„We need to reach the point where kindergarten appears before the apartment building.“ With this thesis, the Deputy Mayor of Sofia for Urban Planning and Development, Arch. Lyubomir Georgiev, summarized the change in the approach to the development of the city in an interview with Georgi Ivanov in the program „Square Meters“ on Darik Radio.
The goal is for new construction not to be considered in isolation, but together with streets, kindergartens, schools, green spaces, public transport and all other functions necessary for the normal life of people.
„The best solution is to make comprehensive plans and this is an emphasis in my work. When you think about the functions of a territory and the volumes – blocks of flats, houses and so on – you also have to think about all the necessary infrastructure and find resources to implement it“, pointed out Georgiev.
He specified that the problems that Sofia is experiencing today in the rapidly developing areas are the result of decisions made years ago. The investment intentions that are now being implemented on the ground have gone through procedures that began significantly earlier. Therefore, the changes in the way in which detailed development plans are considered and approved today will give visible results in time.
In the procedures that are still underway, the Department of “Urban Planning and Development“ is already looking for a connection between the planned construction and the actual absorption capacity of the respective territory.
The investor should see not only the building, but the neighborhood
One of the new tools is the detailed analysis of the effect that a given investment will have on the environment.
“We are doing analyses of the neighborhoods and showing: with these projects, 5,000 more people will live here. These 5,000 people need, for example, 200 places in a kindergarten, they have requirements for transportation, for streets, for green spaces“, explained the deputy mayor.