SDG 11. Sustainable Cities and Communities

• Centre for Environmental Research and Impact Studies, Faculty of Geography
• Centre for Geodemographic Research and Territorial Analysis, Faculty of Geography
• Research Centre for Regional Analysis in Tourism, Environment, and Sustainable Development, Faculty of Geography
• Centre for Research in the Field of Population, Human Settlement Ecology and Political Geography, Faculty of Geography
• Centre of Landscape–Territory–Information Systems, Faculty of Geography
• Center for Research in Ethnology and Folklore, Faculty of Letters

• Cluster for interdisciplinary research on tangible and intangible heritage at the University of Bucharest
• Science for evidence-based and sustainable decisions about Natural Capital
• Intelligent platform for near-real time landslide hazard mapping
• Developing new approaches in collaborative planning to increase the sustainability of cities

• Access to the University of Bucharest’s premises is allowed to those not part of the university community, provided they comply with the regulations (art. 32 of the UB Charter).
• Thus, buildings and spaces that function as museums, gardens, and parks can be visited according to the schedule published.
• Several university locations include virtual tours and exhibitions, including the museum and the botanical garden.

The University of Bucharest provides public library access, including books and publications.

• The “Carol I” Central University Library is a complex organisational structure consisting of the Head Office, the “I.C. Petrescu” Pedagogical Section and 16 subsidiary libraries located in the University of Bucharest. All categories of users, including those from outside the university community, have access to the Central Headquarters based on an access permit. This pass costs about 1 euro/month for people from outside the academic community.
• We would also like to mention that virtual libraries have been developed within the University of Bucharest, offering free access to available materials to all interested. We mention Unibuc CLASSICA or the E-books virtual library, which offers bibliographic resources in 6 fields: exact sciences, life and earth sciences, humanities, theology, social and political sciences, and legal sciences.
• Another remarkable initiative aimed at providing free access to resources is the Digital Archive of the Museum of the University of Bucharest (DAMUB): it makes available to the public unpublished documents in digital format from the heritage of the Museum of the University of Bucharest. DAMUB has both an online and an offline There are 13 funds collections of documents and photographs available, arranged chronologically, and access is free of charge. Moreover, there is also a Digital Photo Library of the University Museum (FDMUB) available free of charge.

The University of Bucharest provides public access to museums, exhibition spaces and galleries.

• The museum’s heritage, presented in a recently modernised form, reconstructs a history that goes back to the foundation of the Princely Academy of Bucharest (RO: Academia Domească) by the ruler Constantin Brâncoveanu. This institution became an important Centre of education and culture for the South-Eastern European area. There is no charge for visiting the museum, and the visiting programme is available here. The Museum of the University of Bucharest organizes a specialized internship for students from all faculties of the University of Bucharest.
• The Museum of the University of Bucharest is included in the Long Night of Museums Route, with the exhibition “A journey through the history of science education at the University of Bucharest (1863-1948)“. On this occasion, they presented for the first time important details for Romanian science and education: reconstructions of the academic community in Bucharest and of the complex structure that the Faculty of Sciences had; what were the disciplines of study, the timetable of students from different specializations, the presentation of the surprising real estate heritage, and the contributions of female personalities to Romanian science and education.
• In 2020, 30 years after the University Square Phenomenon, the University of Bucharest academic community and its partners launched the University Square project – a memory exercise dedicated to the largest anti-communist movement in Eastern Europe since the fall of the Iron Curtain. As part of the project, the Museum of the University of Bucharest organised the digital exhibition 30 Years of the University Square Phenomenon (1990-2020). On the same occasion, the UB Rectors’ Gallery was inaugurated, which includes 36 drawings in sanguine on background paper, size 60 x 49 cm, made by Daniela Chirion, a plastic artist, and which can be admired by those interested in the dedicated website. More information about the project is available here.
• There is also a virtual tour of the museum that allows viewing the exhibition space. In the museum’s offer there are also 16 digital exhibitions accessible here, in addition to its permanent exhibition and the temporary exhibitions organized physically on different occasions.
• The Botanical Garden of the University of Bucharest also offers the general public access to the Botanical Museum and virtual exhibitions such as Emotions in Images or virtual tours.

The University of Bucharest provides public access to open spaces and green spaces.

• The “Dimitrie Brândză” Botanical Garden of the University of Bucharest offers access to its outdoor spaces, the Botanical Museum, and the Exhibition Greenhouses + Tropical Forest Pavilion to all those interested. Access for UB students and employees is free, while pensioners, pupils and students benefit from reduced tickets. More information about the UB Botanical Garden is available here.
• The UNESCO International Geopark Tara Hațegului of the University of Bucharest offers free access to all the visiting points: the exhibition Balauri, Dragoni, Dinozauri (Hațeg Town); the Science and Art Center (General Berthelot Village); the House of Volcanoes (Densuș Village); the House of Dwarf Dinosaurs and the House of Traditions (Sîntămăria Orlea Commune, Sînpetru Village); the House of Miniatures (Totești Village), programme available here.

The University of Bucharest contributes to local arts in various forms.

• In 2022, after a ten-year break, the Choir of the University of Bucharest resumed its activities, marking the occasion by organizing a Christmas concert on December 16. The choir began pre-selections for new members and issued a challenge to UB students: to compose an anthem for the University of Bucharest, emphasizing the commitment to continue the choral tradition and to support important musical events within the university community. They also organized a similar Easter concert titled Universal Prayer. Then, they joined the Weekend Sessions (an independent cultural program launched in 2021 that celebrates local artists, iconic public spaces and meaningful socializing) by performing at the National Art Museum. Usually, concerts organized on the campus are free of charge.
• In March 2023, the members of the University of Bucharest community were invited to four theatre performances organized in partnership with the students of the National University of Theatrical and Cinematographic Arts “I.L. Caragiale” (UNATC) in Bucharest. The performances aimed to offer a cultural experience to the academic community and the general public. Each representation showcases a different theatrical work, exploring various themes and providing a platform for students, actors, and other participants to express their talents.
• Similarly, between June 30 and September 10, 2023, UB was a partner Art Safari, the largest event dedicated to art in Romania, with extensive retrospective exhibitions to recover the heritage.

The University of Bucharest and the academic community members support and implement projects to record and preserve intangible cultural heritage as illustrated in the following examples.

• At the ICUB Institute was developed the ArchaeoSciences Platform with the aim of facilitating the complex, interdisciplinary and integrative approach of the archaeological and cultural heritage by conducting research and training in archaeological sciences and material, immaterial cultural heritage (mobile and immobile) fields.
• In the same direction of preserving intangible cultural heritage, we mention one of the projects of the Țara Hațegului Dinosaurs Geopark of the University of Bucharest. It is the project “Places with stories in the Dinosaurs Valley, in the Țara Hațegului Dinosaurs Geopark”, which was initiated precisely because of “the need to enhance the value of elements of intangible cultural heritage belonging to the communities in the Geopark territory“. Further details about the project and its activities are available here.
• Another initiative to record and preserve the local community’s heritage was carried out by the Museum of the University through the project “Urban Exploration and University Heritage in Cotroceni“. The exhibition is available online.
• Between June and October 2020, the University of Bucharest, through the ICUB Research Institute, implemented in partnership with the “Șezătoarea Urbană” Association, the project Please, Touch the Intangible Cultural Heritage, co-financed by the National Cultural Fund Administration. The project’s main objective is to set up a digital communication structure called “Network of specialists in the fields of intangible cultural heritage in Romania and the Republic of Moldova”. More details about the project are available here.
• The University of Bucharest, through its representatives Prof. Daniela Dumbrăveanu and Anca Tudoricu, teaching staff of the Faculty of Geography, participated together with the Universitur Association in the initial training phase of the European strategic partnership “LUDAMUS! Promoting cultural heritage through edutainment experiences”. The UB team was involved in the Cronica Universitur initiative and kicked off the training phase with two sessions on European and international cultural heritage and heritage interpretation tailored to the project’s purpose. More details about the project can be found here. Further details on the Universitur Chronicle are available here.

According to Article 205, paragraph 2 of the National Education Law no. 1/2011 “students enrolled in full-time education at accredited higher education institutions, aged up to 26 years, benefit from a 50% discount on local public transport, internal car transport, metro, as well as internal rail transport on all categories of trains, class II and naval, throughout the calendar year. Students who are orphans or from children’s homes receive free travel in these categories”. Students of the University of Bucharest can benefit, on request, from full metropolitan transport reimbursement.

UB employees who commute between the faculties and the rectorate are refunded the tickets.

Bicycle parking facilities have been set up at the University of Bucharest to encourage students and staff to use this means of transport.

The epidemiological situation in 2020 led to several decisions to protect employees in that context, including working from home or telecommuting. Decisions taken in that context have benefitted the university community, other than direct benefits (reduced maintenance costs), and for the wider community, such as reduced carbon emissions, contributing to a more sustainable community. Given the wide-ranging benefits of telework, in early 2022, the work was regulated by a resolution of the Executive Board of the Administrative Council.

UB teaching staff receive a 50% discount on the night rate/room in the Gaudeamus Guest House. Upon request, in exceptional situations and depending on availability, employees can also receive accommodation in student dormitories. Depending on availability, UB employees can also request and receive a room in a student dormitory (conditioned on their age- below 35 and based on not owning property in Bucharest).

The University of Bucharest offers affordable housing for students.

• As of the 2022/23 academic year, students had approximately 4,500 accommodation places in 15 dormitories. This number covers almost 80% of the required places. Accommodation in student hostels is based on the principle of previous academic performance, but 15% of the hostels are awarded based on social or medical criteria. Additionally, students can require financial aid to cover their accommodation expenses in private hostels.
• The accommodation fees for budget students varied between 130 lei- 160 lei (26-32 EUR). According to art. 25 of the Methodology for accommodation in UB dormitories, students, children of teachers or auxiliary teaching staff, students from children’s homes or foster care, students with serious and severe disabilities and their companions, as well as students orphaned by one or both parents, benefit from free accommodation during the academic year, except during holidays, until they reach the age of 35.
• UB students benefit from a 50% discount on the accommodation/night rate in the Gaudeamus Guest House. Similarly, foreign UB scholarship students, UB collaborators, UB scholarship holders and participants in actions organised by UB student associations benefit from reduced rates for accommodation at the Academic Guest House.

The University of Bucharest administers several various spaces, some designed exclusively for pedestrians. Here we mention the spaces in the Botanical Garden “Dimitrie Brândză”, in the UNESCO International Geopark “Țara Hațegului”, as well as the garden of the Faculty of Law or the spaces in the campus of the Rectorate.

The scientific interests and research projects implemented by the Centre for Geodemographic Research and Spatial Analysis (CCGAT) cover topics relevant to local communities or the general public. The research activities carried out within the Centre include topics such as:

• Railway transport and the industrial evolution of Bucharest;
• Land use: a vital element of the quality of life in the Bucharest-Ilfov metropolitan area;
• Urban restructuring – deindustrialization, tertiarization, creative industries, capitalization and reuse of cultural heritage.

In this manner, the Faculty of Geography was a partner in the project “Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Plan in Câmpulung Municipality“, which resulted in the implementation of the Strategy and Plan for Mitigation and Adaptation to Climate Change in Câmpulung Municipality (ADAPT Câmpulung). Such partnerships aim to support local climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts.

The design of the new buildings and the refurbishments carried out take into account sustainable construction and refurbishment standards. These aspects are monitored by the UB’s Technical Directorate, under which the Energy Efficiency Office has been created. For example, in 2022, it was announced that the University will build a new student dorm in its Grozăvești Campus, with 500 new accommodation places, conference rooms, fitness rooms and charging stations for electric cars.  More details here.

Over the years, the University of Bucharest has valorized disused spaces either by constructing new buildings (e.g. the Gaudeamus Hotel built on the site of the former university printing house) or by arranging relaxation areas for the academic community. As many of the buildings of the University of Bucharest are historical monuments, permanent consideration is given to their preservation and enhancement for future generations.