The Cluj metropolitan area is a metropolitan area in Cluj County, which includes Cluj-Napoca and 18 communes nearby: Aiton, Apahida, Baciu, Bonțida, Borșa, Căianu, Chinteni, Ciurila, Feleacu, Florești, Gilău, Gârbau, Jucu, Petreștii de Jos, Săvădisla, Sânpaul, Tureni, Vultureni.
The total area of the metropolitan area is , which comprises 24% of the territory of Cluj County. According to the 2021 census, the population of the 20 administrative units totals 420,839 people, of whom 286,598 live in Cluj-Napoca.
Population
According to the 2021 census, these are the populations of each of the administrative units that comprise the Cluj Metropolitan Area: Administrative unitInhabitantsRomaniansHungariansRoma Cluj-Napoca 286,598 249,002 49,425 824 Florești 52,735 17,578 3,258 730 Apahida 10,685 9,493 408 75 Baciu 10,317 6,580 3,095 325 Gilău 8,300 7,141 706 109 Bonțida 4,856 3,613 765 297 Săvădisla 4,392 1,975 2,264 60 Jucu 4,270 3,608 501 21 Feleacu 3,923 2,932 891 4 Chinteni 3,065 2,370 539 10 Gârbău 2,440 1,248 1,075 49 Sânpaul 2,382 1,972 22 261 Căianu 2,355 1,431 852 - Tureni 2,278 1,633 562 5 Borșa 1,600 1,431 107 18 Ciurila 1,594 1,500 18 * Vultureni 1,516 1,273 165 36 Petreștii de Jos 1,512 1,446 3 4 Aiton 1,085 918 118 - Total 425,130 319,970 65,463 3,215
History The Cluj Metropolitan Area was legally established in the fall of 2008 as an inter-community development association, having as founders the municipality of Cluj-Napoca, the Cluj County Council and 17 communes in the vicinity of Cluj. In 2009, the commune of Sânpaul joined the metropolitan area, and in 2016, the commune of Săvădisla joined in.
Objectives The objectives pursued by the Cluj Metropolitan Area Intercommunity Development Association are:
Enhancing knowledge-based economic competitiveness. The development and upgrading of transport infrastructure. To protect and improve the quality of the environment. Human resources development, employment growth, and the struggle against social exclusion. The development of the rural economy and the increase of productivity in the agricultural sector. Balanced participation to the socio-economic development process for all the administrative units of the Cluj Metropolitan Area.
Projects The Cluj Metropolitan Area, as a leader or partner, has carried out or runs a number of projects with European Union funding or from EEA and Norwegian Grants. They include:
“European Digital Citizens” (Eudigit) URBforDAN. Management and Use of Urban Foreres as Natural Heritage in Danube Cities The Lab Cluj . Metropolitan Laboratory for Social Innovation Pata 2 . Replicable integrated interventions for inclusive housing and combating marginalisation in Cluj Metropolitan Area Cluj Future of Work, „Informal Work” Work Package
References