Alexandru Banica (p), Gabriela-Carmen Pascariu, Ionel Muntele

Gabriela Carmen Pascariu

Cities are complex systems continuously evolving, undergoing adaptive cycles influenced by the political, social or economic context, and sometimes radical changes that originate within urban areas. The dynamics of the socio-professional structure of the employed population reflects functional changes well. They can contribute to the increase or, on the contrary, the decrease of pre-existing vulnerabilities of a social, economic or environmental nature. They can also influence urban structural changes, which can affect urban planning, functional area design, or the cities' expansion (planned or by urban sprawl). Cities in Central and Eastern Europe, such as those from Romania, have gone through recent transformations, sometimes radical but often slow, managing with difficulty to adapt their functional structures to the new economic and political context in which they found themselves after joining the European Union. The present paper proposes the following aspects: 1) A theoretical insight regarding the socio-economic transformations of cities reflected in the occupational structure and the influence these transformations have on existing urban vulnerabilities and on the multi-dimensional resilience capacity of cities. 2) An in-depth analysis targeting the functional transformations of cities with over 50,000 inhabitants from Romania and their metropolitan areas that will be considered over the last 20 years. The analysis comprises: i) The identification of differentiated models/patterns of functional transformation in cities, metropolitan areas and non-metropolitan areas from Romania; ii) Finding explanatory factors related to the existence of vulnerabilities or characteristics of local resilience. iii) Development of a statistical model that captures the interactions between functional transformations and territorial vulnerability and resilience. 3) Finally, the paper follows the description of the elements of territorial governance and public policies that can decisively influence urban functional transformations that will increase the resilience of cities. From a methodological point of view, the paper uses cluster analysis (using ML techniques) to illustrate the typology of transformations over the last 20 years, which will subsequently be related, as a dependent variable, to a multitude of vulnerability-resilience indicators (e.g. poverty rate, access to EU funding, air pollution) in order to obtain distinct spatial models that show the functional configurations that have currently become the most effective for managing challenges at the urban and metropolitan levels. The results indicate heterogeneous divisions and contradictory developments but still allow the finding of successful functional models or, on the contrary, warning signs for future urban policies and the efficient planning of cities and metropolitan areas.

Gabriela Carmen Pascariu (p), Alexandra Gheorghiu , Valerică Greavu-Șerban, Irina Clipca

Cristian-Manuel Foșalău

The digital transformation of public administration is reshaping institutional processes, improving efficiency, and redefining citizen engagement. While digitalization enhances accessibility and transparency, its implementation remains uneven, shaped by institutional capacity, regional disparities, and public perception.
Our paper examines the role of public institutions in digital communication and how it influences citizens' participation in decision-making. It also identifies the main barriers to adoption and the motivational factors that drive institutions and citizens toward digital governance. Additionally, the research explores institutional perceptions of digitalization’s effectiveness and its impact on governance processes.
To achieve these objectives, we conducted a national survey among 568 public institutions in Romania, examining their use of digital communication channels, key adoption barriers, and factors driving engagement. The study also considers regional disparities and urban-rural differences in digital adoption. Additionally, responses from European institutions were collected to provide contextual insights into digitalization processes. The methodology integrates structured questionnaires and qualitative assessments, allowing for a comprehensive understanding of institutional perceptions. With a normative dimension, the paper provides policy recommendations for evidence-based decision-making, addressing institutional challenges and strategies to improve digital communication and citizen engagement.

Cristian-Manuel Foșalău (p), Alexandru Bănică, Oliver-Valentin Dinter, Karima Kourtit, Corneliu Iațu

Cristian Incaltarau

In the face of increasing urban challenges, the concepts of proximity and resilience have become central to sustainable urban planning. The term proxilience captures the synergy between these principles, emphasizing urban environments that ensure accessibility to essential services while enhancing adaptability to socio-economic and environmental challenges. The 15-minute city model serves as a framework for proxilience, promoting active mobility and reducing car dependency by ensuring access to work, education, healthcare, and recreation within short walking or cycling distances.
This paper explores 15 Romanian cities, assessing how accessibility to services can mitigate vulnerabilities and enhance urban resilience. Romania’s urban landscape, shaped by post-socialist transformations, presents a unique context where cities face uneven development, economic shifts, and challenges in urban management. Large cities, such as Iași, Cluj-Napoca, and Timișoara, have emerged as regional economic hubs with diversified economies, while smaller cities like Reșița and Călărași struggle with economic restructuring and high vulnerability levels. Understanding these disparities allows for a nuanced analysis of how accessibility influences resilience.
The study employs a multi-scalar methodology. At the micro-scale, accessibility is measured using time-distances from population points to geolocated urban amenities, weighted according to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. At the meso-scale, resilience indicators from official databases are analyzed at the commune level (LAU2). The study investigates the correlation between accessibility and resilience, testing the hypothesis that increased accessibility reduces socio-economic vulnerabilities.
The statistical correlation analyses reveal significant relationships, indicating valuable ways in which higher accessibility to essential services and amenities is associated with enhanced resilience in urban communities. Specifically, the scores of the accessibility index demonstrated to a certain extent the levels of vulnerability to socio-economic challenges, environmental changes, and public health crises. This correlation suggests that improving access to resources such as healthcare, education, and self-actualisation facilities not only fosters greater community engagement but also provides the necessary tools to adapt and respond to challenges.
By introducing proxilience as an analytical framework, this study contributes to the discourse on sustainable urban development in Romania. Enhancing accessibility to urban services not only improves quality of life but also acts as a strategic tool for mitigating vulnerabilities, particularly in cities undergoing post-socialist transitions. The 15-minute city model, when adapted to local contexts, offers a transformative pathway for cities seeking to balance proximity and resilience in the face of contemporary urban challenges.

Cristian Incaltarau (p), Karima Kourtit, Liviu-George Maha

Alexandru Banica

The study's novelty lies in its focus on evaluating the EU's CP as a means to mitigate asymmetric shocks in a time of multiple crises. It delves into the specific context of Romania, a country characterized by notable internal disparities, to conduct a fine-grained territorial assessment of the absorption capacity and actual effectiveness of different EU funding schemes at the local level. These dimensions have been overlooked in the existing scientific literature within this domain. The elements of originality and innovation behind the research project stem from several aspects. Besides identifying the best performers and “cold spots” in terms of European funds absorption (LAU level), the research will provide a fine-grained assessment of the territorial impact of the European Funds in Romania (Romanian Local Administrative Units (LAU) level). With a minimal number of studies examining the effects of the EU funds at the local level, while only focusing on a specific funding programme, our research will capture the whole amounts received during the more recent multi-annual programming period (2014-2020). In addition, the study seeks to carry out more heterogeneity exercises, in order to capture the puzzling variation in terms of ESIF absorption and their impact. Therefore, the units will be grouped into different typologies in order to look for heterogeneous effects, such as: rural vs. urban; level of development; distance from the largest city etc.