A group of architects request the local authorities to stop approving documents for implementing the General Urban Plan (GUP) and the Chisinau Architectural Plan and to accept their modification. The architects insist that the proposed solutions to the historical centre of the city and the construction of Cantemir Blvd in the historical zone contravene the national legislation and ratified international conventions regarding the historical cultural patrimony, concurrently violating the Law on Architectural Activity, which prescribes architectural tenders to select projects of national importance. Specialists assert that this zone hosts 26 historical buildings, built at the beginning of 19 century, which can not be demolished. As part of a roundtable, held on Tuesday, May 8, at the Chisinau City Hall, Anatol Gordeev, town-planning-architect stated that, though the authorities claim that the construction of Cantemir Blvd will reduce traffic jams on Stefan cel Mare Blvd, according to GUP provisions, in 2015 the main thoroughfare will be as busy as it is now. Gordeev mentioned that investors would be more interested in building a tram line in Chisinau, which could recover expenses quicker than building a new boulevard. As Gordeev states, architects have a lot of proposals for GUP’s improvement, which should be taken into account, in the interest of municipality and city’s residents. Councillor of “Moldova Noastra” Alliance, Oleg Cernei, attending the roundtable, said that all the architects’ requests will be of little avail, as most of persons holding responsible positions within the local authorities were not present at the roundtable, the majority of them being suspended from their main job activities for the period of the election campaign. According to him, the given issue should be debated with the new composition of the municipal Council, which would examine more carefully the architects’ proposals. As Cernei says, CMC approved GUP in a hurry, without the consent of the Architects Union, and on the eve of the election campaign. He mentioned that local authorities spent about 16 mln lei for GUP’s draw-up, and a month and half for public debates was a short period for a document of such importance. Well-known architects and leaders of professional organisations have recently expressed their disapproval about the formal discussions, the way of adopting the Chisinau General Urban Plan (GUP) and constructing Cantemir Blvd, asserting that this decision was taken by “interested persons” without consulting the opinion of the specialised institutions and experts. The letter was signed by architects Grigore Bosenco, head of Designers Union of Moldova, Vasile Eremciuc, head of Architects’ Association, Victor Vornicov, head of Young Architects Union, Dr. Sergius Ciocanu, ICOMOS head, branch of Moldova, Eugen Bazgu, vice head of ICOMOS, Anatol Gordeev, urban architect, Mihai Eremciuc, Valeriu Herta, dr. Tamara Nesterov and Boris Gangal. The decision regarding the laying of Cantemir Blvd and reconstruction of adjacent districts was approved by Chisinau Municipal Council on March 20. It is the PUG’s largest investment. The General Urban Plan (GUP) and the Chisinau Architectural Plan were approved in late March. The documents were drawn up by a number of designing institutions in Chisinau, with participation of specialists from Romania and Belarus.