The Bucharest City Hall and the Bucharest Community Foundation have launched a new public-private partnership to accelerate the regeneration of Herăstrău Park, one of the Romanian capital’s most iconic green spaces. The initiative brings together public authorities, landscape experts, private donors and local residents under a collaborative governance model designed to speed up project preparation while maintaining public ownership and decision-making.

The project builds on the findings of a public consultation involving 9,780 park users, whose feedback will shape the park’s long-term restoration. The Bucharest Community Foundation has already secured €900,000 in private funding for the regeneration process and is immediately allocating €90,000 to finance technical studies, expert assessments and project documentation.

The first phase includes a comprehensive tree inventory, health and risk assessments, dendrological studies and the development of a long-term tree management plan. At the same time, the Foundation is preparing a fundraising campaign aimed at securing up to €10 million from companies and individual donors to support future restoration works.

The new collaboration model allows preparatory work to begin independently of public budget cycles while ensuring that all studies, documentation and strategic decisions remain under the authority of Bucharest City Hall. The Foundation will finance and procure specialist services based on terms of reference agreed with public authorities and technical experts, with all deliverables to be transferred to the municipality for future design and implementation.

“If we waited for the full administrative procedures for landscape design and shoreline stabilization, we would lose valuable time. This partnership allows us to set the process in motion and accelerate interventions while ensuring transparent governance and meaningful public participation,” said Ciprian Ciucu, Mayor of Bucharest.

Nearly 10,000 Residents Set the Park’s Priorities

The public consultation, conducted between May and June 2026, revealed widespread concern about the current condition of Herăstrău Park. 43.8% of respondents said they were dissatisfied with its state, while the average satisfaction score was 2.56 out of 5. Only 12.5% reported being satisfied.

Residents identified the modernization of the park’s infrastructure as the top priority, with 83.2% calling for improvements. Restoring the natural environment ranked second, supported by 74.3% of respondents.

The most requested improvements include:

• More permanent and cleaner public toilets (85.5%)
• Better nighttime lighting (81.4%)
• Rehabilitation of paths and pavements (77.9%)
• Functional drinking fountains (68.9%)
• Improved urban furniture (61.6%)

Nature restoration also emerged as a major concern. Nearly 79% of respondents want more trees and denser vegetation to provide shade and improve air quality, while 71.2% support improving the lake’s water quality. More than half also requested better public access to the lakeshore.

Survey participants emphasized preserving the park’s natural character while avoiding excessive development. Many also called for clearer separation of pedestrian, cycling and running routes, with dedicated running tracks and improved facilities for water sports.

“The nearly 10,000 participants didn’t simply share opinions—they gave us a mandate for action. We already have €900,000 secured for green space interventions, are investing €90,000 immediately in project preparation, and aim to build a fund of up to €10 million together with companies and citizens,” said Alina Kasprovschi, Executive Director of the Bucharest Community Foundation.

A New Model for Public Projects

The cooperation protocol brings together the Bucharest City Hall, the Bucharest Public Domain Administration, the Bucharest Community Foundation and the Bucharest-Ilfov branch of the Romanian Association of Landscape Architects. The agreement was unanimously approved by the Bucharest General Council.

Under the partnership, the municipality will oversee governance, approve project requirements and implement future works. The Foundation will mobilize private funding and manage specialist contracts, while landscape architects and technical experts will prepare studies, conduct the tree inventory and develop a comprehensive tree management strategy.

An important outcome of the first phase will be the creation of a public digital tree inventory, using the TreePlotter platform. The database will record GIS location, tree characteristics, health status and management recommendations for every tree in Old Herăstrău Park. The system will serve as the foundation of a dedicated Green Register and can later be expanded to cover the entire park.

Strong Public Support for Long-Term Engagement

The consultation also demonstrated residents’ willingness to remain actively involved in the regeneration process. Nearly 64% expressed interest in participating in future consultations, while 3,581 people left their contact details to stay engaged. Additionally, 38% said they would volunteer, and 28.9% indicated they would be willing to contribute financially to the park’s restoration.

The initiative aims to transform this civic engagement into a long-term partnership between public authorities, citizens, businesses, donors and technical experts, ensuring that community priorities are translated into concrete projects through a transparent and collaborative regeneration process aligned with the principles of the New European Bauhaus.

“Herăstrău Park can become an example of how major projects for Bucharest can succeed when public authorities, communities and the private sector work together. Our goal is not simply to fund several stages, but to build a lasting, transparent process that keeps people engaged and delivers visible results for both the park and the city,” Kasprovschi said.