Sofia, Bulgaria
City population: 1201209
Duration: in planning stage – unknown
Implementation status: Unknown
Scale: Micro-scale: District/neighbourhood level
Project area: 530000 m2
Type of area: Public Greenspace Area
Last updated: April 2022

A large-scale restoration of park Zapaden over 53 hectare had started in 2017, aiming to restore the aesthetic appearance of the park, and to preserve its authentic character and value for Sofia as the second biggest park in the city. Many activities were planned, including restoration of green areas, restoration of a lake and a rock-garden (renovating the artificial lakes, rivers, and waterfalls, and adding new vegetation), and adding new flowers and greenery. In addition, renovation and creation of new grey infrastructure such as playgrounds, alleys, lighting, cameras, irrigation systems, camp grounds, and more is planned. (Ref. 1; Ref. 2) While it is difficult to assess how much work has been completed as of 2020, recent websites (from 2018) claim: "The park has two main parts – one has alleys built in it, as well as places for leisure and the other is a forest perfect for the hotter days of the year. The green part ends at the Smardana locality where people can find a lake." (Ref. 10)

Zapaden park
https://www.economic.bg/bg/a/view/stolichna-obshtina-obnovyava-zapadniya-park-s-85-mln-lv-75573

Overview

Nature-based solution

  • Blue infrastructure
  • Lakes/ponds
  • Rivers/streams/canals/estuaries
  • Parks and urban forests
  • Large urban parks or forests

Key challenges

  • Green space, habitats and biodiversity (SDG 15)
  • Habitat and biodiversity restoration
  • Green space creation and/or management
  • Regeneration, land-use and urban development
  • Regulation of built environment
  • Cultural heritage and cultural diversity
  • Protection of historic and cultural landscape/infrastructure
  • Health and well-being (SDG 3)
  • Enabling opportunities for physical activity
  • Creation of opportunities for recreation

Focus

Maintenance and management of urban nature

Project objectives

- Restore the aesthetic appearance of the park - Preserve the park's authentic character and value for Sofia as the second biggest park in the city (Ref. 1; Ref. 6)

Implementation activities

- Renovation and addition of new grey infrastructure such as playgrounds, alleys, lighting, cameras, irrigation systems, camp grounds, benches, bike stands, cameras, a fountain, and more. - Restoration of natural elements, including an existing lake, and the rock-garden. The latter includes renovating the artificial lakes, rivers, and waterfalls, as well as adding new vegetation. - Addition of new flowers and greenery (Ref. 1; Ref. 6)

Biodiversity conservation or restoration-focused activities

Biodiversity restoration:

  • Rehabilitate and restore damaged or destroyed ecosystems
  • Restore species (native, endangered, or unspecified)

Main beneficiaries

  • Local government/Municipality
  • Citizens or community groups

Governance

Management set-up

  • Co-governance with government and non-government actors

Type of initiating organisation

  • Local government/municipality

Participatory approaches/ community involvement

  • Dissemination of information and education
  • Joint implementation (e.g. tree planting)

Details on the roles of the organisations involved in the project

The project proposed by Sofia Municipality who have announced a competition for companies that will implement it. The competition will be closed in the middle of August 2017 and the firm will have 12 months to implement the project after that (Ref. 2; Ref. 3). One firm, called Project Planning and Management, have already conducted a feasibility study and are planned to take part in implementing the project (Ref. 5).

Project implemented in response to ...

... an EU policy or strategy? Yes (The intervention was funded through the national programme Regions in Growth, which is co-financed by the ERDF (Ref. 2). The ERDF is governed by 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 (Ref. 9).)
... a national policy or strategy? Yes (Strategy for the operational programme Regions in Growth's contribution to the Union strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth and to the achievement of economic, social and territorial cohesion (Ref. 2; Ref. 4))
... a local policy or strategy? No

Financing

Total cost

More than €4,000,000

Source(s) of funding

  • Public local authority budget
  • EU funds

Type of funding

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

Non-financial contribution

Unknown

Impacts and Monitoring

Environmental impacts

  • Water management and blue areas
  • Enhanced protection and restoration of freshwater ecosystems
  • Green space and habitat
  • Promotion of naturalistic styles of landscape design for urban development
  • Increased green space area
  • Increased number of species present

Economic impacts

  • Unknown

Socio-cultural impacts

  • Health and wellbeing
  • Improved physical health
  • Gain in activities for recreation and exercise

Type of reported impacts

Expected 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. Василева, М. (2017). Столична община обяви търг за възстановяване на част от Западен парк за над 8.5 млн. лв. [Website not available in 2020].
Ref. 2. Столична Община (2017). Обявление за поръчка - Директива 2014/24/ЕС/ЗОП. [Website not available in 2020].
Ref. 3. Генков, В. (2017). Столична община обновява Западния парк с 8.5 млн. лв.. [online] available at: Source link [Accessed 3 September 2020].
Ref. 4. ОП Региони в Растеж (2017). OPERATIONAL PROGRAMME UNDER THE 'INVESTMENT FOR GROWTH AND JOBS' GOAL. [pdf] available at: Source link [Accessed 3 September 2020]
Ref. 5. Project Planning & Management Ltd. (2017). Работен проект за Западен парк, гр.София. [online] available at: Source link [Accessed 3 September 2020].
Ref. 6. Столична Община (2016). Обява до заинтересованите лица и общественост. [pdf] Source link [Accessed 3 September 2020]
Ref. 7. Столична Oбщина (2017). Открита е процедурата за избор на изпълнител на реконструкцията на Западен парк. [online] available at: Source link [Accessed 3 September 2020]
Ref. 8. Google Maps (2017). West Park - All Reviews. [online] available at: Source link [Accessed 3 September 2020].
Ref. 9. ERDF 2014-2020: 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 3 September 2020]
Ref. 10. Visit Sofia (2018) News. The renovation of Zapaden Park in Sofia has begun. [online] available at: Source link [Accessed on 3 September 2020]
Ref. 11. Visit Sofia (n.d.) What to see. West Park. [online] available at: Source link [Accessed on 3 September 2020]