Assessment of the Urban Development Degree Based on 21

Scientific Annals of the Danube Delta Institute Tulcea, Romania vol. 24 2019

https://doi.org/10.7427/DDI.24.21

Assessment of the Urban Development Degree Based On 21. Integrated System of Indicators for Sulina Case Study

MARIN Eugenia *, SICRIERU Florentina, MIERLĂ Marian Danube Delta National Institute for Research and Development: 165 Babadag street, Tulcea - 820112, Romania; e-mail: [email protected]

*Address of author responsible for correspondence: Danube Delta National Institute for Research and Development: 165 Babadag street, Tulcea - 820112, Romania, e-mail: [email protected]

bstract: Any human settlement bears the imprint of society’s defining characteristics, which is why urban planning requires scientific knowledge of the territorial distribution of demographic Aphenomena, social-economic and urban spatial elements, that represent the framework for the urban social life. Given the fact that Sulina is the only town in the Danube Delta, it was chosen as a case study for identifying the specificity of its urban area and for measuring its degree of development by approaching an integrated system of indicators covering a wide range of areas: socio- demographic, socio-economic, urban space and the integrative index of urban development. This analysis can be further used to support public policies and can represent the base for the strategy for sustainable development of human settlements. The study aims to capture how Sulina has evolved over the last decades when deltaic space has undergone numerous changes in its structure, functionality and status, geo-demographics and economic phenomena with their territorial manifestations, presenting spatial discontinuities and their effects. Keywords: urban planning, integrative index of urban development, Danube Delta

INTRODUCTION The most Eastern locality in Romania, Sulina is an important urban area with a rich cultural history of the Danube’s branch with the same name, placed on both sides over a length of about 3 miles. The activity and development of the current port city begin after 1856, with the establishment of the European Commission of the Danube. During time, the city was in a constant transformation in terms of economy, cultural, society and urban planning, having to adapt its building environment to new functions, many of them largely deteriorated due to disuse, or even abandoned (Teampau and Van Assche, 2007; Van Assche, et al. 2009; Bondar et al, 2010). Nowadays, the city of Sulina, together with the surrounding area, was declared an objective of national interest, based on ordonnance no. 125 of 31 August 2000. Given the fact that Sulina is the only town in the Danube Delta, it was chosen as a case study for identifying the specificity of its urban area and for measuring its degree of development by approaching an integrated system of indicators.

MATERIALS AND METHODS The materials used to emphasize the specifics of Sulina urban area and to measure its social and economic development consist of: Population and Housing Census (*****, 1912, *****, 1930, *****, 1956, *****, 1965, *****, 1977, *****, 1992, *****, 2002, *****, 2011), Tulcea County Yearbook for 2006 (Cap.22 Territorial Statistics) and the Statistical Yearbook of Tulcea (*****, 1970, *****, 1975, *****, 1976, *****, 1978, *****, 1979, *****, 1980, *****, 1985, *****, 1986, *****, 1987, *****, 1988, *****, 1989, *****, 1990) issued by the Tulcea County Department of Statistics and Sulina Urbanistic General Plan.

The specific methods used: - Socio-demographic descriptive statistics; - Developing the Urban Development Integrated Index (UDI); - Cartographic methods for the Urban Development Integrated Index.

Urban Development Integrated Index involved the following steps: 1. Establish the main components of the urban landscape and parameters necessary for the analysis and designing the ground sheets, as shown in Table 1: Table 1 Main components of the urban landscape, with their parameters and attributes Nb. Urban Landscape Parameters Attribute Component (ULC) I Housing building category: dwelling, type of construction: public institution, institution with P, P+1, P+2, >P+2 legal personality commercial function: boutiques, small shops, supermarket tourist function: accommodation, restaurant construction material: clay, wood, bricks, concrete, other II Road street tram (presence, absence) material: asphalt, cubic stone with infrastructure pavers and clay with stone width: <4 m, 4-10 m, > 10 m quality: good condition, average, degraded sidewalk material: asphalt, cubic stone with pavers and clay with stone width: <4 m, 4-10 m, > 10 m quality: good condition, average, degraded III Urban equipment urban service (presence, garbage bin, recycle bin, preselect absence) garbage points medical services (presence, type of medical services (hospital, absence) polyclinic, private medical cabinet, pharmacy) public services (presence, agri-food market absence) education services (presence, kindergartens, primary school, high absence) school, gymnasium schools, library IV Cultural heritage heritage presence or absence type: historical, architectural V Green areas green areas presence or type: parks, flower beds and trees absence VI Elements that elements type (presence, waste, abandoned buildings deteriorate the absence) urban landscape

2. Establish the score needed to achieve the Urban Development Index based on Expert Judgement: For each parameter and attribute of components were attributed scores from 1 to 5, according to the occurrence (presence, absence) or importance they have for the urban landscape (where 1= presence/the lowest importance and 5=the highest importance). As an example, for urban equipment component, for the presence or absence of urban facilities (educational, urban service, medical service and facilities for education) were given the notes 1 and 0 and for the presence of the market agri-food were awarded 3 points (due to its urban specificity) – Table 2.

Table 2 Example of scores accorded to Urban Equipment Component Type 1 Parameter’s Type 2 Attribute’s score score Parameter Attribute Urban services presence 1 garbage bin 1 recycle bin 2 preselect garbage points 3 Medical services presence 1 hospital 5 polyclinic 4 private medical cabinet 3 pharmacy 2 Public services presence 3 agri-food market 3 Education presence 1 kindergartens 1 equipment primary school 2 gymnasium schools 3 high school 5 library 5

3. Data collection - 112 crossroads were analyzed on the ground. Each crossroad was marked with a GPS point and photographed (Fig. 2). Depending on the type of intersection encountered on the ground (eg Cross-cross, T-shaped intersection, etc.), the ground sheets were completed by analyzing their elements and attributes in the directions existing at the intersections. 4. Computing data - for each component the score of each parameter identified on the field was multiplied by the corresponding attribute score. The values obtained on each component were summed up, resulting in the final score on the field record. Depending on the intersection encountered on the field, a maximum of 4 ground sheets have been completed, the aggregate values of which have given the final score on the intersection (GPS point). 5. The Urban Development Integrative map was realized using the ArcView 3.1 GIS program, by relating the final score on the intersection to each GPS section taken in the field and integrating the points into a shp file. Each sample point has an urban development index value given in the field after computing the urbanization parameters. With ArcView, interpolation of the final values was performed at each intersection. This interpolation resulted in a grid file with cell values ranging from 4 to 84 points. The values were further grouped into 11 characteristic classes of the Urban Development Index (UDI) represented in colors from green (lowest class of urban development) to red (highest class of urban development).

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS Socio-economic development of Sulina urban area. Over time, the population of Sulina has experienced numerical variations, depending on the socio-economic context of the region. If during the interwar period the population of the Sulina port reaches 15,000 inhabitants (during which Sulina had 40% of the total population of the Danube Delta), its number began to fall considerably to 4,819 inhabitants according to the 2002 census. In 2011, the stable population in the city of Sulina totals 4,258 inhabitants, with a decrease in the population by 561 people (Figure 2), due to declining birth rates, specific isolation, poor economic resources and insecure job prospects, especially for the young population. Were identified 3 main periods of demographic evolution in Sulina: • Period 1912 and 1956: decrease in the number of inhabitants determined by cancellation of the European Commission of the Danube (1939), Romania's participation in the Second World War, Transition from the capitalist to the socialist economy and the establishment of the communist regime; • Period 1956 – 1989 there is a demographic increase due to a certain recovery in economic activity; • Period 1989-2011 with a decline in population due to declining birth rates, high migration rate, poor economic resources and insecure employment prospects, especially for the young population.

8000 7347 7000 5711 6000

5000 4258 4000 3622 3000 2000 1000 0

Figure 2. Demographic evolution in Sulina 1912-2011

The changes produced in the socio-economic development of Sulina urban area have also influenced the demographic behavior of the population. The birth rate, a relevant phenomenon in the evolution of the population but also in maintaining its vitality, experienced fluctuations during 1965-2011. Starting with 1989, there is a continuing decline in the natural increase (Figure 3) due to lower birth rates and higher mortality which can be explained by a decreased number of fertile female population and poor living conditions. The migratory movement has influenced population dynamics, especially in the period from 1989 to 2011 (Figure 4), indicating a generally negative overall migration which might be justified by the free international travel allowance.

‰ 30.0 25.0 20.0 births

15.0 deaths 10.0 natural 5.0 increase 0.0 -5.0 1965 1970 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 2002 2011 -10.0 Census years -15.0

Figure 3 Evolution of Natural rate in Sulina, 1965-2011

‰ 15.0

10.0

5.0 migratory increase 0.0 1965 1970 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 2002 2011 -5.0

-10.0

Census years -15.0

Figure 4 Evolution of Migratory rate in Sulina, 1965-2011 As regards the gender structure of the population, it is observed that the male population has a higher percentage (50.3%) than that of the female population representing 49.7% of the total population. Analyzing the age and gender structure of the population, it is noticed that 11.5% represent the age group between 0 and 14 years, 76.0% of the total population is in the age group between 15 and 64 years and the population over 65 years represents 12.6% of the total. Comparing the age pyramids, for the 2011, the age pyramid shows a continuous decline of its younger population (lower base of the pyramid) which is typical of a shrinking population and the weaker representation of the 38-39 age group. From the point of view of gender, we find that it is relatively balanced, with a slight increase in the number of women after the age of 65. For 2011 the segments with the highest amplitude are those corresponding to the age range between 40-44, 50-54, 55-59 for women and 20-24, 25-29, 30- 34 for men (Figure 5).

85+ 80-84 75-79 70-74 65-69 60-64 55-59 50-54 45-49 40-44 35-39 30-34 25-29 20-24 15-19 10-14 5-9 0-4 6420246 Women 2011 Men 2011 Women 2002 Men 2002

Figure 5 Population distribution by gender and age in Sulina urban area, 2002-2011.

Regarding the population structure by ethnicity, Sulina had a very diverse ethnic component, characterized by a conglomerate of nationalities due to the historical and economic conditions in which the city was built and developed (Figure 6). Nowadays, 81.9% of Sulina's population is represented by Romanians, followed by 9.9% of Russian-Lipovans, Ukrainians (1.2%) and less than 1% of the population of Greek and Turkish ethnicity (Figure 7).

0.1% 1.7% 0.1% 4.8% 20,8% 1.6 0.5% Polish 0,7 % Roma Greeks other no data Greeks Jews Armenians 1.2% Ukrainians 9.9% 0,5% 0.1% Russians Bulgarians Turks 47% Romanians

3.3 % Serbs 81.9% Romanians

17,7% 0,4% Russians 3% 1,2% Hungarians Turks Germans

Figure 6 Sulina by Ethnicity in 1930 Figure 7 Sulina by Ethnicity in 2011 For the socio-economic structure, the active population only accounts for 40.4% of the total population, of which only 81.6% of the employed population and 18.4% of the unemployed. The percent of inactive population was 59.6% of the city's population in 2011. Analyzing the distribution of the employed population at the level of 2011, most of the employed workforce in the city of Sulina worked in the field of transport, storage, post, communications, followed by the public administration and service sector (Figure 8).

The industrial activity recorded a percentage of only 6% (determined by canning factory closure and downsizing the shipyard activity).

6.4% 0.5% 2.9% social cultural Fishing, Agriculture, assistance

17.3% 1% 10% public Production and services administration supply of electricity

1.2% 7.4% financial education 4.8% water distribution 2.5% wholesale trade

34.8% transport, 6% storage and industry communication 4.9% hotels and restaurant

Figure 8 Socio-economic structure of the urban community of Sulina, 2011

The Urban Development Integrated Index map shows that the pole of the urban development (values between 60-75) is on the main streets of Sulina, meaning Street I and II, determined by the presence of block of flats, of the modernized streets (the paved Street I, II and partially Street III), the high density of the commercial spaces in the studied area. In comparison with this, for the area situated in south of the second street, the degree of urban development starts to decrease because of the presence one level houses, not modernized streets, without sidewalks, or if there are sidewalks they are under 2 meters broad, such as the Mircea Voda street, on which the alteration of the urban landscape is influenced by waste products that are collected once a week. The street infrastructure is organized in a rectangular network and presents a series of damages. Except for the main 3 parallel streets that are modernized and paved with sidewalks bigger than 4 meters, the rest of the streets have side walk that in little measure are appropriate. As shown in the “Urban development degree map”, the biggest values are in the center of the Sulina town, there were the streets are modernized, the illumination is appropriate to assure a safe public circulation (Figure 9). According to the map of the urban development index, new incipient phases of creating new urban development cores are observed due to the development of tourist infrastructure in the city.

Figure 9 Urban development integrated index map for Sulina urban area

CONCLUSIONS Any territorial development plan should be periodically reviewed and completed according to the new realities at the level of the settlements. After a rigorous assessment of the current state of the respective territorial system can be established and designed the necessary interventions for modernization and the improvement of the general quality of the habitat. The objective of urban development policy: increase the attractiveness of the urban area by improving the accessibility, by expanding and modernization of its infrastructure, utility services and improving the quality of urban life. Based on this, the urban planning and social management require scientific knowledge about territorial distribution of demographical phenomena, socio-economical and spatial urban parameters that represent the unfold framework of urban social life. Hence, the Urban development integrated index (UDI) it is very useful, along with socio-economic indicators, for measuring the degree of development of an urban area being a territorial manifestation of geo- demographic and economic phenomena. UDI can be further used to support public policies and can represent the base for the strategy for sustainable development of human settlements.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

This work was supported by Romanian Core Program NUCLEU, contract no. 47N/2016 for Danube Delta, Study of Socio-Ecological systems in D.D.B.R.

REFERENCES

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Revised 17.04.2019