Josefina Lopez Galdeano has a degree in Geography and History at the University Granada, from Spain, a MA in „Architecture and Conservation Studies” at the University of York, in Britain. She also has a MA in „International Relations and International Cooperation” at the University of Granada and she attended the doctoral courses at the same University. Josefina Lopez Galdeano began her career in United Kingdom. Then she worked at European Commission, in Italy, Germany and Spain. She has 15 years experience in design, implementation and urban development policies and strategic development programs and projects. In her career, she worked with various public authorities for regional projects, financed by EU, on management, spacial planning and urban regeneration.
In Romania, Josefina Lopez Galdeano was involved in urban regeneration project, named SPER and technical assistance project for seven cities as growth poles.
1. How were your beginnings in Romania? And why Romania?
I arrived to this country in the summer of 2007, in a period when Romania was facing the challenge of investing structural funds in urban issues. The EU 2007-2013 programming period in Romania has included a strong attempt to work on cities and spatial issues. Thus, an entire axis of the ROP (Regional Operational Program) has been committed to investments in cities: Axis 1, and is going to invest in urban areas 1.4 billions of Euros in 2007-2013.
I felt privileged to participate in the design and implementation of the Structural Funds on urban sustainable development in Romania for this programming period, and worked on applied European Union practices into policy and project design based on the integration of different institutional levels (local, regional and national level), different urban actors, individual sustainable projects locally rooted, partnership, participation, and local capabilities.
For the SPER project (Alba Iulia, Baia Mare, Brasov, Craiova. Iasi, Oradea, and Ploiesti), aimed at starting the urban regeneration process and social inclusion of the Roma minority in the 7 selected cities, the technical assistance targeted approach was to combine the potential and the local context with the European best practices to date (i.e. URBAN I, URBAN II) and the EU Structural Funds opportunities. Nevertheless, as a project team, that included city officials and politicians, we had to face a fragile planning system, a lack of urban tools to deal with the complex process of urban transformations, a political agenda that did not perceive the urban question as a critical one for the competitiveness of their cities and regions, a vague strategic vision among city politicians and technicians and, last but not least, a scarce effort in introducing more local autonomy, citizen participation and a balance on public and private sector’s roles.
2. What encouraged and discouraged you in your work activity in Romania?
In Romania, there are evidences of pressures of growth, as well as issues derived from the legacy of central planning. Cities and towns face challenges that are specific to their recent history and socio-economic development, and also to the introduction of a market economy that has brought with it new challenges to the progress of sustainable cities in Romania.
European Union ways in Romania on integrated development plans, on the steps of URBAN initiative, have been initially well received at the local level but there was a shift from integrated approach to a more easy equation like INFRASTRUCTURE=DEVELOPMENT.
There is a need to change the urban regulations as well as to establish a coherent legislative framework and to have professionals supervising the implementation of adopted legislative measures.
The weaknesses of the legislative system in the field of urban planning are visible through the effects on the physical environment of the cities: poor or inexistent correlation between laws, unclear stipulations, lack of methodologies for applying the laws, inappropriate administrative capacity in applying the laws. There is a need for: reform of the urban planning field, interdisciplinary integration of the legislation with the jurisprudence, instruments besides public procurement and expropriation, implications for both judges and architects, in order for the rules in the field to be known and respected. The reform of the urban planning field must be sustained by a powerful political will and assisted by professionals.
3.You participated as International Senior Expert in urban regeneration project, financed by PHARE and EUROPE AID named SPER. How was it to work with Romanian authorities and what meant this project for you?
In the preparatory phase of the Axis 1, I happened to get involved in the implementation of the SPER project, a project emphasizing and promoting approaches linked to Urban Regeneration. The examples to be proposed and promoted were the Urban Community Initiative I and II. At the beginning, the idea was to conjugate, through an integrated territorial approach, the criteria that structure the implementation of urban regeneration policies. New concepts for the Romanian context were introduced and explained through city council local meetings and workshops, fostering expectations and opportunities. However, the integrated territorial approach and concepts like public-private partnership, participation, strategic approach, etc., promoted in many EU documents, created misunderstanding and confusion and, in many cases, have not found a good development context in Romania.
4.The next project was in 2008, the technical assistence project for seven cities chosen as growth poles. Which were the results of this project?
For the technical assistance to strengthen the capacity of the Romanian Ministry of Development, Public Works and Housing and of the 8 Regional Development Agencies in the management and implementation of the Regional Operational Programme, Axis 1 (EuropeAid/122914/D/SER/RO), the international experts’ (like myself) role consisted of assisting the elaboration of the Axis guidelines and defining the 7 Growth Poles Urban Integrated Development Plans (PIDU). The discussion on guidelines lasted almost two years (April 2007 to October 2008) and included the establishment of 3 cities categories to have access to the funds, the selection of these cities as well as the financing operational mechanism to manage the funds.
Coming from a decentralised country like Spain, it appears clear to me that a well structured governance system that includes regions as a full level of government is necessary. In this respect, the choice to establish regions in Romania seems no more than a top-down compromise solution that complied with EU requests. While keeping in mind that the existence of regional governments does not always guarantee efficient absorption of EU structural funds or reduction of regional economic disparities, there is evidence that a sound regional administration and the ability of local governments to get effectively involved in formulating and implementing regional development plans has good results and creates added value. In my opinion, local authorities also need more autonomy to formulate and implement their urban and spatial policies.
5.How was it to live and work in Romania for a while?
Work and life in Romania have been a challenging and very rewarding experience for the last years. Before this period, I knew that Romanian cities were experiencing a transition stage from a centrally-planned to a market-based economy, but was surprised by the urban, social and economical downgrade that I observed in our missions along the country. There are some major problems to be solved and, among them, I would like to underline: the number of abandoned industrial areas (with a high degree of polluted land and water), large socialist housing estates, the number of rural villages without essential services and facilities and the distribution and critical situation of slums inhabited by Roma.
6.What means „Methodological Guide for Integrated Urban Project – Pilot Project” and how it helps the Roumanian authorities?
The projects that came later on, mainly the Methodological Guide for the elaboration of Urban Integrated Projects – Pilot Project” and “Monitoring and Evaluation Tool for Urban Development – The Urban Observatory”, for the Ministerul Dezvoltarilor Lucrarilor Publice si Locuintelor (MDLPL), coordinated by Dr. Gabriel Pascariu and Dr. Vera Marin, showed the evolution in perspective of the Ministry regarding integrated and participative urban planning. Our aim was to better prepare the different institutional levels as well as practitioners for facing the challenges regarding urban and spatial planning. The Guide developed a methodology for preparing and implementing integrated urban projects (PUI) by local public administrations and intended to answer to a)the need to quickly adapt to the principles and practices of the EU, b) the demonstrated weaknesses of the current tools and spatial planning, c) the rapid penetration of new "models" – imported that address urban development, and minimises the statutory urban plans and d) the weaknesses at local level in urban development issues faced by traditional approaches. These tools will promote an integrated approach at institutional, spatial, sectorial and project level, a strategic approach and the involvement of community representatives in urban development issues.
7.How should look a sustainable city and which should be its characteristics?
In my opinion, the key elements to be taken into consideration when promoting a sustainable development of the Romanian cities are related to the planning process: to identify the most suitable urban strategy, build on city potential and on the understanding that problems can be turned into strategic and operational objectives, to link and systematise the three major fields of integration (institutions, projects and actors), to promote the partnership as driven vector able to shape the cities development visions and to define and manage a number of strategic projects;to guarantee good governance and participation.They are also related to the establishment and consolidation of a sound urban and spatial planning culture that does not rely on private investors to design the city, but designs the city to attract investment for the common benefit and future of the city and its citizens. The success of an integrated approach also depends on whether the administration manages to create common ownership and participation of all the other key actors (civil society and minority representatives, the private sector, universities, etc.). In this respect, the political will seems to turn not only on the political and administration level, but as well on the involvement of the other urban actors in comprehensive strategies for development.
8.Can you count yourself among those people who can say that they love what they do? The choice of profession was from passion for this area or was a moment choice?
My choice of profession was definitely a conscious one. I love what I do. According to Harvard University Professor Daniel Gilbert (2006), the human species greatest and most unique ability is to imagine and anticipate objects and episodes that do not currently exist, that is, to plan for the future. That is our individual and collective strength. Planning occurs at many levels, from day-to-day decisions made by individuals and families to complex decisions made by businesses and governments.Nevertheless, planning often deals with in-between issues and so requires perception of what artists call negative space (spaces between objects). For example, architects are concerned with building designs while planners are concerned with the spaces between buildings. Similarly, planners are responsible for integrating various transport system components (walkways, parking facilities, driveways, roads, terminals, ports, etc.). They create connections between different agencies, sectors and jurisdictions. In their role as objective negotiators, planners are often in the middle of conflicts. They often have the most knowledge about a project and its likely impacts of a particular decision, and so are often responsible for anticipating unintended consequences.
However, planning can be frustrating! There are many ways that a planning process can fail, including inadequate resources, inadequate public or official support, and unresolved conflicts. Planners often work for years on projects that are implemented ineffectively or not at all. However, if planning was easy, it wouldn’t be as much fun!
9.Which are your future plans and projects?
My future plans are mainly related to the town planning and spatial challenges in Romania, the development of the next programming period of the Structural Funds, and the collaboration with an outstanding multidisciplinary team that has been consolidated through the implementation of the different projects I have been involved in Romania. I am working through both our company – Urban Space – and ATU (The Association for Urban Transition).
We are creating international networks and international projects proposals between Romanian partners and European or neighbouring countries through EU funding programs.
Currently I am involved in the management of VIVA EAST, an international project of ATU. The project carries on a research on best practices in the field of valorisation of the cultural and environmental heritage on the long term in Europe and the identification of the Eastern Europe’s specificities. It brings together a team of international experts coordinated by experimented university researchers. The best practices will be adapted to the context of small historic centres in Romania- Hartibaciu Valley microregion, Armenia- Tavush region and Republic of Moldova – Cahul district. Based on this research, VIVA will elaborate and present a methodology to stakeholders and local actors engaged in spatial, cultural and tourism activities based on the valorisation of the cultural and environmental heritage from the three pilot areas. The VIVA methodology will bring territorial added value by an integrated approach of cultural heritage and natural environment in the pilot areas. We also aim to create an international network and to facilitate the adoption of the common methodology throughout the Eastern Partnership region.
- In final, please say a few words for National Magazine readers.
I would particularly like to contribute to the creation and development of a sound planning culture among citizens, technicians and politicians, and also to contribute to the debate on the definition of the role, responsibilities and rights of town and regional planners in this country, in order to help create a better living environment for all of us.
