000
001 Scale Comparison 03 Scheme
001 Scale Comparison 04 Scheme
001 Scale Comparison 05 Scheme
002 Analysis 01 Scheme
002 Analysis 02 Scheme
002 Analysis 03
002 Analysis 04 Scheme
002 Analysis 05 Scheme
002 Analysis 06 Scheme
002 Analysis 07 Scheme
002 Analysis 08 Scheme
002 Analysis 09 Scheme
002 Analysis 10 Scheme
002 Analysis 11 Scheme
003 Mobility 01
003 Mobility 02 Scheme
003 Mobility 03 Scheme
003 Mobility 04 Scheme
003 Mobility 05 Scheme
003 Mobility 06 Scheme
003 Mobility 07 Scheme
003 Mobility 08 Scheme
003 Mobility 09 Scheme
003 Mobility 10 Scheme
003 Mobility 11 Scheme
004 Public Life 01
004 Public Life 02 Scheme
004 Public Life 03 Scheme
004 Public Life 04 Scheme
004 Public Life 05 Scheme
005 Quality Of Public Space 01
005 Quality Of Public Space 02 Scheme
005 Quality Of Public Space 03 Scheme
005 Quality Of Public Space 04 Scheme
005 Quality Of Public Space 05 Scheme
005 Quality Of Public Space 06 Scheme
005 Quality Of Public Space 07 Scheme
005 Quality Of Public Space 08 Scheme
005 Quality Of Public Space 09 Scheme
005 Quality Of Public Space 10 Scheme
006 Summary 01
006 Summary 02 Scheme
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Sofia – a city for people

Location Sofia, Bulgaria
Year 2017
Client Sofia Municipality
Status Completed
Team Silvia Chakarova, Nurhan Redzheb, Despina Kaneva, Pavel Yanchev, Galia Alexova, Stela Kaloyanova, Maialen Landa Oregi and Zornitsa Mitkova
Leading collaborator Gehl Architects (Henriette Vamberg, Lisa Müller, Elena Balabanska, Rosalia Svendsen, Pernille Juul Schmidt)

 

“Sofia – a City for People” is a collaborative project between Sofia Municipality, Gehl, and place.make studio based on the methodology developed by the Danish architect and planner Jan Gehl and his studio Gehl. The transformation of Sofia into a city for people is part of Sofia Municipality’s policy for developing pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly spaces of a human scale and for car traffic reduction.

Public space and public life surveys were undertaken in the city centre of Sofia in April 2017. Pedestrians, cyclists, and motor vehicles were counted and the variety of stationary activities were mapped in key streets and spaces thanks to the valuable support of 34 volunteers. These surveys were used as a basis for defining key steps and recommendations structured under 4 main topics: amenities, mobility, public life, and public space quality in the centre of Sofia.

The project’s vision for the central part of Sofia is the transformation from a fragmented pedestrian network, which lacks connection, to a pedestrian heart, which is not interrupted by traffic, to an extended network with good pedestrian conditions, stretching to other districts and areas.

The project’s final report “Public Space & Public Life Report” in English is available on Sofia Municipality’s Architecture and Urban Planning Department website.

The volunteers who took part in the public space and public life surveys are Aitor Cespon Diez, Aysen Sapundzhi, Ana Blagova, Angel Zahariev, Antoaneta Ivanova, Dayana Nikolova, Dessislava Kovacheva, Dobrin Prodanov, Elena Balabanska, Elitsa Ushagelova, Jozef Zen Nasser, Iva Bardarska, Ivan Peynirdzhiev, Iveta Slavcheva, Iren Stanikina, Kaloyan Karamitov, Kristin Dzhalova, Magdalena Bogdanova, Marina Mateva, Mariya Ivanova, Maya Miteva, Maialen Landa Oregi, Milena Nikova, Paola Petkova, Petranka Vasileva, Petar Kirilov, Plamena Kostova, Ralitsa Karamusalova, Ralitsa Tsacheva, Slavyana Dimitrova, Tatyana Atanasova, Tatyana Nedelcheva, Teodor Uzunov, and Teodora Markova.