May kindly Tim Page prepare the Bulgaria page header with the same design as the others? Bulgaria Urban Region of Sofia

May kindly Tim Page prepare the Bulgaria page header with the same design as the others? Bulgaria Urban Region of Sofia

National Planning Context Urban Region of Sofia Geography Statistics Trends Historical development Strategic Planning Strategic development programs Major projects 1 Major projects 2 2

National Planning Context LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK The regional and spatial planning in Bulgaria is performed in a national legal framework mainly featured by: The Law for administrative-territorial division The Law for the regional development The Law for territorial development (for spatial and urban planning) a set of sublaw regulations issued from the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works The metropolitan functional areas of the big cities in Bulgaria after 2000 have distinct outlines spread over several municipalities or parts of neighbouring districts. The lack of regulative mechanism for integral planning of their development is a constraint for coordinated actions and management of the local authorities and institutions. Sofia for the moment is the only one nationwide to have a clearly defined and studied metropolitan area and region, the latter coinciding as territory with the Southwestern planning region of Bulgaria. The draft Law for adoption of the new Master plan of Sofia for the first time in the national practice gives definition of the metropolitan area (called Sofia agglomeration area) and a system for coherent planning within its boundaries. The administrative-territorial structure of the Republic of Bulgaria comprises 28 districts (oblast) and 262 municipalities. Elected through local elections are the mayors of municipalities, the members of the municipal councils and the mayors of human settlements (mayoralties). The districts (oblast) are governed by state administration, appointed by the Council of Ministers. In compliance with the Law on Administrative-territorial Division of the Republic of Bulgaria, the City of Sofia is the capital of the country and the centre of Sofia City District. The boundaries of the district overlap with the Boundaries of Sofia Municipality. The city houses also the administration of the so-called Sofia District, whose territory extends over areas around the Sofia Municipality and which does not have a clearly distinguished and properly developed urban centre. Settlement agglomerations, metropolitan areas, other urbanized zones are notions, which are used only in regional and urban planning and their boundaries are defined by the respective development plans. The new Bulgarian Regional Development Act, in compliance with the standards of the European Union, divides the area of the country into six planning regions (Scheme A). The centres of the regions are set up by virtue of an Order of the Council of Ministers. In compliance with it the City of Sofia has been declared the centre of the Southwestern Planning Region, which comprises 5 districts and 52 municipalities with a total population of 2,098,800 people and a total area of 20,306.4 km 2. Regional Development Councils are set up in the planning regions. They are composed of the District Governors of the districts (oblast) within the boundaries of the respective region, one representative of each of the municipalities in the region and of the Ministries involved in the application of the state policy with respect to regional development. The draft Law on approval and implementation of Sofia Master Plan defines for the first time the boundaries of Sofia Metropolitan area and the mechanism for its administration. It comprises 11 municipalities with a total area of 6,299.3 km 2 and a population of 1. 453 million people by 2002, including 1.114 million living in the City of Sofia. The indicated data differ from the data so far presented about the population of Sofia Metropolitan area, since it is already identified with the area of Sofia Municipality plus the municipalities directly bordering with it. REGIONAL PLANNING THE NATIONAL REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY defines the long-term development objectives and priorities of Bulgarian regional policy. It contains a comparative social and economic analysis of the regions of planning; the basic and specific objectives and priorities of development to be achieved for a definite period; the necessary actions of the competent bodies for achievement of the objectives of the strategy; the necessary actions regarding the observation, assessment and updating of the strategy. The National Strategy for regional development takes into account the prognoses of the National Development Plan. THE REGIONALAL DEVELOPMENT PLANS are worked out for the regions of planning in compliance with the prognoses of the National Strategy for regional development, as well as with the priorities and the specific objectives contained in the regional development strategies for the respective programme period. THE DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES determine the objectives and priorities for development of the region, as well as the measures for their achievement.they are worked out in compliance with the National Strategy and contain the specific long-term objectives and priorities. They are adopted by the regional development councils. THE MUNICIPAL DEVELOPMENT PLANS determine the objectives, priorities and necessary measures for development of the municipality, as well as the financial resources. They are adopted by the municipal council at a proposal of the mayor of the municipality. THE NATIONAL REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPERATIVE PROGRAM carries out the framework for programming and the resource provision of the regional development. It is worked out according to prognosticated annual limits determined by measures approved by the Council of Ministers at a proposal of the Minister of Finance. It contains a general indicative financial plan giving the total size of the resources necessary for its fulfilment with regard of measures and sources of financing. The approach in regional planning is up-bottom and bottom-up. SPATIAL PLANNING the content of the schemes and plans on the chart above is defined by the Law for territorial development PROBLEMS OF THE REGIONAL AND SPATIAL PLANNING The regulations set by the main laws, specifying the types of plans and other strategic documents that should be worked out in mutual connection and dependence, are not functioning adequately. With regard to the forthcoming EU membership of Bulgaria at present there are regional development strategies and plans covering the whole territory of the country. However there is a gap in the field of spatial planning the national and district level spatial development schemes have not been elaborated due to the considerable differences from social-economic and spatial point of view. The difficulties of the transition period and the impossibility to make reliable forecasts are the main reasons for this fact. The main accent after 2004 fell over the regional planning. Development schemes supplementing the Development strategies were presented but they did not contain the whole set of necessary studies. A National Spatial Development Strategy was elaborated for the Republic of Bulgaria in 1995. It was not adopted then by the government because the country was in state of economic crisis and the forecast launched in the document for major positive changes at the end of the considered period 2010 was not accepted. The forecast was however rather precise. That is why the main lines and priorities from this document were considered and found their place in the new National Regional Development Strategy up to 2015, approved by the Council of Ministers in June 2005. The unemployment level differences between the different regions and settlements caused an intense process of migration from the rural areas to the medium towns and big cities leading them to critical state. Many towns are now in process of elaboration of new master plans for this reason.

Urban Region of Sofia (Sofia Metropolitan Area) LAND USE OF SOFIA DISTRICT (SOFIA MUNICIPALITY) TERRITORIAL BALANCE 2000 ha % Total 134 890 100 Agricultural area 61 319 45.5 Forests 35860 26.6 Settlements and other urbanized areas 26 773 19.8 Water flows and areas 4 314 3.2 Mining and quarrying areas 4 729 3.5 Transport and infrastructure 1 893 1.4 Source: Cadastre Agency at the Ministry of Regional Deevelopment and Public Works 4

Geography Repartition of the representatives of political parties Coalition for Bulgaria Party/ coalition (socialists and social dem. parties) National Parliament MP % EU Parliament BG Observers 82 34 6 NDSV (centre-right party) 53 22 4 DPS (party of ethnic minorities) 34 14 3 ATACA Coalition (nationalist) 14 6 1 ODS Coalition (right parties) 17 7 2 DSB Coalition (extreme right) 17 7 1 BNS (right-centre parties) 13 6 1 Independant (others) 10 4 0 Total 240 100 18 Repartition of the representatives of political parties Coalition for Bulgaria Party/ coalition (socialists and social dem. parties) Sofia Municipal Council MC % 19 31.0 SSD (centre-right party) 15 24.6 SDS (right partiy) 10 16.4 Coalition DP, Gergyovden (right partiies) 7 11.5 etc. DSB Coalition (extreme right) 6 10.0 NDSV (centre-right party) 4 6.5 Total 61 100 3

Statistics Population / 000/ LEVEL 1975* 1985* 1992* 2001* 2003 Bulgaria 8727.7 8948.6 8487.3 7973.7 7801.3 Sofia region 2084.2 2217.6 2176.4 2098.8 2110.0 (SWRP) Sofia district 1076.7 1201.7 1190.1 1178.5 1208.9 (Sofia Municipality) City of Sofia 967.2 1120.9 114.9 1099.5 1127.5 Source: Nat. stat. institut (NSI) *According to official census Sofia district (2003) Population increase Natural incr. (- 4.0 ) Migration incr. (+ 12.7 ) Total increase (+8.7 ) Population age structure (groups) 0-14 years 13.6% 15-64 years 65.2% 65 + years 21.2% 100.0% Educational structure (2001) Higher education 21,8% College education 5,5% Secondary education 42,2% Primary education 14,6% Elementary education 5,8% Lower and children 10,1% Population density (2003) (inh. per km 2 ) Bulgaria 70.3 Sofia region (SWRP) 104.0 Sofia district (Sofia municipality) 922.8 City of Sofia - 6362.8 (63.6 inh./ha) Cultural institutes Theatres - 19 Opera - 1 Operetta - 1 Puppet theaters - 2 Museums - 27 1400000 1200000 1000000 800000 600000 400000 200000 0 DISTRICT SOFIA AGE STRUCTURE DYNAMICS 1989-70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 SOFIA DISTRICT/MUNICIPALITY POPULATION DYNAMICS 1900-2003 1900 19261934 194619561965 1975 1985 1992 2003 DISTRICT SOFIA 1989 Transport (Sofia district) Number of pers. cars (2003) 575 876 Pers. cars per 1000 inh. (2003) 476 Pers. cars per 1000 inh. (1992) 274 Modal split Mass public transport 64,7% in that number: Buses 45,5% Trams 29,6% Trolleybuses 17,1% Underground 3,3% Trains 0,8% 100,0% Private cars - 17,4% Bay foot - 10,6% Office transport - 3,6% Railway, bicycle, and other - 3,7% 100% SOFIA CITY 1992 1995 2003 under working age working age over working age Housing Sofia district 1998 2002 dwellings 481 336 517 436 Dwellings /1000 inh. 401 433 Average nbr. inh./ dwelling 2,49 2,31 Living floor space per capita (m 2 ) 15,21 17,21 Average number of the persons in a 2,5 2,55 single household Number of households per 100 premises 90,5 88,9 Employment 1990 1992 2001 2003* Employed pers. 580 000 482 280 544 500 570 000 % of the registered unemployed persons 1,44 8,90 4,40 3,54 *The number of the unemployed persons in Bulgaria is about 13.5% Employment per sectors Sectors 1990 1998 2000 2003 Agriculture/ forestry 1.6 2.7 2.3 1.9 (I) Manif. Industry (II) 42.2 25.9 23.6 22.5 Services (III) 56.2 71.4 74.1 75.6 Sofia district part of national GDP (2002) 29.2% - in this fig I sector 0.7% II sector 28.0% III sector 71.3% Total 100% (29.2 %) Public facilities Hospitals (NMBR 2002) - General hospitals 10 (beds 4 600) - Specialized hospitals 32 (beds 4 630) Education (2002/2003) Universities and Higher schools - 19 Students - 88 704 Teaching staff - 8 844 Scientists - 12 800

Strategic Development Programs INFRASTRUCTURE Three PanEuropean transport corridors 4,8 and 10 pass through the territory of Sofia Municipality engaging part of the outer transport ring of the City. The Master Plan suggests: construction of their joint track to the North of the City (parallel to the City ring) construction of the part of corridor No. 4 direction Greece, starting from Sofia and connecting it to the functioning high-class European transport network construction of the part of corridor No. 10 from Sofia to the border with Serbia. As a result the transit traffic loading the street network inside the City will decrease and the internal transport will be facilitated. A program for realization of these projects is already under execution. URBAN DEVELOPMENT Sofia still features a monocentric urban structure and as result the transport problems in the central part of the City are too severe. The development of the secondary centers is planned to the periphery of the compact City neighbouring the crossroads of the five main radial high-ways and the external transport ring. The expectations are that the transport flux from the periphery of the metropolitan area, related to the public services will be partially deviated thus diminishing the problems in the core area. Along with this the new second level centers will be of metropolitan significance, since they will satisfy the needs of the inhabitants from 34 villages and 3 smaller towns near Sofia. BALANCED TERRITORIAL DEVELOPMENT The spatial structure of Sofia metropolitan area is rather disbalanced. There is a linear urban structure developed in the Southern part of the City, featuring strong investment interest. On the other hand the Northern part of the Municipality, which offers more favorable conditions for residence, is continuing to lose population. The efforts of the local government have now to be put for the development of the settlements, of the upgrade of the transport, technical and social infrastructure, which may attract investors and new inhabitants, including migrants. The passing of the European Transport Corridors near the residential areas in the Northern part of the territory will represent an additional factor for their development. The overcoming of the misbalance in the territorial development represents one of he priorities of the regional development. GREEN SYSTEM AND RECREATION Sofia Master Plan provides for creation of a system of seven so called theme parks. This is a new form for creation of a higher quality cultural landscape and environment for leisure and tourism, each with a different dominating element - natural or anthropogenic. Examples for this may be the Vitosha Mountain park, the Iskar Water park, the The Sofia Mount Athos (Sveta Gora) (including almost 40 monasteries) and others. The creation of the theme parks is going to contributite for the development of the entire area around the City. This is determined as a special goal in the overall strategy for development of the region.

Major projects SOFIA UNDERGROUND SYSTEM OF COMPLEX SERVICE CENTRES