Parents in Bucharest most concerned about traffic congestion and road safety, study shows

Parents in Bucharest are concerned about three main problems far ahead of others: traffic congestion (37%), air quality (31%), and street safety (15%), according to the study “Bucharest, City of Parents,” presented on Tuesday, May 27.

The study, conducted by residential and mixed-use developer HILS Development and Reveal Marketing Research, was launched during a debate organized together with UrbanizeHub, attended by experts in education, urbanism, private sector and public administration. It aims to uncover the urban living needs of parents in Bucharest, regarding the main aspects of everyday life of a family with children up to 18 years of age.

Next to the main problems, parents also mentioned insufficient parks and green spaces, public transport unsuitable for a parent with a child/children, lack of non-formal education clubs, low number of day-care centers and kindergartens, insufficient playgrounds, and others.

"Parents in Bucharest are increasingly concerned about housing needs and city challenges such as congestion, neighborhood safety or air quality. The survey highlights the clear trend to look for homes that offer increased comfort and access to amenities that support a balanced family life," said Marius Luican, General Manager of Reveal Marketing Research.

Parents who do not drive frequently identify the same three main problems in Bucharest but prioritize them differently and put air quality at the top. Both very young parents and older parents, over 55 years of age, are the most likely to rate street safety as one of the problems in Bucharest.

Around 87% of parents think Bucharest is a parent and child friendly city. Among those with a low level of satisfaction, most are young parents aged 18-24 (20%) and among the most satisfied are parents aged 35-44 (31%). Most parents over 55 (69%) consider Bucharest to be somewhat friendly.

Nearly half of older parents consider Bucharest not at all beneficial for their health, yet 7 out of 10 are satisfied with access to health services close to home.

Parents with more than 3 children show the highest levels of satisfaction with accommodating the needs of families with young children in public spaces (50%), access to playgrounds (60%) and city health benefits (40%). At the same time, they are most dissatisfied with being able to transport their children to education centers using bicycles/cargo bikes (80%), access to parks and spaces that improve their quality of life (50%), and the ability for their little one to play alone near home or in the neighborhood (70%).

The age group of children where parents seem to experience the lowest levels of satisfaction is between 11 and 15. They are dissatisfied with nearby parks and green spaces that enhance quality of life (45%), access to non-formal education clubs (69%) and air quality (83%), age-appropriate playgrounds (34%), and the possibility to play sports with their children in an organized environment (45%).