On March 27, 2026, at the “Plaiul Fagului” Nature Reservation Park, the Ungheni Urban Garden the Ungheni Urban Garden Forum brought together 60 people from the local community. The event focused on a shared goal: developing a community-driven urban garden that will help reduce pollution, protect biodiversity, and involve citizens in shaping a healthier city.
followed a clear flow — understand, connect, act — with each step helping participants move closer to real ideas and solutions.
The day began with the “Climate Fresk” workshop, led by the Anca Elena Gheorghică și Sergiu Elvys Sandu team from the “Mai bine” Association. This interactive session helped participants understand climate change through a visual and collaborative exercise. For nearly three hours, they worked in teams to connect facts and see how different environmental issues are linked.
„“You can’t build solutions if you don’t understand the system you’re part of. Climate Fresk helps people see the connections between our actions and their impact on the environment,” said the team from the “Mai bine” Association.
For many of the young people taking part, this was their first experience with this kind of activity.
„“I didn’t expect climate change to be explained so clearly. When you see how everything is connected, you realize that your own actions matter,”said one of the participants.
After this session, the Forum continued with group exercises and discussions. Participants formed initiative groups and started shaping ideas based on the real needs of the city and what they, as a community, can contribute.
„“We wanted this Forum to be about action, not just listening. People didn’t come here to receive solutions, but to create them together,”said Angela Ciocîrlan, President of the Business InnoHub Association.
Throughout the day, participants moved from understanding to taking responsibility. They shared ideas, tested them, and began organizing around common directions.
„“What happened here is just the beginning. Communities are not built in a single day, but one day can be enough to decide to do things differently,”she added.
The Forum marks the first step in a longer journey. In the coming months, the ideas developed during this event will be refined, tested, and turned into concrete actions, including direct involvement in the future Urban Garden in Ungheni.
The event showed a simple truth: change does not start with plans or strategies, but with people who understand the problem, connect with others, and choose to take action.
The project “Cultivating Clean Air in Urban Environments” (GARDEN - ROMD000453) is implemented by the Business InnoHub Association, Ungheni Municipality, and the “Mai bine” Association, within the Interreg VI-A NEXT Romania–Republic of Moldova 2021–2027 Programme, funded by the European Union and co-financed by the participating countries.
