Earth Day this year marks the completion of three new urban regeneration projects in Timisoara - two urban mini-forests and 450 square metres of urban meadow with flowers and shrubs along the banks of the Bega Canal.

The initiative, carried out by Timisoara City Hall and the Act for Tomorrow Association with support from a private partner, has expanded the city's green network by 5,360 trees, shrubs and perennials through a series of biodiversity-focused interventions carried out over the past two weeks.

'I am pleased that this partnership is working so well for the benefit of Timisoara residents, who are gaining quality green spaces and greener neighbourhoods. It is a good example of how public administration, the business sector and civil society can work together to improve people's quality of life. Every new planting action is another step towards a greener city,' Mayor Dominic Fritz said in a statement on Wednesday.

Two unused plots in the Bucovina and Blascovici districts were regenerated for the community through the planting of the two urban mini-forests, using the Miyawaki method. Along the banks of the Bega Canal, two urban meadows were created, covering a total area of 450 square metres and comprising more than 85 species of flowers and 530 shrubs, completing this new stage in the expansion of the city's green infrastructure.

Photo credit: Act for Tomorrow

The largest intervention took place in the Bucovina district, where a degraded plot between apartment blocks was transformed into an urban forest and an urban glade designed as a new green space for the community. Around 280 volunteers planted 3,900 trees and shrubs from 11 species on an area of 0.8 hectares, turning an unused area into a new green space. An urban glade with shrubs and perennials was also created as a relaxation area for residents.

The second urban forest, planted in the Blascovici district, includes 1,200 trees and shrubs from 11 species across an area of 1,000 square metres. This intervention follows the same urban regeneration approach and contributes to expanding a network of green spaces in areas where nature has a direct impact on everyday quality of life.

The two urban meadows along the Bega complement the project with a biodiversity component that introduces diverse vegetation into the city, supports pollinating insects and helps create richer and more resilient urban habitats.

The project was developed by the Act for Tomorrow Association in partnership with Timisoara City Hall and a private sponsor, as part of the 'Romania Plants for Tomorrow' programme, the largest privately funded planting initiative in the country.

'We have launched these interventions in Timisoara with the conviction that urban regeneration must reach exactly those places where its impact is most direct for the community. Over the past year, we have found a strategic partner here in the local administration and a city open to building such solutions over the long term. We aim to attract as many private partners as possible to contribute to the regeneration of these spaces and, together, to help create and develop healthy, modern green areas in line with the current challenges of climate change,' said Andrei Cosuleanu, president of Act for Tomorrow.

Photo credit: Act for Tomorrow

These projects continue a series of actions carried out by Act for Tomorrow in Timisoara since last year. Following earlier projects in the Fabric and Calea Sagului districts, where 400 volunteers planted 10,000 trees, shrubs and perennials, the newly created green spaces confirm the continuity of a partnership that has enabled the testing and expansion of concrete urban regeneration solutions through collaboration between local authorities, the private sector and the community.

Earth Day 2026 is marked on April 22. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Otilia Halunga; EN - writing by: Simona Iacob)