ROMANIA: The first Infrastructure Pop-up was launched, an urban sustainability concept of Green Revolution, in partnership with Raiffeisen Bank and Mastercard. What is it about
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The Green Revolution Association, the first urban ecology NGO in Romania, in partnership with Raiffeisen Bank Romania and Mastercard, propose an innovative solution for the problem of infrastructure sustainability. The concept, already launched in Bucharest, is based on pop-ups of infrastructure that integrate some essential elements for the sustainable future of Romania, say the initiators.
The first such Infrastructure Pop-Up was inaugurated in the central area of the Capital, in the Traian flying square, at the intersection of Unirii Boulevard and Nerva Traian Street, and by the end of the year, three or four more would be placed in Bucharest, they said the organizers at the launch of the project.
Thus, a big problem, which seemed to be exclusively in the attributions of the state, found an accessible solution for the private sector as well. These modular boxes can be placed in different locations, being extremely useful for the needs of local communities, thanks to the combined sustainable concepts.
The goal is to launch a few hundred such “boxes” at the national level, which will greatly ease the life of those who are friendly to the environment, if there will be involvement from the local authorities and the business environment.
The project also aims to encourage citizens who are open to adopting a sustainable future, as well as to support and motivate representatives from the private sector, who can often run into bureaucratic barriers or state institutions.
What is “in the field” about
These Infrastructure Pop-ups aim to integrate several macro-concepts in a useful space, smaller in size, easy to use and mount thanks to the modular and scalable solution. A big problem, which seemed to be exclusively in the attributions of the state, thus found an accessible solution for the private sector as well. These modular boxes can be placed in different locations, being extremely useful for the needs of local communities, thanks to the combined sustainable concepts.
Basically, the modular box contains:
A secure BBOX bicycle parking where those who use the I’Velo application have access, so even in densely populated areas with blocks of flats this solution appears to “park” the bicycle in a safe space, without the need for those who walk with the bicycle to carry it through the staircase of the block to the upper floors, for example.
A FANbox locker developed together with FANCurier, which practically contributes to the decarbonization of logistics transport – shoppers in the area can pick up their ordered products right next to their home, without having to use their personal car for that.
An electric car charging station with two charging points , thus solving part of the problems of those who live in blocks of flats and have nowhere to charge their electric car near their home.
A smart packaging waste collection equipment (cans, bottles, PET packaging) where both packaging and other packaging can be taken to the SGR system.
“Our projects respond to the current problems of society. Bucharest has goals to achieve for transport decarbonisation, waste collection, pollution reduction and air quality improvement, according to the targets set by the European Commission. The solutions exist, the only thing that is needed is the prioritization of the human in sustainable urban planning. The infrastructure pop-up is an example of such a solution, which we believe will be embraced by the community in the area. Our objective is to continue developing such projects in Bucharest until the end of the year, and next year we will also go to other cities of the country”, said Raluca Fișer, president of Green Revolution.
“We have been Green Revolution partners since the launch of I’Velo, the first bike-sharing program and one of the most prolific urban ecology initiatives in Romania. We are happy that we have entered a new stage of partnership development and that together we can now bring an original urban sustainability solution. In all of our community engagement efforts, we come with a positive impact-oriented vision and believe that we can make significant changes when we focus on everything that unites us: the care and desire to make real improvements around us, and the first Pop-up of Sustainability is a good example in this sense”, said Laura Mihăilă, Director of Marketing, Communication & CX, Raiffeisen Bank Romania.
“By 2050, it is estimated that more than two-thirds of the global population will live in urban areas. Along with the acceleration of the urbanization process, there are also significant challenges related to the need to develop fair, sustainable and innovative communities. The solution to these challenges is digital transformation. At Mastercard, we actively collaborate with public and private partners, as well as with NGOs, to provide solutions for smart cities, from infrastructure and mobility, to inclusion and economic development. We are pleased to be with Raiffeisen Bank and Green Revolution for this innovative project, which, through its versatility and usefulness, will have a positive impact in local communities”, said Ioana Gorgăneanu, Vice President, Head of Marketing & Communications Southeast Europe , MasterCard.
In the following months, the location of such infrastructure Pop-ups will continue in other Bucharest neighborhoods. Also, in the near future, the initiative aims to launch invitations to all sustainable brands and companies to create such a personalized infrastructure Pop-up.
Green Revolution is an urban ecology association, founded in 2009, with the objective of making Romanian cities greener, cleaner and more environmentally friendly. Green Revolution initiates and implements extensive projects of environmental education and constructive dialogue with the authorities and stakeholders involved in order to improve environmental policies and strategies. Among Green Revolution’s best-known projects are the Ivelo bikesharing centers, the Green Report environmental news platform, the Green Report conferences and Gala, but also the Culture Wheel, the first urban meadow in Bucharest.
Raiffeisen Bank , a top universal bank with solid capitalization and liquidity, operates on the Romanian banking market serving over 2.2 million clients, individuals and legal entities. The bank has over 4,800 employees in 284 branches, 1,131 ATMs & MFMs and over 27,800 POS.
For more than 25 years, Raiffeisen Bank has been supporting the economic environment in Romania, offering products and financial services developed to cover the needs of customers. With responsibility as a fundamental principle, we contribute to the development of society by financing the real and sustainable economy. At the same time, we are involved in the community, by supporting 5 pillars of development: education, urban ecology, sport as a healthy lifestyle, innovation and last but not least, art and culture. From 2023, Raiffeisen Bank proposes a new approach and perspective on banking services, by launching “Banking 1:1”, an interactive way to simulate the configuration of a financial plan for our customers, using the Smart Finance application, developed by the team in Romania.
Mastercard is a technology company in the global payments industry. “Our mission is to generate and develop an all-encompassing digital economy that provides secure, simple, smart and accessible transactions for the benefit of everyone, everywhere. Through secure data transfer and impenetrable networks, through partnerships and with passion, our innovations and solutions enable individuals, financial institutions, governments and companies to reach their full potential”, says the company. Mastercard connections cover more than 210 countries and territories, thus that we build a sustainable world that gives everyone access to priceless possibilities.
