Environmental science has been a core line of CCMESI’s work since the centre’s foundation. Starting from assessments of environmental quality in Romanian urban and metropolitan areas, the research now spans green infrastructure and nature-based solutions, urban ecosystem services, environmental governance and impact assessment, climate adaptation in cities, urban microclimate and blue-green infrastructure, citizen science, and social equity in urban planning.
The team is led by Cristian I. Ioja (environmental policy, urban ecosystems, environmental conflicts) and Mihai R. Nita (urban green infrastructure, nature-based solutions, strategic planning). Senior researchers anchor distinct strands of work: Andreea Nita (social network analysis, environmental impact assessment, policy networks), Athanasios A. Gavrilidis (urban green space planning, cultural ecosystem services, landscape dynamics), Diana A. Onose (urban green space governance, ecosystem services, citizen science), Alina C. Hossu (environmental planning, collaborative decision-making, climate justice), Ana-Maria Popa (urban sustainability, urban microclimate, urban lakes), Iulian M. Niculae (landscape fragmentation, spatial analysis), and Gabriel O. Vanau (urban aquatic ecosystems, land-use, citizen engagement). Early-career researchers and doctoral students carry the work forward: Cristiana G. Mitincu (environmental plan quality, stakeholder engagement, nature-based solutions), Maria A. Calota (inclusive climate action, living-lab co-design), Raluca A. Slave (urban green space planning, participatory methods), Ana M. Todoran (social equity in urban planning), and Petru-Emanuel Calin (residential planning, landscape metrics).
Track record
CCMESI’s earliest work on environmental quality focused on groundwater, residential areas, and land-use dynamics in the Romanian Plain, developed in partnership with national institutions including ICIM (National Institute for Research and Development in Environmental Protection), the Faculty of Geography at the University of Bucharest, and the former Ministry of Education and Research. Between 2004 and 2011, the team produced environmental reports and impact assessments for major infrastructure projects in and around Bucharest (intermodal hubs at Obor, Gara de Nord, Piata Sudului; the Bucharest to Constanta and Bucharest to Brasov highway connections; and the spatial plan of the Bucharest urban agglomeration), alongside Level I and II environmental balances for treatment plants, landfills, and water supply facilities. Since 2011, the work has broadened to European comparative studies, nature-based solutions, urban lakes as socio-ecological systems, environmental conflicts in protected areas, stakeholder engagement in environmental impact assessment, and, most recently, inclusive climate action, citizen science, and climate-adaptation readiness across European cities.
What the team brings
Urban green infrastructure and green space planning (M. R. Nita, C. I. Ioja, A. A. Gavrilidis, D. A. Onose, A.-M. Popa, R. A. Slave); nature-based solutions, equity, and urban resilience (M. R. Nita, A. C. Hossu, C. G. Mitincu, M. A. Calota, A.-M. Popa); urban ecosystem services and cultural values (C. I. Ioja, D. A. Onose, A. A. Gavrilidis, A.-M. Popa, R. A. Slave); urban aquatic ecosystems and urban microclimate (C. I. Ioja, G. O. Vanau, A.-M. Popa); environmental impact assessment and strategic environmental assessment (A. Nita, C. G. Mitincu, A. C. Hossu); environmental conflicts and collaborative governance (C. I. Ioja, A. C. Hossu, D. A. Onose, A. Nita); citizen science and public participation in urban planning (D. A. Onose, C. I. Ioja, G. O. Vanau, A.-M. Popa, A. M. Todoran, P.-E. Calin); landscape fragmentation and land-use change (I. M. Niculae, A. A. Gavrilidis); social network analysis of environmental policy (A. Nita).
Current projects
CARMINE. Climate-Resilient Development Pathways in Metropolitan Regions of Europe (Horizon Europe HORIZON-CL5-2023-D1-01, grant 101137851; 2024 to 2028). CARMINE co-produces impact-based decision-support services, multilevel climate-governance frameworks, and adaptation and mitigation plans (including nature-based solutions) for metropolitan communities across Europe, in line with the Charter of the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change. The project works across eight European case-study areas on a 2030 to 2050 horizon. Coordinated by the Romanian National Meteorological Administration (MeteoRo). CCMESI team: Cristian I. Ioja (PI), Alina C. Hossu, Mihai R. Nita, Cristina G. Mitincu.
ScienceUs. Integration of citizen science best practices to upscale and maximise the impact of Green Deal and EU Missions projects (Horizon Europe HORIZON-WIDERA-2023-ERA-01, grant 101132113; 2024 to 2026). ScienceUs builds an EU-wide network of interconnected citizen-science initiatives working on adaptation to climate change. A three-phase support programme (SEED, FLOURISH, HARVEST) combines direct funding, training, mentoring, and matchmaking for selected initiatives, linking them to quadruple-helix actors across Europe. Coordinated by Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. University of Bucharest team led by Cristian I. Ioja, with CCMESI participation from Diana A. Onose.
GREEN-INC. Growing Effective and Equitable Nature-based Solutions through Inclusive Climate Actions (UEFISCDI, DUT Call 2022, COFUND-DUT-GREEN-INC-1, co-funded by the EU; 2024 to 2026). GREEN-INC evaluates Inclusive Climate Actions in five European cities (Amsterdam, Bucharest, Brussels, Skellefteå, and Turin) to identify the institutional conditions and design principles under which they help deliver more equitable nature-based solutions. CCMESI maps intersectional climate (in)justices in affected communities and assesses the perceptions and values of professionals and residents. Coordinated by the University of Amsterdam. CCMESI team: Alina C. Hossu (project leader), Mihai R. Nita, Cristian I. Ioja, Cristina G. Mitincu, Maria A. Calota.
UNSEAL. Understanding and enabling the transition towards reverting soil sealing for improving urban biodiversity and nature-based solutions (UEFISCDI, DUT Call 2024, COFUND-UNSEAL-1, co-funded by the EU; 2026 to 2028). UNSEAL advances understanding of urban soil unsealing, namely the removal of impervious surfaces and their repurposing for green infrastructure, across five European case-study areas that span visioning, exploration, and implementation stages. CCMESI systematically collects and reviews evidence to quantify the biodiversity and ecosystem-service benefits of unsealing, analysing bundles of services rather than isolated benefits. Coordinated by Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. CCMESI team: Mihai R. Nita (project leader), Cristian I. Ioja, Alina C. Hossu, Ana-Maria Popa.
CitizenPlanning. Enhancing social equity in urban planning through citizen science (UEFISCDI, PN-IV-P1-PCE-2023-1851; 2025 to 2027). CitizenPlanning assesses how citizen science can enhance social equity in urban planning, addressing a research gap on the integration of equity into planning objectives and the role of citizen science in that integration. The project examines public participation in the administrative process, environmental activism, and transferable models for embedding equity across planning domains. CCMESI team: Diana A. Onose (PI), Cristian I. Ioja, Mihai R. Nita, Gabriel O. Vanau, Alina C. Hossu, Athanasios A. Gavrilidis, Ana-Maria Popa, Ana M. Todoran, Petru-Emanuel Calin.
ReSURCe. Developing a toolbox for assessing the resilience and sustainability of urban housing models in the context of environmental challenges (UEFISCDI, PN-IV-P2-2.1-TE-2023-0828; 2025 to 2026). ReSURCe integrates urban resilience and sustainability concepts to assess residential models in Romania, accounting for climate change, biodiversity conservation, and evolving technological approaches. The project delivers a methodological toolbox and scientific validation to inform future residential projects and policy. CCMESI team: Athanasios A. Gavrilidis (PI), Mihai R. Nita, Diana A. Onose, Ana-Maria Popa, Petru-Emanuel Calin.
Past projects
Our current work builds on a decade of completed projects, including: NatConflict (environmental conflicts in Natura 2000), PlanGreen (urban green infrastructure potential), Emersa (urban lake ecosystem services under climate change), SmallGreen (small public urban green spaces), CoPLAN (collaborative urban planning), FoodPLand (urban food and landscape), HealthyNature (urban nature and well-being), CoEIA (collaborative environmental impact assessment), CONURB, GreenEquity, MEQUEP, MACCNET, and Naturb.