Do you want to have a say in how Sofia will look tomorrow?
Written by Bozhidar Ivanov, Edited by Lindsay Martin, photos by Anastasiia Dehtiarova and Sofia Chooses
Sofia Chooses is an initiative of the Sofia municipality for projects to improve the city environment. It works by allowing citizens and NGOs to propose ideas and projects and vote on their favorite. The highest voted project(s) will become a reality. Every citizen of Sofia can only vote for one project. The project’s 2021 budget is 1.5 million BGN. The deadline for voting is 30 November.
To vote, all you need is a laptop or a mobile device with the location turned on (to guarantee only people located in Sofia can vote), and a Bulgarian mobile number so you can get a confirmation code. To have your say on the future look of Sofia, click HERE. (You can use the translate option when voting to make sure you’re choosing the right project).
1. Overlook platform and rest station at Kopitoto TV tower
Submitted by: Natural park Vitosha
Budget: 1 000 000 BGN
2. Sofia Summer Fest—open-air fest featuring movies, music, and events
Suggested by: Borislav Chuchkov
Budget: 120 000 BGN for 1 year
3. Placing the sculpting composition ‘The Kiss’ on Cherni Vrah boulevard opposite the Lovers bridge. Creating a place for meetings and photos
Suggested by: Rainis Gelov
Budget: 280 000 BGN
4. Recycling vending machines- The machines issue public transportation tickets in return for used plastic containers. (test placement in the Krasno selo region)
Suggested by: Tsanko Donkov
Budget: 15 000 BGN per machine
5. Skatepark in the North Park
Submitted by: The Skateboarding Federation
Budget: 605 000 BGN
6. Budapest street restoration, from Moskovska street to Dondukov boulevard, with the construction of a lift and an overlook terrace
Suggested by: A&A architects
Budget: 500 000 BGN
7. Moving the bell (the Union of the Bulgarian Writers) from a private site in front of the Moskva Hotel to a public location on Dragan Tsankov boulevard, plus creating a supporting garden
Suggested by: the Union of the Bulgarian Writers, Boyan Angelov
Budget: 75 000 BGN
8. Annual choir festival “Balkan Capitals”
Suggested by: Akad. Qnev and Akad. Bobevski and Mitko Mitrev
Budget: 70 000 BGN
9. Art panel installation ‘Ivan Vazov’ – 100 meters from Ivan Vazov street
Suggested by: Marius Donkin, National Theatre
Budget: 600 000 BGN
10. Renovation of the “Vasil Levski 1928” school in the Poduyane neighbourhood
Suggested by: “Vasil Levski 1928” school
Budget: 400 000 BGN
11. Project “The Slide” – building a children’s playground in the Izgrev neighborhood
Suggested by: Karina Karaiotova and Emilian Delchev
Budget: 8 000 BGN
12. Building a children’s reading room in the “Guard’s house” in Borisova garden
Suggested by: City library’s Public Council
Budget: 150 000 BGN
13. Restoration of the fresco on 26 Alabin street, created by prof. Ionov and prof. Nicolov, in the 1968-1969 period
Suggested by: Lubomir Toshkov
Budget: 30 000 BGN
14. Artistic children’s playground in the Mladost neighborhood
Suggested by: Mila Pavlova
Budget: 250 000 BGN
15. Creation of sports facilities for children with disabilities
Suggested by: Mihail Ignatov
Budget: none
16. Placing eight new stone tables for table-tennis in the Dianabad neighborhood, and replacing the old metal ones
Suggested by: Marin Slavchev
Budget: 80 000 BGN
17. Opening a municipality gluten-free kitchen for children
Suggested by: Maria Paskova
Budget: none
18. ‘Art Scene Lozenets’ project – a place for cinema, theatre, gallery, and child development
Suggested by: Radi Georgiev
Budget: 300 000 BGN
19. Farmer’s market, Novi Iskar neighborhood
Suggested by: Petia Kovacheva
Budget: 150 000 BGN
20. Renovation and modernisation of the ‘Mother’s home’ garden in the Banishora neighbourhood
Suggested by: Galina Petkova and Nikolai Nikolov
Budget: 80 000 BGN
21. Preserving the transport history of Sofia – restoration of historical vehicles – 1 tram, 1 trolleybus and 2 buses
Suggested by: Ivan Ivanov
Budget: 670 000 BGN
22. Building monuments of the Roman emperors, connected with Serdika – Aurelian, Galerius and Constantine the Great
Suggested by: Dobrin Delev, Martin Podmolov and Seifetyn Schekerov
Budget: 100 000 BGN
23. Building a children’s amusement park near the Pancharevo lake
Suggested by: Gergana Stoilova and the pupils from 105 SOU Atanas Dalchev
Budget: none
24. Attraction – hot air balloon flight over Sofia. Example location: South Park
Suggested by: Stani Banev
Budget: none
25. Renovation of the apartment block spaces in the Mladost 1 neighborhood, block 48A and 51A
Suggested by: Rosen Georgiev
Budget: 400 000 BGN
26. Removal of the zebra crossings at the Cherni Vrah boulevard and Henrih Ibsen/ Sreburna street crossing, and allowing pedestrian crossing only via the underpass.
Suggested by: Martina Gancheva
Budget: none
27. Outdoor fitness in the south part of South Park (around Henrih Ibsen street and Koziak street)
Suggested by: Martina Gancheva
Budget: none
28. Camper alley at Ural street in the Gorna Bania neighborhood
Suggested by: Angel Angelov
Budget: dependant on the number of parking spaces
29. Suggestion for improvement of the apartment space for blocks 24, 25, 26 and 27 in the Sredna gora street, Zone B-5-3 neighborhood
Suggested by: Veselin Kirov
Budget: none
30. Children’s playground ‘Schtindra’ in the Gorublyane neighborhood
Suggested by: engineer Veselin Bozhkov
Budget: 63 000 BGN
31. Pensioner’s club – Gorublyane neighborhood
Suggested by: engineer Veselin Bozhkov
Budget: 180 000 BGN
32. Suggestion for placing shelters for waste bins in the Nadezhda neighborhood
Suggested by: Antoni Hristov
Budget: 250 000 BGN
33. ‘Streets for everyone’ – alteration to the road layout on Patriarch Evtimiy boulevard, Fr. Nansen street, Georgi S. Rakovski street, and Vitosha boulevard
Suggested by: Save Bulgaria foundation
Budget: 203 000 BGN
34. ‘Cargo-cycles for Sofia’ project – purchase cycles to be used for transporting goods in the central part of Sofia, as well as use by tourists
Suggested by: Mariana Georgieva
Budget: 500 000 BGN
35. Dog-walking garden in the Izgrev region
Suggested by: Evrosina Veleva – Ivanova
Budget: 260 000 BGN
36. Suggestion for improving the children’s playgrounds in the Musagenitsa neighborhood, by constructing a wooden playground
Suggested by: Stefka Chetrafilova
Budget: none
37. ‘Sofia chose the children’ project – planning and constructing modern school bathrooms
Suggested by: Ivelina Ivanova and Denitsa Schilingarska
Budget: 1 500 000 BGN
38. Improvement of the ‘Lincoln’ park in the Ovcha Kupel neighborhood – lights replacement, fixing benches, weeds removal, etc.
Suggested by: Kamen Nikolov
Budget: 120 000 BGN
39. Removal of the parking spaces for scooters and replacing them with spaces for vehicles
Suggested by: Drago Dosev
Budget: none
To vote for your favorite project, click HERE.
