Planning Capital Cities

urbanism. The 1906 Public Contest together with the Law, 1893, were the
official recognition of the need for a Bucharest Urban Plan, the first willingly
and deliberately initiated planning process. It is especially important in the light
of the following planning preoccupations deeply rooted in that period.

Davidescu’s “Program for the urban plan of Bucharest” concluding the 1906
contest and completed probably around 1910, was the first prepositioning.
It was the first and most important official document that clearly stated the
position of the Municipality regarding the city’s development, and would
come to support both of Bucharest plans in the following years. Along with
more detailed principles, ideas and intentions clearly organized, Davidescu’s
program extracted from the conclusions and visions in the submitted projects
for the 1906 contest, and also formulated a theoretical statement on planning
philosophy.

Subtle observations regarding the 1906 moment

Although Davidescu’s guidelines aimed solely the physical plan of the city, they
refereed the city as a dynamic mechanism. Without a doubt, the submitted
projects were united in their understanding of the physical structure of the

Andreea Udrea

Fig. 1:

Fig. 1

Timeline of Bucharest urban

plans. Sources of photos:

Al.Davidescu: Urbanismul

1-2/1938:83, C. Sfințescu:

Urbanistica specială 1934:

cover, Ion Davidescu:

Arhitectura/1981:29, D. Marcu:

Monografie 1960: cover, R.

Bolomey: Arhitectura 1/1982,

G.M. Cantacuzino: gazeta

Municipală October 14/1934.