On Friday 19th November 2021, "Ion Mincu" University of Architecture and Urbanism and Association for Urban Transition made a visit to Călărași, Romania to meet up with the ASP Municipality of Călărași.

During the meeting, the partners presented the objectives of the DANUrB+ program as well as the planned activities to promote the local cultural heritage of the area. The partners were accompanied by the Mayor of Călărași and Lead Architect for the city, alongside whom they undertook site visits across the city identified as most suitable areas for urban regeneration activities in the upcoming academic year.

A group of students in their final bachelors year at ”Ion Mincu” University of Architecture and Urbanism were also present on the trip. They are working at the moment on the city of Călărași as a case study on their integrated landscape planning studio that is included in the Erasmus+ DANUBIAN_SCMs and DANUrB+. As part of the studio, they are developing integrated landscape solutions to urban challenges in Călărași.

As part of the trip, the partners together with the students were accompanied by local stakeholders in the city to visit best practice examples of community activation and cultural heritage in the city. One of such sites was the Cultural Centre of the Old Post Office, where the partners and students were able to find out more about the community activities developed there by and for young people such as baking workshops, art and painting workshops, and the story behind the building regeneration recent process.

As a result of the visit to the ASP town, the local partners will continue drafting up the plans for activities to be undertaken in Călărași from next year, starting with a local stakeholders’ meeting and an exhibition of the students’ projects on the city organised at the Municipal Museum of Călărași in the new year.

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Project co-funded by European Union funds (ERDF and IPA).