Bucharest City does not have a common identity and there is still work to be done to create a community citywide, according to the survey "Made of Bucharest. How do Bucharest residents see Bucharest?" conducted by Unlock Research, commissioned by the Bucharest Community Foundation.
"There is still a lot of work to be done before we create a citywide community in Bucharest, because the city does not have an identity and a common vision at the moment and it is very important that in terms of the relationship between the administration, local players and people there is much more communication and much more attention to what needs people have and to create projects in relation to people, so that they take the time to get involved in the life of the community," Adina Vlad, managing partner at Unlock Research, told a news conference on Tuesday.
The survey also shows that people do not get involved in activities, because they do not trust each other and do not communicate or listen to each other.
"If, for example, projects were created in which Bucharest residents would start to trust each other more, trust among Bucharest residents would also increase trust in Bucharest (...) If this index of social cohesion increases, the city can develop much more," said Vlad.
The survey was conducted in August 2025, on a sample of 400 people, at the level of Bucharest and is representative of the city.
In his turn, District 1 Mayor George Tuta said that the survey shows that the administrations must "keep up" with the needs of citizens.
"We have a lot of things to do, but the most important thing shows that people are open to participating, to being part of a community and identify very much with the neighbourhoods where they live. We also have an approach started last year: together with students from several faculties, we made a projection of a neighbourhood portal in which we bring some functionalities where people can identify much easier how to notify a problem, how to see what investments are in the neighbourhood," said Mayor Tuta.
According to Bucharest District 1 City Hall, the survey presented a picture of how the inhabitants of Romania's capital city relate to the city, the urban space and the community to which they belong.
Although they appreciate the opportunities that Bucharest offers, from jobs and access to services, to the cultural life of the city, many Bucharesters say that they feel connected to the city but less connected to the community they are part of.
Many consider themselves Bucharesters especially because they were born here, not necessarily because they are actively involved in the life of the city. Only half of the respondents say they are proud of Bucharest, and one in three is thinking of moving out because of crowds, pollution and poor quality of the urban environment.
An important result shows that the sense of community is strongest at the neighbourhood level. People feel closer to their neighbours and to the spaces around the block than to the city as a whole.
The people of Bucharest believe that, in order to feel more connected to Bucharest, investments would be needed in public spaces in the neighbourhoods: parks, playgrounds, neighbourhood markets. At the same time, people want to be able to point out problems and contribute ideas, provided that their opinions lead to concrete changes.
The main conclusion of the survey is that the Bucharest residents are attached to their city, but they want more opportunities to contribute to the life of the community and friendlier, cleaner neighbourhoods better adapted to the needs of those who live there.
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