Ciprian Ciucu, president of the jury that analyzed and awarded the more than 60 projects that were enrolled in the 8th edition of the Smart City Industry Awards, was also at the event organized by the Romanian Association for Smart City. The mayor of Bucharest's District 6 showcased multiple elements which can help citizens have a better life quality.

One of the key points that the mayor decided to invest in is retrofitting old apartment buildings and Ciprian Ciucu says that all available funding was used for this task. By retrofitting old apartment buildings, not only do these constructions seem like brand new again, but their energy efficiency ratings also go up, especially on the thermal side.

According to the Ministry of Regional Development and Household, an old apartment building that hasn't yet been modernized loses a lot of its thermal capabilities through multiple points. Thus, at the base of the building the least energy is being wasted, between 5 and 10%, while at the windows, for example, 20-25% of the heat or cool air can be gone due to poor insulation.

Also 20-25% of the energy is being wasted through a building's walls and the roofing contributes to around 15-20% of the energy leaks. These numbers vary from one building to another by the construction materials that were used and the year in which the building was constructed, but in general, the benefits of retrofitting to increase energy efficiency are huge if we think about the number of apartment buildings that are found within the capital itself.

Green energy center and more green spaces in District 6

We recently wrote about the discussion between Sebastian Burduja, Minister of Energy, and Claudiu Crețu, General Manager, Electrocentrale București (ELCEN), who debated the development of a new and important energy hub in District 6, which will require an urban planning permit from the local Town Hall. Representatives from all three institutions will collaborate to make sure that nothing from the required planning will be missing.

At the same time, in the first half of this year, two new green spaces with a total area of 3.000 square meters will be opened in District 6, which will implement circular economy principles. Thus, recyclable seats, air quality measurement sensors and intelligent watering systems for the plants will be implemented.

You can find from this article what is Ciprian Ciucu's vision for the 15 minutes city and how some of Bucharest's neighborhoods already implemented these solutions, being built almost from the ground up just several decades ago.

Kiss & go zones near schools are another pilot project that the mayor tested not too long ago and these imply special drop-off points for kids right in front of the school, where they are being guided by the school personnel, so that parents can leave quicker, without blocking the traffic or parking the car on green spaces, for example.

Post-pilot surveys show that both parents and the locals appreciated the initiative and this solution was implemented at other schools around.

Next-generation surveillance systems

In the coming weeks, the Town Hall of District 6 will launch one of the largest surveillance centers in Romania to prevent vandalism, drug consumption and other public issues, so that the Local Police of District 6 can act faster and more efficiently. As far as the district's Local Police is concerned, over half of its fleet is made up of electric cars in the form of the Renault Zoe.

The Mayor of District 6 mentions that "these video cameras are mounted specifically in areas such as school zones and can recognize behavior patterns with the help of artificial intelligence and can also alert the police from the monitoring centers."

Ciprian Ciucu mentioned that the citizens' privacy won't be affected, since the faces will be blurred and accessing the data will require the cooperation between the Local and the General Police.