A Morphological Approach to Infill Design and Socio-Spatial Erosion in Oradea, Romania: a sustainable cultural perspective

Cultural sustainability faces serious challenges regarding its implementation in policies, frameworks or practices in historic cities. Although, in the existing literature, the notion has important implications, it remains an underexplored topic, as seen in the case study of Oradea, Romania. Historically characterised by robust multi-culturality, multi-spirituality and multi-ethnicity, the city's intangible identity has been diluted over time.

The methodology employs a qualitative approach based on spatial mapping and morphological analysis. Morphological analysis aims to depict the morphological changes in the historic quarter and identify the cultural attributes embedded in the spatial form. In order to achieve the objective, a morphological analysis of the street-plot patterns, accessibility in the historic quarter, economic vitality and distribution, and density of dwellings and architectural infillings was undertaken. The spatial and architectural distribution of the places of worship was analysed in order to depict the multi-spiritual attribute of the city. Architectural infillings are analysed in depth from an architectural perspective to examine the spatial relationship, scale ratio and urban rhythm.

The preliminary findings suggest a profound shift from a living socio-cultural fabric towards gentrification. While the physical assets are restored, the city has lost its primary multi-ethnic and multi-spiritual components to tourist-oriented assets. Economic vitality is sustained by economic distribution at the ground level, but the upper-floor residential density is declining, threatening the organic policing and vitality of the centre. Furthermore, the architectural fillings often fail to mediate the historic rhythm or the contemporary needs, leading to a disrupted scale or aesthetic. Finally, urban accessibility remains heavily vehicle-centric at the fringes and also in some key areas of the historic city, resulting in deficient access to median historical zones and a lack of tourist attractions. A cultural sustainability assessment of Oradea reveals the need for further analysis and interventions in a holistic manner.