Author Negrila, M The role of sprawl towards the megacity Case Study Paper The role of sprawl towards the megacity Eastern-European sprawl, the case study of Bucharest, Romania Author Manuela NEGRILA, UAUIM; Romania Abstract Cities nowadays are either growing at a never-before seen rate or shrinking due to technology, globalization and increased mobility. Some of these changes are planned but, most of them are not, thus the quest for a planned and structured megacity can be tedious. Amongst the forces that shape cities, urban sprawl is one of the less analysed but most definitely the least planned. Seeing how the forces that drive this phenomenon are in their majority economic, how can we, as planners integrate this chaotic element into a planned and structured megacity? Urban sprawl is an issue that has been studied in North America since 1950 due to its environmental, economic and social impact. More recently, this subject has attracted the attention of urban researchers and policy makers all over the world (Ewing et al. 2016; Liu et al. 2018). The phenomenon is even more fascinating because, depending on the geo-political background, it can differ a lot in terms of spatial layout and structure, but the main characteristics are the same. Still, the question remains, why in the last 70 years, urban sprawl has been a phenomenon that has caught on world-wide, even in the face of professionals protesting its downsides? Some evidence can be found in the fact that, from an urban economist’s point of view urban sprawl is not a vicious force that disrupts the city, but rather an efficient adjustment to a change in conditions (Lechner & Maier, 2009) The study aims to better understand the role of urban sprawl towards the megacity by making a comparison between the current development in the northern part of Bucharest, Romania which has obvious urban sprawl features, and the development of the southern area. As Romania tries to align its policies for urban planning to European trends, a study on urban sprawl is necessary. Moreover, in the Bucharest Strategic Concept (local policy), there is a need to rethink the gap between the city and the adjacent areas, defining the limits of Bucharest that no longer fall within the current administrative boundaries and ‘regaining the territorial identity of the periurban area’ (CSB, Vol.1, pg. 85). Urban sprawl evidence in Bucharest could only be observed after 1990, when free market and private property were reinstated and has taken effect at first and in larger quantities in the north of the city. With the background of the negative effects the end of the economic and real estate crisis in 2009 left on the northern sprawl and given this part of the metropolitan area is becoming saturated, the current study is based on the precondition, which will have to be validated along the way, that the expansion of Bucharest will take a greater magnitude to the south (Vânau, 2009). It is important to draw attention to the fact that the southern suburbs are in danger of reaching the same situation as the northern suburbs in the next 10 years. 55th ISOCARP World Planning Congress Jakarta-Bogor, Indonesia International Society of City and Regional Planners Author Negrila, M The role of sprawl towards the megacity As Bucharest is viewed as a city between the orient and occident (Haroiu, 1997) we believe the study will offer a great insight in both the eastern and western perspective and layout of urban sprawl. The aim of this research is to understand and better integrate policies towards a metropolis. Even though urban sprawl seems like such an artificial construct, planned design can integrate it in a megacity if we can answer the following questions. How can we, as planners and policy makers integrate the urban sprawl in a megacity? How can this phenomenon, that now is an unplanned mess, help the development of megacities? Keywords Urban sprawl, Eastern European cities, keyword 3 (3-5) 1. Introduction 1.1. Context In the context of the ever growing cities, urban sprawl is one of the phenomenons that draws constant attention to it and gives a deeper meaning to the idea of limitless city. Even when the city has caught up with some previous form of sprawl, a new and more different form of the phenomenon takes shape even further away from the newly developed megacity. It is this snowball effect that is the subject of this study, the correlation between the megacity, urban sprawl and the limitless city. The phenomenon is even more fascinating because, depending on the geo-political background, it can differ a lot in terms of spatial layout and structure, but the main characteristics are the same. To better illustrate the purpose of this study the first task is to provide a theoretical framework for research. In clarifying the origin and definition of the urban sprawl concept, a brief analysis of the origin and evolution of urban sprawl is necessary. Furthermore, the case study of urban sprawl in Bucharest and a comparative analysis between the extension of the city to the north and south will be provided in order to demonstrate the effects in an Easter-European city. As Bucharest is viewed as a city between the orient and occident (Haroiu, 1997) we believe the study will offer a great insight in both the eastern and western perspective of the layout of urban sprawl. 1.2. Definitions of urban sprawl Urban sprawl is an issue that has been studied in North America since 1950 due to its environmental, economic and social impact. More recently, this subject has attracted the attention of urban researchers and policy makers all over the world (Ewing et al. 2016; Liu et al. 2018). Still, the question remains, why in the last 70 years, urban sprawl has been a phenomenon that has caught on world-wide, even in the face of professionals protesting its downsides? To answer this question, a short review of the origin and definitions that were given to urban sprawl along the way is deemed necessary. In the 1950s and 1960s, suburban expansion was defined as "a contiguous expansion of existing development from a central core" (Self, 1961). Harvey & Clark (1965) saw the sprawl rather as a stage in the development process and not a static state, just as we see it today in the context of the limitless city. It is suggested that some parts of the urban area can go through a stage where they are considered sprawl to evolve and become part of the city. In 55th ISOCARP World Planning Congress Jakarta-Bogor, Indonesia International Society of City and Regional Planners Author Negrila, M The role of sprawl towards the megacity the 1970s, sprawl is considered any development outside the "urban core" (Clawson & Hall 1973) In the early 1990s, especially in North American literature, the term began to be so often used that it does not have a precise meaning, and defining it becomes a challenge for specialists. (Audirac et al, 1990). Galster et al.(2001) notes that literature confuses the causes, consequences and conditions of sprawl. Thus they note that sprawl is a complex concept that can be defined in many ways (whether positive or negative) and that "sprawl has become the preferred metaphor for the suburban shortcomings and the frustrations of monocentric cities "(Galster et al., 2001, p. 681). Although there are many definitions of sprawl, they all conclude that not all urban development should be considered sprawl. In addition, there are several types of sprawl with different features. „Sprawl (n.) is a pattern of land use in a urban area that exhibits low levels of some combination of eight distinct dimensions: density, continuity, concentration, clustering, centrality, nuclearity, mixed uses, and proximity. ”(Galster et al., 2001, p. 685). Bruegmann (2006) defines urban sprawl as a type of peripheral growth characterized by low density, mono-functionality, unlimited extension and non-contiguous (leapfrog) away from the city centre, consuming the agricultural space surrounding the city. Couch et al. (2007) notes that the term urban sprawl is generally used with a negative connotation and describes suburban, inefficient, low-density developments around the outskirts of cities. The authors identify definitions that emphasize the idea that sprawl is a pattern of urbanization and other definitions that see sprawl as a process of urban change. In their work, they claim that sprawl is the process of expanding the city. But sprawl is not always seen negatively, because "from the economists' point of view, space expansion of the city is not necessarily seen as an unwanted work. It is rather an effective adaptation to changing a condition. "(Lechner & Maier, 2009, pg.3). After reviewing the different approaches to define urban sprawl over time, it is noted that the term is complex and difficult to define because it encompasses many aspects, and is not just a state of development, but rather a process of evolution of the city. However, the European Environment Agency (2006) definition succeeds in summarizing the main physical characteristics of sprawl observed by different authors over time. In trying to remain objective, the European Environment Agency definition does not take into account the impacts of the sprawl on the environment and the city, nor does it provide any quantification of the phenomenon. In conclusion, it is a comprehensive but general definition, leaving room for interpretation when it comes to defining a limit of sprawl analysis. 2. The case study of Bucharest 2.1. Background The study aims to better understand the role of urban sprawl towards the megacity by making a comparison between the current development in the northern part of Bucharest, Romania which has obvious urban sprawl features, and the development of the southern area.