City of Sofia

The city and its environment

The city contains a variety of pre-war, medium-density housing areas that surround the governmental and commercial downtown area. Next along the city’s radius is a second circle of greenery and various types of low-density housing (including earlier estates consisting of prefabricated buildings as well as newer, high-quality housing) which, in turn, is followed by industrially-produced, large estates and some non-polluting industrial areas. According to the city’s land use plan which was carefully adapted to the landscape, the latter were intended to become the ‘modern’ high-tech areas. Until the late 1980s, they were expanded and modernised, but they were never finished and today are mostly idle. Bulgaria’s current economic difficulties have placed a great strain on all plans to develop the city. Unfortunately, the process of economic liberalisation was accompanied by a breakdown of industries, a considerable loss of industrial and administrative employment, and a high budget deficit. The private sector is only now beginning to plan for investments in centrally located, attractive areas, but most of the city continues to suffer from a prolonged period of disinvestment that has affected all urban structures and spheres of life.

Housing situation and large housing estates

With the growth of the city from 350,000 inhabitants in 1961 to over 1.1 million in 1995, housing production concentrated on what was then believed to be the ‘fastest and most effective’ building method. Three large-panel factories provided the materials for the rapid expansion of housing for the growing population. The original social mix still remains since market alternatives exist only for the small minority of the newly wealthy. The majority of the frequently large families live in very densely populated, yet relatively spacious, flats (<100 m² for a 4 room flat). Large-scale panel construction almost stopped in 1993, when mass housing production came to a standstill. Small quantities of panel buildings are still being constructed, primarily as replacements for families displaced by public works projects. Today, most of the older as well as the newer housing is in a general state of neglect, with neither the public sector nor private investors able to invest in improvements. Since the incomes are minimal, the (re)financing of rehabilitation efforts is impossible and the legal system – mixed ownership with a high percentage of legally private buildings on public soil – discourages any mortgage financing. Though the large estates suffer from a poor public image (flat prices are lowest in the large estates), there are few vacancies due to the strong demand for housing.

Today, housing production is focused on a large number of high-quality and high-priced projects near the inner city as well as in the outskirts, some of them outside of Sofia’s territory.

Problems and areas requiring action

• severe maintenance deficits in all technical structures of the buildings; no known opportunities for private or public investment since both sectors are experiencing economic pressures; high service costs because of outdated technical infrastructure
• legal problems of private flat and public lot ownership; inconsistent pricing system: low flat prices in large estates; simultaneously, land prices in the city developing according to location
• vast, unused lots in and near the large estates where original plans have not been realised; now being re-privatised and used as investment properties without due consideration of existing urban plans or future development; frequently constituting the only areas for investment
• lack of organised direction of investments towards improving urban quality; general lack of investor interest
• lack of organisational structures among private flat owners in condominium complexes
• lack of rooms for social and cultural activities in the ‘bedroom towns’

Actors and activities

Since the municipality continues to own the land on which the buildings were erected, there does not appear to be any possibility of independent action by private owners or associations without the city’s consent. The city is the central administrator for the 24 district departments of housing that are responsible for the distribution of flats and their management. Plans for finishing the estates and for alternative uses of the open space are underway. The Bulgarian Housing Association has applied for loans from the Council of Europe’s social development fund for a rehabilitation project that was also approved by the mayor’s office.

‘Mladost, Part 1, 1a, 2, 3, and 4’ District and Estate

The estate was built between 1968 and 1989 in a continuous process and in accordance with its proposed plan. It clearly follows the idea of the ‘socialist housing complex’, with a group of blocks of flats and corresponding social infrastructure (school, kindergarten, retirement homes, district hospital) which has resulted in the development of distinct neighbourhoods. The complexes are divided by relatively wide roads and areas that were originally earmarked for future development. They include painstakingly planned as well as natural green areas, but lack parking space for the increasing number of private cars. The lack of commercial space has spurred the growth of haphazard, small markets, while some of the shopping facilities are standing empty because of the financial problems faced by small shopkeepers.

Physical and ecological situation

• generous land use; composition of the estate creates atmosphere of openness, reinforced by its location overlooking parts of the city
• proximity to open space and rural areas is an asset; makes access to the city difficult
• low-quality sewage and waste treatment; water provision through faulty pipes with high losses

Problems

• legal situation (owners of individual, private flats on municipal property not organised) impeding public and private activities for improvement
• disinvestment by the public sector; lack of investment, organisation, and interest by the inhabitants; resultant accelerated ageing of the physical structures and dearth of improvements
• decay of technical infrastructure (pipes, heating systems, lack of insulation, defective windows)
• neglect of public space in and around buildings
• lack of commercial facilities and work places for the inhabitants
• access difficulties to the inner city for pedestrians or bicycles using large motorways
• overcrowding of flats

Strategies

• preparation of plans for completing the estate and of alternatives for filling the unused space; to date, no consensus on a development strategy for the district among the community, the capital’s planners, and the district or potential investors
• attempts at forming private owners’ association and condominium management
• informal owner strategies to reduce costs (disconnecting radiators to reduce heating cost, approved by heat provider)

Source: EA.UE: A future for large housing estates, Berlin 1998

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