Alexandru Dragan
Biographic Data
| ID | 3100129 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Alexandru Dragan |
| GIVEN NAMES | Alexandru |
| FAMILY NAME | Dragan |
| SIGNATURE | DRAGAN A |
| AFFILIATIONS | West University of Timişoara |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-5975-1253 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 18 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 14 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 18 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2013 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Community perception on a temporary plant nursery installation: Urban and regional tourism perspectives
Sustainable urban and regional innovation through temporary installations is a more and more visible process in the neoliberal city. Recent literature on urban and regional innovation could launch different solutions aimed at bringing profit to local administration by promoting natural environment in the most visible and representative tourist spaces of the city. Our study advances these debates by critically presenting the role of an innovative …
Computational Analysis of Contested Monuments and Collective Memory in a Multiethnic City
This study analyses how four public monuments in the centre of Cluj‐Napoca (the Matthias Corvinus Statuary Ensemble, Avram Iancu, Baba Novac and the Transylvanian School Statuary Ensemble) reflect Romanian‐Hungarian relations, urban governance practices and how collective memory is negotiated in post‐socialist public space. The research combines a qualitative survey of local and regional newspapers (1990–2025), field observation and GIS analysis,…
Street (Re)Naming Practices and Spatial Ethnolinguistic Contact: A Longitudinal Study in Timișoara, Romania
Recent studies on urban street (re)naming practices have highlighted the importance of political power when changes occur from one political regime to another. However, longitudinal studies on different political power changes and their relationship to spatial ethnolinguistic contacts that are unfolding in the urban landscape have been little researched. By using a novel geohumanities methodology based on GIS mapping of all major maps published f…
Public Transport Accessibility Level and Public Perceptions: A Framework for Urban Mobility Analysis
This study investigates the influence of public transport on the quality of urban life through a combined approach that includes both an objective and a subjective assessment. The objective quality of the public transport network in Timișoara was measured using the Public Transport Accessibility Level (PTAL) index, whose values were recalibrated to better fit the context of an Eastern European post-communist city, while citizens’ perceptions were…
On the slow train: Tourists’ experiences of deceleration
This paper examines slow mobility and deceleration in the context of tourism. It focuses on a heritage railway in Romania, which travels through mountainous scenery at an average speed of 17 km/hour. Using methods from mobile ethnography and go-along interviews it explores passengers’ experiences of travelling slowly. Passengers did not appear to be deliberately participating in slow travel as an act of countercultural opposition to the prevailin…
Stakeholders’ perspectives, placemaking and tactical urbanism on the spatial reconfiguration of urban schools in Timişoara, Romania
Recent studies have highlighted that placemaking and tactical urbanism are key drivers in improving a school’s climate. This study explores the potential for enhanced spatial reconfiguration of educational institutions within a post-communist context, with the objective of gaining insight into the perceptions and involvement of relevant stakeholders. To this end, a comprehensive research approach was employed, encompassing focus groups, interview…
What facilitates the socio-economic adaptation of migrant women? Insights from Romanian women settled in Western Europe
This paper explores the issue of Romanian women migrants in Western Europe and the drivers of their socioeconomic adaptation in their new countries. We set out to understand what processes facilitate the adaptation of migrant women to Western European societies. Basing our empirical analysis on data gathered through online surveys targeting Romanian women migrants (N = 775) who have settled in Western European countries, we seek to discover what …
Derelict Rural Heritage: The Case of the Castles in the Lower Mureș Valley, Romania
Castles situated in rural areas occupy a distinctive position within the European heritage landscape, serving economic, residential and symbolic functions. While the great urban royal residences have benefited from constant attention, conservation and valorisation in Central and Eastern Europe, castles in rural areas have often been subjected to systematic neglect. The objective of this study is to analyse three castles (Bulci, Căpâlnaș and Petri…
Trigger events, moments, and destination evolution in a post-socialist context
Recent Urban-to-Rural Migration and Its Impact on the Heritage of Depopulated Rural Areas in Southern Transylvania
There has recently been discussion regarding how heritage rural areas are culturally affected by recent urban-to-rural migration. However, little research has been conducted on the form this process takes in post-communist contexts. Taking a geography approach to some Romanian heritage sites, this study foregrounds narratives based on interviews with local people in two villages in southern Transylvania that were formerly inhabited by different e…
Rural Landscapes as Cultural Heritage and Identity along a Romanian River
In contemporary narratives, rural landscapes and identities, as judged by the inhabitants’ sense of belonging, continue to be important points that need to be (re)considered when discussing places as instruments for local development. This paper pushes forward these debates and explores the construction of rural and regional identity in Romania with the help of a case study that focuses on perceptions of rural landscapes as cultural heritage in t…
Landscapes of Watermills: A Rural Cultural Heritage Perspective in an East-Central European Context
Recent studies in rural heritage tourism have highlighted that watermills could stand as an important part of the pre-industrial tourism heritage. We contribute to rural heritage tourism by basing our study on the perceptions of tourists and local officials on the Rudăria Watermills, Romania. Based on survey and interview data, we document the strengths and limits of local watermills for tourism and describe the entrepreneurial agents involved in…
Mapping Perception: Analyzing Mental Representations of Urban Space in Timișoara, Romania
Recent studies have demonstrated the significance of mental maps in facilitating a more comprehensive understanding of how individuals perceive and mentally represent physical spaces. It is of great importance to consider discrepancies between real and perceived environments when utilising mental maps as instruments. The objective of this paper is to examine the mental representations of Timișoara, Romania in order to identify the spatial element…
Revitalizing post-communist urban industrial areas: Divergent narratives in the imagining of copper mine reopening and tourism in a Romanian town
The post-communist period has strongly impacted the former communist Romania's urban industrial areas. Recent debates regarding urban industrial towns in Central and Eastern Europe reveal that their governance has been prone to neglect and that a lack of jobs has led to depopulation, seasonal migration, and a change in local labour skills. Drawing on 20 in-depth interviews with community leaders in Moldova Nouă, Romania, this study presents diver…
The spatial development of peripheralisation: The case of smart city projects in Romania
This article addresses the uneven territorial growth of the smart city phenomenon and how the national and local spatial politics of urban smart projects work out in practice. While in previous decades the concept of smart city referred mainly to the digital and technological realm as an indicator of the performance of cities, today it is taking on a broader range of meanings, so as to also cover such areas as governance, environment, housing and…
Towards a more inclusive perception of a territorially stigmatized area? Evidence from an East-Central European city
Social Economy in Post-communist Romania: What Kind of Volunteering for What Type of NGOs
This article analyses the social economy from the perspective of NGOs and voluntary work. The research was conducted on four different territorial levels in the Western Region of Romania and employed both quantitative (questionnaires administered to the general population and within NGOs, bivariate analyses) and qualitative (semi-structured interviews within NGOs) methods of analysis. This method of working has allowed a picture of NGOs and volun…
Les finances solidaires et l'économie sociale en roumanie: Une réponse de «proximités» à la régionalisation d'une économie en transition
La Roumanie apparaît en Europe centrale et orientale comme un territoire d'expérimentation d'une forme particulière d'économie sociale liant coopératives et organisations «not‐for‐profit». En transition économique et sociale, la Roumanie est également un pays en transition territoriale dont les systèmes de financements locaux ont quitté leur approche centralement planifiée, pour rejoindre un secteur financier solidaire dont les Instituts de Micro…
Les finances solidaires et l'économie sociale en roumanie: Une réponse de «proximités» à la régionalisation d'une économie en transition
La Roumanie apparaît en Europe centrale et orientale comme un territoire d'expérimentation d'une forme particulière d'économie sociale liant coopératives et organisations «not‐for‐profit». En transition économique et sociale, la Roumanie est également un pays en transition territoriale dont les systèmes de financements locaux ont quitté leur approche centralement planifiée, pour rejoindre un secteur financier solidaire dont les Instituts de Micro…
Rural Landscapes as Cultural Heritage and Identity along a Romanian River
In contemporary narratives, rural landscapes and identities, as judged by the inhabitants’ sense of belonging, continue to be important points that need to be (re)considered when discussing places as instruments for local development. This paper pushes forward these debates and explores the construction of rural and regional identity in Romania with the help of a case study that focuses on perceptions of rural landscapes as cultural heritage in t…
The spatial development of peripheralisation: The case of smart city projects in Romania
This article addresses the uneven territorial growth of the smart city phenomenon and how the national and local spatial politics of urban smart projects work out in practice. While in previous decades the concept of smart city referred mainly to the digital and technological realm as an indicator of the performance of cities, today it is taking on a broader range of meanings, so as to also cover such areas as governance, environment, housing and…
Towards a more inclusive perception of a territorially stigmatized area? Evidence from an East-Central European city
Derelict Rural Heritage: The Case of the Castles in the Lower Mureș Valley, Romania
Castles situated in rural areas occupy a distinctive position within the European heritage landscape, serving economic, residential and symbolic functions. While the great urban royal residences have benefited from constant attention, conservation and valorisation in Central and Eastern Europe, castles in rural areas have often been subjected to systematic neglect. The objective of this study is to analyse three castles (Bulci, Căpâlnaș and Petri…
Landscapes of Watermills: A Rural Cultural Heritage Perspective in an East-Central European Context
Recent studies in rural heritage tourism have highlighted that watermills could stand as an important part of the pre-industrial tourism heritage. We contribute to rural heritage tourism by basing our study on the perceptions of tourists and local officials on the Rudăria Watermills, Romania. Based on survey and interview data, we document the strengths and limits of local watermills for tourism and describe the entrepreneurial agents involved in…
Les finances solidaires et l'économie sociale en roumanie: Une réponse de «proximités» à la régionalisation d'une économie en transition
La Roumanie apparaît en Europe centrale et orientale comme un territoire d'expérimentation d'une forme particulière d'économie sociale liant coopératives et organisations «not‐for‐profit». En transition économique et sociale, la Roumanie est également un pays en transition territoriale dont les systèmes de financements locaux ont quitté leur approche centralement planifiée, pour rejoindre un secteur financier solidaire dont les Instituts de Micro…
Social Economy in Post-communist Romania: What Kind of Volunteering for What Type of NGOs
This article analyses the social economy from the perspective of NGOs and voluntary work. The research was conducted on four different territorial levels in the Western Region of Romania and employed both quantitative (questionnaires administered to the general population and within NGOs, bivariate analyses) and qualitative (semi-structured interviews within NGOs) methods of analysis. This method of working has allowed a picture of NGOs and volun…
Recent Urban-to-Rural Migration and Its Impact on the Heritage of Depopulated Rural Areas in Southern Transylvania
There has recently been discussion regarding how heritage rural areas are culturally affected by recent urban-to-rural migration. However, little research has been conducted on the form this process takes in post-communist contexts. Taking a geography approach to some Romanian heritage sites, this study foregrounds narratives based on interviews with local people in two villages in southern Transylvania that were formerly inhabited by different e…
Rural Landscapes as Cultural Heritage and Identity along a Romanian River
In contemporary narratives, rural landscapes and identities, as judged by the inhabitants’ sense of belonging, continue to be important points that need to be (re)considered when discussing places as instruments for local development. This paper pushes forward these debates and explores the construction of rural and regional identity in Romania with the help of a case study that focuses on perceptions of rural landscapes as cultural heritage in t…
Landscapes of Watermills: A Rural Cultural Heritage Perspective in an East-Central European Context
Recent studies in rural heritage tourism have highlighted that watermills could stand as an important part of the pre-industrial tourism heritage. We contribute to rural heritage tourism by basing our study on the perceptions of tourists and local officials on the Rudăria Watermills, Romania. Based on survey and interview data, we document the strengths and limits of local watermills for tourism and describe the entrepreneurial agents involved in…
Mapping Perception: Analyzing Mental Representations of Urban Space in Timișoara, Romania
Recent studies have demonstrated the significance of mental maps in facilitating a more comprehensive understanding of how individuals perceive and mentally represent physical spaces. It is of great importance to consider discrepancies between real and perceived environments when utilising mental maps as instruments. The objective of this paper is to examine the mental representations of Timișoara, Romania in order to identify the spatial element…
Revitalizing post-communist urban industrial areas: Divergent narratives in the imagining of copper mine reopening and tourism in a Romanian town
The post-communist period has strongly impacted the former communist Romania's urban industrial areas. Recent debates regarding urban industrial towns in Central and Eastern Europe reveal that their governance has been prone to neglect and that a lack of jobs has led to depopulation, seasonal migration, and a change in local labour skills. Drawing on 20 in-depth interviews with community leaders in Moldova Nouă, Romania, this study presents diver…
The spatial development of peripheralisation: The case of smart city projects in Romania
This article addresses the uneven territorial growth of the smart city phenomenon and how the national and local spatial politics of urban smart projects work out in practice. While in previous decades the concept of smart city referred mainly to the digital and technological realm as an indicator of the performance of cities, today it is taking on a broader range of meanings, so as to also cover such areas as governance, environment, housing and…
Towards a more inclusive perception of a territorially stigmatized area? Evidence from an East-Central European city
Stakeholders’ perspectives, placemaking and tactical urbanism on the spatial reconfiguration of urban schools in Timişoara, Romania
Recent studies have highlighted that placemaking and tactical urbanism are key drivers in improving a school’s climate. This study explores the potential for enhanced spatial reconfiguration of educational institutions within a post-communist context, with the objective of gaining insight into the perceptions and involvement of relevant stakeholders. To this end, a comprehensive research approach was employed, encompassing focus groups, interview…
What facilitates the socio-economic adaptation of migrant women? Insights from Romanian women settled in Western Europe
This paper explores the issue of Romanian women migrants in Western Europe and the drivers of their socioeconomic adaptation in their new countries. We set out to understand what processes facilitate the adaptation of migrant women to Western European societies. Basing our empirical analysis on data gathered through online surveys targeting Romanian women migrants (N = 775) who have settled in Western European countries, we seek to discover what …
Derelict Rural Heritage: The Case of the Castles in the Lower Mureș Valley, Romania
Castles situated in rural areas occupy a distinctive position within the European heritage landscape, serving economic, residential and symbolic functions. While the great urban royal residences have benefited from constant attention, conservation and valorisation in Central and Eastern Europe, castles in rural areas have often been subjected to systematic neglect. The objective of this study is to analyse three castles (Bulci, Căpâlnaș and Petri…
Trigger events, moments, and destination evolution in a post-socialist context
Community perception on a temporary plant nursery installation: Urban and regional tourism perspectives
Sustainable urban and regional innovation through temporary installations is a more and more visible process in the neoliberal city. Recent literature on urban and regional innovation could launch different solutions aimed at bringing profit to local administration by promoting natural environment in the most visible and representative tourist spaces of the city. Our study advances these debates by critically presenting the role of an innovative …
Computational Analysis of Contested Monuments and Collective Memory in a Multiethnic City
This study analyses how four public monuments in the centre of Cluj‐Napoca (the Matthias Corvinus Statuary Ensemble, Avram Iancu, Baba Novac and the Transylvanian School Statuary Ensemble) reflect Romanian‐Hungarian relations, urban governance practices and how collective memory is negotiated in post‐socialist public space. The research combines a qualitative survey of local and regional newspapers (1990–2025), field observation and GIS analysis,…
Street (Re)Naming Practices and Spatial Ethnolinguistic Contact: A Longitudinal Study in Timișoara, Romania
Recent studies on urban street (re)naming practices have highlighted the importance of political power when changes occur from one political regime to another. However, longitudinal studies on different political power changes and their relationship to spatial ethnolinguistic contacts that are unfolding in the urban landscape have been little researched. By using a novel geohumanities methodology based on GIS mapping of all major maps published f…
Public Transport Accessibility Level and Public Perceptions: A Framework for Urban Mobility Analysis
This study investigates the influence of public transport on the quality of urban life through a combined approach that includes both an objective and a subjective assessment. The objective quality of the public transport network in Timișoara was measured using the Public Transport Accessibility Level (PTAL) index, whose values were recalibrated to better fit the context of an Eastern European post-communist city, while citizens’ perceptions were…
On the slow train: Tourists’ experiences of deceleration
This paper examines slow mobility and deceleration in the context of tourism. It focuses on a heritage railway in Romania, which travels through mountainous scenery at an average speed of 17 km/hour. Using methods from mobile ethnography and go-along interviews it explores passengers’ experiences of travelling slowly. Passengers did not appear to be deliberately participating in slow travel as an act of countercultural opposition to the prevailin…
Geography (11 works) · Political science (9 works) · Urbanization and City Planning (6 works) · Diverse Aspects of Tourism Research (5 works) · Archaeology (4 works) · Cultural Heritage Management and Preservation (4 works) · Rural development and sustainability (4 works) · Tourism (4 works) · Art (3 works) · Context (archaeology (3 works)