City Hall official suggests building malls on Bucharest's outskirts

Gheorghe Udriste, head of the infrastructure and public services department at Bucharest City Hall, has suggested real estate investors develop shopping centres on the outskirts of Bucharest in order to reduce the impact of traffic to and from large stores. “I would advise the development of commercial projects on the outskirts of the city, because Bucharest is not just about trade. I recommend you study your chosen area very carefully, even if you have already bought the land. We will definitely be considering the development of malls in these areas,” Udriste told a real estate seminar. According to Udriste, 900,000 people use a car each day, whilst 100,000 taxis and 100,000 vehicles are used for commercial purposes. The number of vehicles has gone up 6 or 7 times over the last 17 years, whilst the infrastructure has remained virtually unchanged. The construction of shopping centres in central areas has led to an increase in traffic. “Carrefour and Cora hypermarkets are causing big problems for us, which is why I recommend you go to other areas of the city,” specified Udriste. Over the next 20 years, 7bn-euro infrastructure works will be conducted in several stages in Bucharest, according to the new master plan established this year.