Bulgaria

The “moderate polycentrism” model is the selected model for the urban development of Bulgaria which may be achieved by 2025. This model develops under the conditions of moderately reduced rates of demographic shrinkage and successful implementation of the regional policy, accompanied by overcoming of the economic difficulties and slight economic growth, moderate advance of the new technologies and innovations, expansion and upgrading of the engineering infrastructure. The model may be considered as an intermediate one—between strongly manifested monocentric and strongly manifested polycentric development. Despite the demographic shrinkage, the concentration of the diminished population in 7 largest urban centres and agglomerations will continue: Sofia—the capital with population over 1,000,000 inhabitants—and 6 cities with population over 100,000 inhabitants—Plovdiv, Varna, Burgas, Ruse, Pleven, Stara Zagora. For these 7 large cities and 29 medium-size cities (with population from 30,000 to 100,000 inhabitants), integrated plans for urban rehabilitation and development are elaborated and adopted. The main purpose of these plans is to support the long-term vision of the future sustainable and integrated urban development through coordinated management of investments.