Rehabilitation through a holistic revitalization strategy of historical city centres – Timisoara, Romania

The need to protect our cultural heritage was stressed upon by “The Leipzig Chart for Durable European Cities”, a European Community act, which appeared in 2007 in response to the danger of destruction of European city centres. This was the first official act that recognizes the historical centres as Europe's research, innovation, and economical development engines and one of its main goals was to attract investments and activities in the cities centres through the citizens’ participation while putting an end to the limitless extension of the cities. The danger facing not only Romanian cities but most European ones as well, is loss of their centrality directly through neglect, abandonment of the central areas, gradual taking over of the public space by private use, or indirectly as a consequence of the territorial urbanization in any point of the region, by decentralizing living, commerce and office areas. The centralizing strategy applied in the case of the city of Timisoara, to the central areas took place on three levels, namely: revitalize – restructure – renovation in this order by using the potential of the existing students as an engine of development. The revitalization itself took place on another three levels meaning refunctionalizing of buildings, recreating public spaces and reorienting events. The relationship between the central historical area and the universities around it make it ideal for housing student spin outs, major generators of innovation and forming knowledge centres or creative hubs which are not only promising growth industries but also as catalysts for urban regeneration, which goes beyond physical regeneration as urban knowledge hubs are developed with explicit social regeneration objectives in mind. Without a well made strategy, its profound understanding by the local authorities and its coherent application, the city's public urban areas may collapse despite funds, creative efforts, dedication and expertise invested in their rehabilitation.