An important challenge for the research on post-socialist big cities is to identify the mechanisms of their uncontrolled urban space growth. This analysis is focused on the built-up urban space affected by transformations from a centrally planned to a market-based economy. Post-socialist changes in Bucharest are clearly reflected in the dynamics of built-up space. Land cover dynamics were evaluated using spectral mixture analysis of Landsat 5 TM (Thematic Mapper) data to map percent impervious surface area in 1988 and 2010. Change analysis reveals (1) a decrease of built space in central and peri-central areas of Bucharest, (2) an expansion of new residential areas to the south, (3) land fragmentation to the east and southeast, (4) a mixture of densities to the north, and (5) the role of the ring road in spurring recent development. A key challenge facing Bucharest is the disposition and repurposing of the lands covered by old large housing estates and shuttered heavy industries.

The concept of collaborative management is considered to be one of the most efficient instruments for sustainable development of some areas, which are under anthropic pressure due to the production of solid waste. The paper stands for the necessity of promoting a collaborative management among the main actors involved in an efficient and sustainable urban solid waste management, in the metropolitan area of Bucharest. The present management is mainly based on the strictly economic vision of managing solid waste. The study is based on data from the County Council Ilfov, the city Hall of Bucharest, the interviews and questionnaires answered by population and to some institutional and economical actors involved in solid waste management, as well as from field researches. The gradual closure of 29 non-complying landfills increases the pressure upon the three large compliant landfills organized in the metropolitan area: Chiajna-Rudeni, Glina and Vidra. The limited vision of local and national decision factors regarding the externalization of the management of the solid waste disposals to a company, without their ample involvement, including the population's education and the participation of NGOs, endanger the perspective of a sustainable development of a very disturbed area after the year 1990.

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The Botoșani County is part of one of the most marginal and least developed NUTS II regions of the EU. The county itself is one of the least developed within the region. However, it has an interesting history and evolution and a geographical position which can become an opportunity for economic, social, cultural and urban development. The urban structure is now, rather fragile and vulnerable to present social and economic trends and crises. During the last 80-90 years, under the impact of political changes and influences, the urban system was subjected to artificial and not always sound and durable developments. The pre-eminence of political, administrative and economic factors led to competition among the main urban centres which had as result winners and losers. The lack of specific urban development policies created in the end a mono-centric and unbalanced urban system. Recent decisions create premises for future evolutions towards a more coherent and cohesive system if sound strategies and policies are implemented by local authorities.

The authors argue through this paper, the importance of rethinking the recently abandoned tools that can be reactivated in times of crisis. EU 2020 Strategy and other EU documents create a favorable frame in order to achieve the priorities set by reconsidering the territorial pact concept. Recent documents define the partnership agreement concept, which seems to be more rigid and less flexible than the territorial pact. Having as a starter point Romania’s specifics, there are individualized 10 thematic territorial pacts and 8 global pacts. They must generate territorial synergies capable of ensuring the coherence between regions, states and the European Union as a whole.