Între urban și rural: negocierea zonei suburbane bucureștene în prima jumătate a secolului XX
Urban or rural development? Negotiating the suburban area of Bucharest during the first half of the 20th century

Summary/Abstract: The paper follows the evolution of the suburban area of Bucharest during the first half of the 20th century, focusing on three major topics: the authorities' position on suburban growth and on the need for controlled development, as reflected in the administrative laws; the manner in which the municipality defined and assumed its role in improving the living conditions in the settlements surrounding Bucharest by developing urban regulations and comprehensive regional plans; the suburban area, which, through the enforcement of a set of public policies with direct effect on the expansion of the surrounding settlements and on housing production, became a land resource for urban development and for overcoming the housing crisis. Finally, we discuss several aspects of the actual development of these settlements, seeking to reveal how the legal provisions shaped the suburban area and the manner in which they responded to the real needs of the city. By concluding that, during the interwar period, the suburban area was an intermediary ground, where urban and rural life intersected, the study also emphasizes the role of administration, public policies, urban regulations, and common practice in defining the specifics of these settlements.

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