Landscaping of the Somes River

The proposal to reimagine the Somes River is heterogeneous and diverse. It addresses the multiple conditions created by the river as it crosses Cluj-Napoca over a distance of 15 kilometers.

The Somes River is not conceived as a thin line that divides the city in two. On the contrary, it is reimagined as a thick band that incorporates ecological systems and absorbs other public spaces. The Somes is reinterpreted as an urban connector of public spaces and green areas. In the same way, it becomes the main axis of circulation for pedestrians and bicycles. Therefore, this proposal serves as a support to rebuild the dialogue between the river and the city, while also reclaiming vacant lots and brownfields.

First of all, a terrace system widens the river's edge and allows it to permeate the urban fabric. The river section expands and the existing hard edge transforms into an ecological and natural boundary. In this way, it accommodates different systems of local vegetation, natural rocks, and sand. This terraced system allows the river to become more accessible and incorporates areas for recreation where various activities can take place.

Secondly, a system of bike and pedestrian paths provides continuity to the circulation along the river, which is currently fragmented, and allows the Somes to become the main urban connector of Cluj-Napoca. Thirdly, diagonal path systems stitch together the river and its immediate context. These paths redefine existing urban connections, giving them continuity and allowing them to reach the water, thereby creating a visual connection between the urban fabric and the river.

The renaturalization of the Somes River responds to the need to find actions and places that will restore some of the characteristics of a dynamic river, as well as the socio-ecological benefits inherent to an aquatic ecosystem. An important part of these actions and strategies will be carried out through the proposed vegetation and landscaping. This vegetation will support the quality of the new pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure, ensuring the link between social and ecological improvements. These include (but are not limited to) CO2 absorption, climate comfort and shade, generating safety among different types of circulation, controlling invasive species along the riverbank, absorbing river energy, increasing the quality and quantity of public spaces in the city, and the complete urban reconfiguration that the project aims for.