Bucharest District 2 initiates Green Corridor project along banks of Colentina River

Six lakes in the northeast of Bucharest, along the course of the Colentina River, will form the Colentina Green Corridor, according to a project by the District 2 City Hall of Bucharest.

The Corridor is the first of its kind in Bucharest and will span 100 hectares of lakes and 27 km of banks, integrating a natural area into the urban space. According to the project description cited by G4Media, there will also be protected areas.

The lakes included are Tei, Plumbuita (55 ha), Colentina (29 ha), Fundeni (123 ha), Dobroești (120 ha), and Pantelimon (260 ha). The corridor, essentially a network of parks, promenades, and bicycle paths, will be developed along the banks of the lakes on the city’s second river, Colentina.

To form the Corridor, local authorities first had to clear the lakes of debris and waste, a process which went on for the last three years. Approximately 70,000 tons of debris, large waste items, household appliances, furniture, and more have been excavated from the lakes and their banks.

Current District 2 mayor Radu Mihaiu, voted out of office in the June 9 local elections, says that Colentina River will be cleaned with the help of a dredge, which will clear the riverbed. The project’s conclusion will be passed over to Social Democrat Rareș Hopincă, who was voted as the new mayor.

The actual development of the green Corridor will be possible after the conclusion of an international design competition, which opened in May 2024 in partnership with the Order of Architects. Like the Dâmbovița River project at Lacul Morii, where the District 6 local administration organized a prize competition, the Colentina River project will undergo a jury selection to choose the best landscaping, climate, and architectural solution. The prizes, divided into three lots, amount to approximately EUR 2 million each and include design services for the first-place winners.

Until now, 17 major design firms from around the world, including Belgium, the United Kingdom, Mexico, and Romania, submitted projects for the Colentina Green Corridor, announced the mayor on Tuesday, August 6. More architects, landscape designers, and biologists might join in the third round, as the competition will conclude on September 12.

The Corridor will have bicycle paths, promenades, and routes for sports activities, and areas for leisure, socializing, and relaxation. Pontoons will be installed for navigable routes, and protected areas will be maintained. Existing parks like Rodica, Fabrica de Gheață, Râul Colentina, and Sfântul Pantelimon have been refurbished.