Plovdiv, Bulgaria
City population: 337900
Duration: 2015 – 2015
Implementation status: Completed
Scale: Sub-microscale: Street scale (including buildings)
Project area: 6500 m2
Type of area: Other
Last updated: October 2021

A new park was created through funding from the ERDF, as part of initiative “Building a Green and Accessible Urban Environment in Plovdiv”. The aim of the project was to provide a place for recreation and to help minimize the density of grey infrastructure in the central part of the city. Activities involved planting trees, as well as many shrubs and flowers. (Ref. 1)

People planting a tree sapling in a grassy area
https://gradinipl.bg/index.php?url=novini/show/obogatiha-rastitelnostta-v-noviya-park-na-ulica-%E2%80%9Ebogomil%E2%80%9C

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Parks and urban forests
  • Pocket parks/neighbourhood green spaces

Key challenges

  • Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
  • Green space creation and/or management
  • Health and well-being (SDG 3)
  • Enabling opportunities for physical activity
  • Creation of opportunities for recreation

Focus

Creation of new green areas

Project objectives

- Provide an attractive natural place for recreation - Help minimize the density of grey infrastructure in the central part of the city. - Create a natural connection of the area to park Lauta (Ref. 1; Ref. 3)

Implementation activities

139 trees were planted from various species, as well as many shrubs and flowers (Ref 1; Ref. 2). "More than 100 large trees of native species, hundreds of shrubs and other suitable vegetation will turn the place into a green oasis among the new residential complexes and a natural link to the already socialized park "Lauta", said the mayor of "Eastern" Nikolay Chunchukov. Attractive children's play equipment, alleys, benches, lighting and irrigation system are provided" (Ref. 3). "іnсludеѕ rеѕtоrаtіоn оf раrk vеgеtаtіоn аnd furnіturе, соnѕtruсtіоn оf аttrасtіvе рlауgrоundѕ аnd оutdооr rесrеаtіоn аrеаѕ, іnѕtаllаtіоn оf еnеrgу еffісіеnt раrk lіghtіng, рrоvіdіng аn ассеѕѕіblе раrk еnvіrоnmеnt fоr реорlе wіth dіѕаbіlіtіеѕ іn thе аrеа. Моrе thаn 100 lаrgе trееѕ оf lосаl ѕресіеѕ, hundrеdѕ оf ѕhrubѕ аnd оthеr ѕuіtаblе vеgеtаtіоn wіll bе аffоrеѕtеd, аnd аn аutоmаtіс іrrіgаtіоn ѕуѕtеm іѕ рrоvіdеd fоr thеіr mаіntеnаnсе" (Ref. 4).

Main beneficiaries

  • Citizens or community groups
  • Marginalized groups: People with functional diversities

Governance

Management set-up

  • Co-governance with government and non-government actors

Type of initiating organisation

  • Local government/municipality

Participatory approaches/ community involvement

  • Unknown

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

- The project was designed by a firm based in Plovdiv, called Art Plan (Ref. 4). The construction work was carried out by the construction firm Запрянови-03 (Ref. 4; Ref. 7). - The idea of the park was initiated and partially implemented by the Municipality of Plovdiv as part of its operational programme Creating a Green and Accessible Urban Environment in Plovdiv. This programme was financed by the ERDF through the national Operational Programme Regional Development (Ref. 1; Ref. 4; Ref. 5).

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? Yes (Since the Operational Programme Regional Development, which supported the construction of the park, was funded by the ERDF, it was influenced by regulation No 1301/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 on the European Regional Development Fund and on specific provisions concerning the Investment for growth and jobs goal and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1080/2006 (Ref. 1; Ref. 4; Ref. 5; Ref. 9).)
... a national policy or strategy? Yes (The intervention was influenced by a national Operational Programme for Regional Development, because thanks to this strategy, ERDF funding was provided for the Municipality of Plovdiv's operational programme Creating a Green and Accessible Urban Environment in Plovdiv. The park on Bogomil street was built as part of this city-level programme (Ref. 1; Ref. 4; Ref. 5).)
... a local policy or strategy? Yes (The idea of the park was initiated and partially implemented by the Municipality of Plovdiv as part of its operational programme (strategy), called "Building a Green and Accessible Urban Environment in Plovdiv" (Ref. 1; Ref. 4; Ref. 8).)

Financing

Total cost

€100,000 - €500,000

Source(s) of funding

  • EU funds
  • Public local authority budget

Type of funding

  • Earmarked public budget
  • Direct funding (grants, subsidies, or self-financed projects by private entities)

Non-financial contribution

Type of non-financial contribution
  • Provision of labour
Who provided the non-financial contribution?
  • Public authorities (e.g. land, utility services)

Impacts and Monitoring

Environmental impacts

  • Green space and habitat
  • Increased green space area
  • Increased number of species present
  • Increased ecological connectivity across regeneration sites and scales

Economic impacts

  • Unknown

Socio-cultural impacts

  • Social justice and cohesion
  • Improved access to urban green space
  • Increased visibility and opportunity for marginalised groups or indigenous peoples
  • Health and wellbeing
  • Gain in activities for recreation and exercise

Type of reported impacts

Achieved impacts

Presence of formal monitoring system

Unknown

Presence of indicators used in reporting

No evidence in public records

Presence of monitoring/ evaluation reports

No evidence in public records

Availability of a web-based monitoring tool

No evidence in public records

References

Ref. 1. Община Пловдив (2015). Кметът Иван Тотев откри новия парк на ул. „Богомил“. [online] available at: Source link (Website not available in 2020).
Ref. 2. ОП Градини и паркове - Пловдив (2016). Обогатиха растителността в новия парк на улица „Богомил“. [online] available at: Source link (Accessed: November 3, 2020).
Ref. 3. Plovdiv Municipality (2016). Изграждат нов голям парк на улица „Богомил“ с финансиране от Европа. [online] available at: Source link (Accessed: November 3, 2020).
Ref. 4. Добрева, С. (2015). Изграждат нов парк на ул. "Богомил" в Пловдив за близо половин млн. лв.. [online] available at: Source link (Accessed: November 3, 2020).
Ref. 5. Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works (2017). Contact us. [online] available at: Source link (Accessed: November 3, 2020).
Ref. 6. Оперативна Програма Регионално Развитие 2007-2013 (2015). „ИЗБОР НА ИЗПЪЛНИТЕЛ ЗА ИЗВЪРШВАНЕ НА СТРОИТЕЛНО-МОНТАЖНИ РАБОТИ НА ОБЕКТ: РЕКОНСТРУКЦИЯ И ОБНОВЯВАНЕ НА ПАРКОВА ПЛОЩ, ГР. ПЛОВДИВ, Р-Н ИЗТОЧЕН, УПИ І 21 - ОБЩ. ЗЕЛЕНИНА, КВ.12 ПО ПЛАНА НА КВ. "ГЛАДНО ПОЛЕ”. [pdf] available at: Source link (Accessed: November 3, 2020).
Ref. 7. Zapryanovi Ltd. (2017). Запрянови-03. [online] available at: Source link (Accessed: November 3, 2020).
Ref. 8. Government of Bulgaria (2017). ИНФОРМАЦИОННА СИСТЕМА ЗА УПРАВЛЕНИЕ И НАБЛЮДЕНИЕ НА СТРУКТУРНИТЕ ИНСТРУМЕНТИ НА ЕС В БЪЛГАРИЯ. [online] available at: Source link (Accessed: November 3, 2020).
Ref. 9. EUR-Lex (2013). Regulation (EU) No 1301/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 on the European Regional Development Fund and on specific provisions concerning the Investment for growth and jobs goal and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1080/2006. [online] available at: Source link (Accessed: November 3, 2020).