North-Est to South-West. I have selected it because I think it's realy special. Although it's not far from households, the site is very wild. On both sides, two concrete, very regular slopes are framing the river which has a realy curved path, with wild indeginous flower plants and grasses and small islands of gravel. On one side there are households and on the other some traintracks for the goods trains. The site is barely used, mostly by the animals from the households which are free to go to it, but other then that, nobody came across it. The mayor of Campulung Muscel said it's important for hi to develop this area, but his ideas were a it aggresive to the site.

Is it exemplary for a specific theme or a problem?

I find interesting how a river inside a city is so free and wild and people do not care to tae advantage of this real value.Back in the middle of 20th century people were going to take baths in the river. The problem is how the municipality will develop the site in order to offer walkpaths and recreational spots for people but still keeping this authenticity of wildness and freedom. When you cross the bridges that are over the river it's like you look down on a different site that has nothing to do with the world people are living in.

In how far does it relate to your life?

Ever since I have discovered this place I felt inlove with it. The freedom and wildness of it charmed me and the future perspectives of the municipality scared me so I think a well documented design can capitalize it's huge potential. I live far from that city but I feel linked to the site and would like to contribute to its development.

Author's perspective

From which professional background/perspective are your documenting this case?

I have finished faculty studies on Landscape Architecture in 2011, at the University of Agriculture Sciences and Veterinary Medicine from Cluj-Napoca , Romania. The same year I started Master's Degree studies in Management of horticultural production in controlled environment until 2013. Since this year I am a Ph.D. student making research in Hydroponic cultures for Medicinal plants.

Between 2011 and 2013 I have worked as a Landscape Architect in a LA company from Cluj-Napoca, Romania. I was the lead designer having projects regarding to private residential spaces, public spaces, parks, and others. Since July 2013 I work as a Landscape Architect as Freelancer.

Since I have started studies in Landscape Architecture I have participated in numerous wrokshops and symphosiums as coordinator or participant.

This case study that I am presenting on this Wiki page is site that I encountered during a workshop I was participating to, making an Observatory project with students from France and Romania.

Landscape and/or urban context of your case

Biogeography

Câmpulung Muscel is a city formed on both sides of the Târgului River. It's placed at the Sub-Carphatian Mountains. This region was early valued by it's inhabitant, the city growing to be an important econoical center. Here you can find forests, meadows, good rock for expoitation and good soil for growing vegetables. The river is crossing he city on 7.4 km long way, from North-Est to Suth -West.The city is placed at around 600m above sea level. You can find plants like Carpinus betulus, Populus termula, Betula verrucosa, Corylus avellana, Cornus mas, Craetegus monogyna, Rosa cannina, Sambucus nigra, Alnus glutinosa, Salix fragilis, Agrostis , Festuca rubra,

Cultural features

The city has a strong cultural background. It can be found alot of relicvs about the Romanian culture. The soroundings are also rich in culture and history from ancient ruins to beautifull arhitectural monuments. The city can be found in alot of writings from respected Romanian writers. In modern time, the city lost a little of it's charming, romantic features due to the lack of maintenance works. There is no strategy tourism-wie so if people want to find the places that talk about the beautiful history and culture of the places, they will have difficultes in finding these places. The Târgului river is framed on both sides by houses and railroad. The animals from the households are living freely on the river shore. People are only passing by and they don't have activities related to the river. Tere is no pathway in the area, the vegetation gew freely keeping the people that are passing by on the path near the households.

Overall character

Câmpulung Muscel has an impressive built and historical heritage, very diverse and nationally and internationally acknowledged. Approches on reabilitation and recovery of the sites has been given more attention in the alst ew years. The city has evolved due to it's rich heritage and resourses but sadly it's started to be forgotten in the last decades taht lead to it's decay. The landscape, natural values, the tradition should support the future development.

History and dynamics

Câmpulung Muscel was the first Capital of Romanian Country, from the will of the ruler Basarab the First. The sub-carpathian mountains zone where the city is placed gave great circumstances for the city to evolve and become an impotant economical city. Few decades ago, people used the river site as a recreational area. They were going to take abths in it, the place was having a strong social character. The river changed the most when it was constructed a dam up the river..the building have grow in number closer to the river, he acces to the water was destroyed and the river's course has decreased. This was an important artificial intervention that chaned the river completly. The people link to the river was cut down and the wildness o the vegetation took its course.

Illustration: Map; sketches; short descriptive analyses

Analytical drawings

Please add four analytical sketches/drawings (or montages/schemes) of your case and take the following aspects into account:

natural dynamic versus cultural framework - in how far do these two forces come together in your case?
dynamic through the year (you may imagine how the site looks in spring and summer, maybe you also remember it)
highlight potentials and problems

Analytical Drawings
analytical drawing 1
analytical drawing 2

Projective drawings

Please add four projective sketches/drawings (or montages/schemes) for your case and take the following aspects into account:
- How would you like this case to change in the near future? (in 1-2 years)
- And how could it look like in 10-15 years?