Bucharest, Romania

Izvor Park dog area, Bucuresti

One of the things that makes cities livable, is places for play. A place for play is an area that allows for exploration and freedom of movement, and freedom of activity, or provides enough visual diversity and space to allow for individuals to have fun. Unfortunately, the city recently decided to de-play one if it's central parks, my favorite park, by de-dogging it. First, by installing a tiny fenced "dog area" on one side of the gigantic park, and then by installing a team of comando "guardians" (meanies), whose entire function is to walk around the park all day and night and tell people to keep their dogs on a leash. The effect of this has been to de-play the park.... to make the park almost like a museum. Ironically, the street dogs dont seem to use the official area.

Izvor Park has a tragic story which lies beneath the grass. The park stands at ground zero for the 8 square kilometer area of shops, houses, theatres, churches, offices, and streets that was obliterated to make way for communist blocs and a huge grass lot, now maintained by "guardians" and swept daily by "the sweepers".

Some people say it is possible, walking in the park early in the morning, to hear ghosts in the park, and street carts, and doors opening and closing, and people sleeping. Or maybe it's just the wind in the trees and the mist blowing across the park.

Before: A slideshow showing the area as it was:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjLW99h4iDA


After:















(Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/costi-londra/2920628237/)

Today:















Izvor Park, Bucuresti















Izvor Park, Bucuresti

Toilets were recently installed, and some of the benches were removed. Fortunately the old wooden benches were replaced by the new stark modernistic rigid benches, designed with the back and seat at a perfect 90 degree angle for more efficient seating. Whereas the previous benches were moveable, and could be moved to be beneath the shade of a tree, the new benches are conveniently installed only along the path, bolted into upright position, and fixed, so that nobody can play with their perfect visual positioning.


This is not to say that Romania is alone in the creation of places that don't encourage play.


In the 1950s, 60s, into the present, many urban plazas have featured giant abstract sculptures and barren landscapes. The purpose of the sculpture, as noted by many critics, is essentially to occupy space in the urban landscape in order to prevent people from congregating. Many examples of this type exist.This one is Calder's Flamingo in Federal Plaza in Chicago. Federal Plaza is not one of Chicago's "places for play". Instead, it's one of the places to not remain too long. Fortunately the sculpture doesnt straddle 2 plastic eco-toilets.

(Source: Wikipedia)

An example of a place that encourages play, and makes the city one of the most livable places, is shown here...... (Cary is listed as one of the most livable cities).....








Town of Cary dog park

This is a community effort......they have memberships and help to keep it clean. It's a social gathering spot not only for the dogs but for the people. And a real hotbed of activity.
They even have their own website: http://www.townofcary.org/depts/prdept/parks/dogpark.htm

Sacramento, which is commited to Livable Communities even has........ The Dog Park Masterplan....... and their own website for the park.














It's important that places for play in cities include places for people and for dogs, because of the roles that dogs play in human lives, and ultimately in the quality of life of the community. Unfortunately, for post-communist Romania, this quality of life can be fragmented..... a fragment here in a cofetaria, a fragment there in the park (with your dog leashed), a fragment here at the meeting of a neighbor on the street, a fragment there in the corner store to get a can of beer.
Perhaps in 50-100 years, after the city has once again obliterated the area of Izvor Park (because nobody goes there to play with their dogs), then the city will develop a nice dog park, and a sense of community will return to make Bucharest the Paris of the East.