IN-PERSON London Heritages. Section A

Abstract

Urban regeneration through the adaptive reuse of brownfield areas can make a real difference in the sustainable development of cities. This is all the more important in Romania, where the de-industrialization of the last three decades has been a real social and economic challenge, with industrial areas seeing a large and rapid destruction process, while the legislative vacuum has led to irreparable losses of industrial architecture. This study aims to analyze the use of industrial heritage and its role as an engine of urban revitalization, using the city of Iași as a case study. The research is based on official statistical data from the period 1912-2024, complemented by qualitative data extracted from press information and the use of Google Earth images. The results revealed the predominant use of former industrial areas for real estate purposes, without any concern for the preservation of buildings of real architectural value. However, there are also some successful examples where former factories over 100 years old have been rehabilitated and integrated into the urban landscape. The conclusions can be generally valid for many cities in Eastern Europe: industrial architectural heritage should be utilized by creating new functional nuclei with a catalytic role, as the rehabilitation of these spaces contributes to redefining cultural identity and increasing the sense of belonging of the inhabitants. In Romania (with a few notable exceptions) and especially in the city of Iași, there is no clear trend towards the preservation of industrial heritage, but rather a rapid and financially profitable capitalization.