Ion Ceban
Primar general al municipiului Chișinău
Public urban consultation conference
Chisinau 2040
Strategic directions, challenges, and opportunities in the context of preparing the General Urban Plan
Conference concept
Project: Conference “Chisinau 2040 - Strategic directions, challenges, and opportunities in the context of preparing the General Urban Plan”
Introduction
Urban development in Chisinau municipality is entering a decisive stage in which planning quality, decision-making transparency, and public participation become critical success factors. The General Urban Plan (GUP) is not only a technical land-use regulation document, but a long-term social contract between public administration, communities, professionals, and future generations.
Preparing the GUP for Chisinau is a complex process that goes beyond the technical drafting dimension. A GUP is valid and applicable only to the extent that it is understood, accepted, and assumed by society, including academia, professionals, local authorities, the economic sector, and civil society.
Purpose and objectives
The conference aims to create a framework for dialogue, exchange of views, and proposals among local and central authorities, academia, and national/international experts in urban development, while consolidating a shared strategic approach for Chisinau.
Main objectives:
- Presenting preliminary results of baseline studies.
- Debating opportunities, risks, and development scenarios.
- Connecting the GUP process to professional and academic communities.
- Increasing public understanding of the document’s importance and impact.
- Collecting relevant recommendations to improve the planning documentation.
- Discussing the current legislative and regulatory framework in the Republic of Moldova for urban and land management.
- Highlighting the role of GUP data and digital innovation in urban management.
Proposed thematic axes
A. Territorial development directions and structural transformation
- Demographic and economic trends in Chisinau.
- Urban expansion, densification, and regeneration.
- Urban and regional mobility.
- Chisinau’s role in national and European urban networks.
B. The city in climate and energy transition
- Climate resilience.
- Management of natural and anthropogenic risks.
- Energy efficiency and infrastructure adaptation.
C. Critical infrastructure and territorial balance
- Utility infrastructure.
- Green spaces, urban ecosystems, and ecological corridors.
- Housing and new urban development models.
D. Public participation and social ownership of the GUP
- Why a GUP is not just a technical document.
- European participation models.
- How city-level urban consensus can be built.
- The role of academia in informing and shaping public opinion.
E. Territorial management and surface cost calculation methodology
- Establishing a collaboration framework between APC and APL in applying land and construction valuation methodology.
F. Digital transformation of urban management
- GIS Solutions, open data, and modeling used in the GUP development process.
- E-Urbanism component within the project.
- Digitalization of urban planning infrastructure and integration with the e-Urbanism component.
Who the conference is for
The conference is designed as a shared working space between administration, experts, and the community. Target audience:
- Local and central public institutions involved in urban planning and regulation.
- Academia, architects, urban planners, engineers, and related professionals.
- Business stakeholders and investors interested in long-term urban development directions.
- Civil society organizations, NGOs, and active civic groups.
Expected outcomes
The event is expected to produce practical outputs that directly support the next GUP drafting phase:
- A consolidated set of observations and actionable recommendations for the drafting team.
- Prioritization of critical topics to be integrated into development scenarios.
- A post-conference collaboration framework between APC, APL, academia, and technical partners.
- Baseline input for the synthesis report used to substantiate urban planning decisions.
Conference agenda
(agenda may be adjusted over time)
Updated: March 26, 2026
Conference Program (March 26, 2026)
Chișinău 2040 – Strategic directions, challenges and opportunities in the context of elaborating the General Urban Plan.
Event objective: Creating a platform for dialogue and consultation regarding the strategic directions for developing the General Urban Plan of Chișinău Municipality, in order to consolidate a shared vision between authorities, the academic community and experts for substantiating balanced urban development decisions.
Participant registration and welcome coffee. (09:00 - 10:00)
Official opening and welcome speeches. (09:00 – 09:45)
- Viorel BOSTAN, University Professor, Dr. habil., Rector of the Technical University of Moldova.
- Marian MOICEANU, Professor, PhD Arch., Rector of the “Ion Mincu” University of Architecture and Urbanism, Bucharest.
- Ion CEBAN, General Mayor of Chișinău Municipality.
- Svetlana DOGOTARU, Chief Architect of Chișinău Municipality, Head of the General Directorate of Architecture, Urbanism and Land Relations, Chișinău City Hall.
Press statements of officials.
The relationship between Chișinău and its suburbs and the metropolitan influence area. (9:50 – 10:05)
- Vitalie MUNTEANU, Chief Architect of the Municipal Design Institute “CHIȘINĂUPROIECT”.
Challenges of amalgamation in the context of urban planning and the approval processes of urban planning documentation. (10:10 – 10:25)
- Nicolae CRĂCIUN
Chișinău – a magnet city, a city under pressure: socio-demographic foundations for the General Urban Plan. (10:30 – 10:45)
- Alexandru TOTH, Sociologist, Director of Sociometrics Association – Social and Economic Analysis Group.
Economic development of Chișinău Municipality. (10:50 – 11:05)
- Cristina Andreea BĂLAN, PhD Urbanism, Advisor at the Ministry of Development and Public Works of Romania.
Economic development of Chișinău Municipality. (11:10 – 11:25)
- V. IONIȚĂ
Urban expansion, densification and regeneration. Imbalances between zones and functional zoning. Transition areas. (11:30 – 11:45)
- Corneliu Florin MACHEDON, PhD Arch., affiliated professor of the Doctoral School of Urbanism, “Ion Mincu” University of Architecture and Urbanism, Bucharest.
Assessment of the existing built fund (categories and hierarchies). (11:50 – 12:05)
- Sorin GABREA, Architect, former Chief Architect of Bucharest, co-author of the Chișinău GUP 2007.
Strategies and types of intervention on the existing built fund. (12:10 – 12:25)
- Constantin ENACHE, Prof. PhD Arch., “Ion Mincu” University of Architecture and Urbanism, Bucharest.
Challenges in developing an environmental study for the Chișinău general urban plan compliant with European requirements: results of comparative studies with the Bucharest general urban plan situation. (12:30 – 12:45)
- Alexandru-Ionuț PETRIȘOR, Alexandru-Ionuț Petrișor*, Eugeniu Braguța, Andrian Țugulea, Antonio-Valentin Tache, Olga Harea, Vladimir Mogîldea, Oana-Cătălina Popescu, Diana Andronovici, Iurie Bejan *Dr. habil. (Urbanism), PhD (Ecology), PhD (Geography), Affiliated Professor at the Doctoral School of Urbanism, “Ion Mincu” University of Architecture and Urbanism, Bucharest, Faculty of Urbanism and Architecture, TUM.
Lunch break. (12:50 – 14:00)
Pressure of territorial development on technical infrastructure and housing (new models of urban development). (14:00 – 14:15)
- Nistor GROZAVU, Associate Professor, PhD in Technical Sciences, Faculty of Urbanism and Architecture, TUM.
TBC. (14:20 – 14:40)
- Illya AZAROFF
Integrated urban mobility: public transport and pedestrian and cycling infrastructure. (14:45 – 15:00)
- Vladimir BUTÎRSCHI, Engineer, Manager of the Chișinău Traffic Monitoring Center.
TBC. (15:05 – 15:25)
- Yelda REIS
TBC (GIS). (15:30 – 15:50)
- Chryssy POTSIOU
Use of GIS and open data for substantiating and monitoring the implementation of the GUP. (15:55 – 16:10)
- Marian RĂDOI, Chartered Engineer in Geodesy.
Use of (geo)spatial data in the creation of General Urban Plans in the Republic of Moldova. (16:15 – 16:30)
- Livia NISTOR-LOPATENCO, Associate Professor, PhD, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Geodesy and Cadastre, TUM.
- Rodica SÎRBU, Associate Professor, PhD, Faculty of Civil Engineering, Geodesy and Cadastre, TUM.
Urban digital infrastructure and integration of the e-urbanism component in the process of elaborating the GUP. (16:35 – 16:50)
- A. GHIȚMAN, CEO, “Real Tech Solutions” Company.
- V. CELONENCO, CFO, “Real Tech Solutions” Company.
TBC. (16:55 – 17:10)
- Doru VÎJÎIANU
Presentation of the preliminary conclusions of the substantiation studies related to the elaboration of the General Urban Plan of Chișinău Municipality. (17:10 – 17:25)
- Mihai MOŢCANU-DUMITRESCU, University Lecturer, PhD in Urbanism, “Ion Mincu” University of Architecture and Urbanism, Faculty of Urbanism and Architecture, TUM.
Official closing of the conference. (17:30)
Viorel Bostan
Prof. univ., dr. hab., Rector al Universității Tehnice a Moldovei
Marian Moiceanu
Prof., dr. arh., Rector al Universității de Arhitectură și Urbanism „Ion Mincu”, București
Svetlana Dogotaru
Arhitect-șef al municipiului Chișinău, Șefa Direcției Generale Arhitectură, Urbanism și Relații Funciare, Primăria Municipiului Chișinău
Mihai Moțcanu-Dumitrescu
Lect. univ., dr. urb., Universitatea de Arhitectură și Urbanism „Ion Mincu”, Facultatea Urbanism şi Arhitectură, Universitatea Tehnică a Moldovei
Alexandru Toth
Sociolog, Director Asociația Sociometrics - Grupul de Analiză Socială și Economică
Olga Găgăuz
Conf. cercet., dr. hab. în sociologie, director al Centrului de Cercetări Demografice al Institutului Național de Cercetări Economice
Cristina BĂLAN
Veaceslav Ioniță
Expert în politici economice
Corneliu Florin MACHEDON
Dr. arh., profesor afiliat al Școlii Doctorale de Urbanism, Universitatea de Arhitectură și Urbanism „Ion Mincu”, București
S. Gabrea
C. Enache
Alexandru-Ionuț Petrișor
Dr. hab. urb., dr. ecol., dr. geogr., Profesor afiliat al Școlii Doctorale de Urbanism, Universitatea de Arhitectură și Urbanism „Ion Mincu”, București, Facultatea Urbanism şi Arhitectură, Universitatea Tehnică a Moldovei
Chryssy Potsiou
Illya Azaroff
Vladimir Butîrschi
Inginer, manager al Centrului de Monitorizare a Traficului din Chișinău
Vitalie Munteanu
Arhitect-șef al Î.M. „Institutul Municipal de Proiectări CHIȘINĂUPROIECT”
Nistor Grozavu
Conf. univ., dr. şt. teh., Facultatea Urbanism şi Arhitectură
Yelda Reis
M. Rădoi
Alexandru Ghițman
CEO, Compania ”Real Tech Solutions”
Vitalie Celonenco
CFO, Compania ”Real Tech Solutions”
Doru Vîjianu
Livia Nistor-Lopatenco
Conf. Univ., dr., Facultatea Construcții, Geodezie și Cadastru, UTM
Nicolae Crăciun
Olga Harea
Conf. Univ., dr. şt. ing., Facultatea Urbanism şi Arhitectură, Universitatea Tehnică a Moldovei
Organizers
Chisinau City Hall - General Directorate for Architecture, Urbanism and Land Relations
The General Directorate for Architecture, Urbanism and Land Relations is a subdivision of Chisinau City Hall, responsible for planning and regulating the municipality's urban development, as well as managing land relations.
The institution coordinates the process of drafting and implementing urban planning documentation, ensures compliance with standards and regulations in the construction sector, and contributes to the city's sustainable and harmonious development.
Technical University of Moldova
The Technical University of Moldova (TUM) is a public higher education institution in the Republic of Moldova, specializing in training professionals in engineering, information technologies, architecture, construction, and other technical and applied fields.
The university's mission is to prepare highly qualified specialists capable of meeting the demands of the modern economy and actively contributing to technological development and innovation at national and international levels.
SC ARHICON
SC ARHICON is a consulting company specialized in architecture, urban planning, and investment project development, providing professional services for both the public and private sectors.
The company provides technical and advisory support throughout all stages of the design and development process, contributing to the implementation of sustainable, functional projects compliant with applicable regulations.
Contact
Address
Chisinau, 39 Dacia Blvd, Study Block 9, TUM, Faculty of Urbanism and Architecture, Ion Mincu Expo Hall 9-208
Contact phone
Contact form
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