CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF ALTERNATIVE FORMS OF ACTIVE RECREATION - DIRT PARK

If at the beginning of the last century the landscape was perceived mostly as artistical, functional, ambiental, economical, social, at the beginning of this millennium it gains in addition a new quality, given by cultural weight and the mark it leaves by the utility and the ’’consumption’’ of the landscape. Cultural and daily landscape falls within the line of sight of urban and landscape architects, sociologist, geographers, anthropologists , and in all domains of activity that are linked to landscape, requiring special measures for its protection and conservation (European Convention of Landscape ? Florence 2000). Representing an important component of ecological, social, and cultural domain, the landscape is also a resources that contributes to improving the quality of human lives, and it could generate economical activities in the context of maintaining the harmonious balance between social, economical and environmental needs. In terms of the super- technologization of most activities, outdoor recreation becomes a physiological need for people in general and teenagers in particular. Social studies show that, in the urban environment, time spent outdoors is greater at the end of the week than during it, and the social groups who frequent these urban and suburban landscapes are mostly teenagers and children (Iliescu, 2003). These social groups (in personal development) need special attractions, capable to spark their interest and to compensate for their need of adrenaline. In this context, our study succeeded in answering social challenges to create in a small place, but sufficiently big enough to be declared the biggest in Romania, the first landscaped Dirt Park that’s made by the technical and constructive requirements of spaces for extreme sports on bikes, but also for spending time outside. It’s about a landscaping project for a surface of 5000s.m., designed to attract teens from the northern part of the capital, passionate bikers, and thought as a challenge by the fact that we wanted to implement it in a public-private partnership. The landscaping project of the first Dirt Park of this size in Romania was carried out by its construction on the field, so in two months after the theme debut, it was finalized and officially opened.