Dessislava Poleganova – THE TRANSFORMATION PROCESSES FROM “URBAN SPACE” TO “URBAN PLACE” IN THE CONTEXT OF BEHAVIORAL GEOGRAPHY

DOI: 10.7546/PG.1-2.2025.01
The paper aims to analyze important theoretical and practical approaches related to transforming urban space into an urban place in the context of behavioral geography. This implies the interpretation of the key concepts and approaches of behavioral geography that are applied in urban studies, with a particular emphasis on case studies, usage of primarily qualitative research methods, and exploring people’s subjective perceptions, attitudes, and relationships to their inhabited environment. The paper analyses the evolution of different models related to the study of urban space based on cognitive mapping and the “image of the city” (Lynch, 1960), which transform the urban environment into an urban place to live, and lead to the development of a sense of belonging (sense of place) to a particular territory. In conclusion, behavioral geography has significant, and hitherto unrealized potential for enriching geographical research on the urban environment in Bulgaria, as well as increasing practical relevance through the application of its achievements in urban planning.

Keywords: urban settlements, space, place, image of the city, sense of place, behavioral geography

Dessislava Poleganova – CURRENT TRENDS AND CHALLENGES IN URBAN, DEMOGRAPHIC, AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF SOFIA MUNICIPALITY

DOI: 10.7546/PG.1-2.2025.02
This paper examines the current trends and challenges in Sofia’s urban, demographic, and socio-economic development. To meet this goal, the research has the following sections: a comprehensive analysis of the evolution of urban development and current features of the capital city’s urban space; an exploration of the demographic characteristics; and a highlighting of the current socio-economic features and significance of the capital municipality. Sofia was declared the capital of Bulgaria in 1879. The main challenges the capital experienced then were transforming into a modern European city and providing a diverse and high-quality urban environment for its continuously growing population. From an urban planning perspective, four periods can be distinguished in the spatial development of Sofia city and municipality: from the Liberation until the end of the First World War (1919); the period between the First and Second World Wars (1919–1945); the socialist period (1945–1989) and after 1990. The current spatial urban structure of Sofia city (in the limits of the capital municipality) comprises four concentric zones (central historical city, “inner city”, “periphery” and the suburban areas) and it shows many similarities typical for most urban settlements of the former socialist East European countries. The capital municipality is home to 1. 286 million people representing 19.9% of the total and 27.2% of the urban population of Bulgaria, and strongly dominates over the other regions in the country (NSI, 2023). The spatial distribution of the population in the Sofia municipality (capital) is characterized by significant unevenness and spatial concentration under the influence of a complex of factors – political, historical, demographic, psychological, economic, ecological, etc. The observed differences in age, gender, and educational structure of the population in the different districts of the capital municipality are mainly related to the demographic features, suburbanization processes, spatial and urban structure of the territory, the economic profile and incomes, changes in the attitudes and behavior of the people due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the political-economic instability in the country. Since 1990, Sofia has steadily increased its economic importance to the national economy. In 2023 the GDP of Sofia Municipality is BGN 79.371 billion or 42.8% of the country’s GDP. The capital’s economic wealth is also evidenced by many other indicators as the size of the GVA (43% of the country’s GVA); the tertiary sector accounts for 86.7% of the GVA and plays a key role in the economic profile of the capital, significantly exceeding the national average; trade, different outsourcing services, transport, and construction generate substantial incomes and play a significant role for the capital’s economy; Sofia Municipality attracts more than half of the foreign direct investment (in 2023 – EUR 17.33 billion) that is made in the country and has the highest employment rates, wages and pensions compared to other districts in Bulgaria (2023). But Sofia’s economic boom is accompanied by significant challenges, notably deepening socio-economic inequality, and intensifying the processes of spatial and socio-economic segregation (affluent southern and central neighborhoods vs. poorer western and northern parts of the municipality).In conclusion, the main problems and challenges faced by Sofia Municipality are outlined, which require implementing integrated urban planning and policies following European and national priorities and regulations.

Keywords: urban settlements, space, population, economic development, Sofia, Bulgaria

Kamelia Petkova, Nadezhda Ilieva – THE ROMA PASTORS AND NONFORMAL EDUCATION: A POSSIBLE PATH TO INTEGRATION?
(CASE STUDY OF GETTOIZED STRUCTURES IN RAZLOG AND BLAGOEVGRAD)

DOI: 10.7546/PG.1-2.2025.03
This article examines the significance of non-formal education as a tool for social transformation and the integration of marginalized communities. The primary focus is on the role of Roma pastors in the ghettoized structures of Blagoevgrad and Razlog. They organize language courses, craft workshops, and social initiatives that support personal development, reduce social isolation, and promote cultural integration of Roma people. The study employs a case study methodology, analyzing two cases implemented within the framework of the project “Spatial Models of Roma Ghettoized Urban Structures in Bulgaria,” funded by the National Science Fund of the Ministry of Education and Science. The results reveal that pastors act as key mediators between the community, educational institutions, and local authorities. The non-formal education initiatives they lead create opportunities to overcome spatial and social isolation while fostering the sustainable development of communities.

Keywords: Nonformal education, Roma pastors, Social integration, Roma communities, Sustainable development.

Kamelia Petkova – DIMENSIONS OF SPATIAL SEGREGATION IN ROMA GHETTOIZED STRUCTURES IN LARGE CITIES IN BULGARIA

DOI: 10.7546/PG.1-2.2025.04
This article analyzes the impact of spatial segregation on the social isolation of Roma communities residing in ghettoized urban structures in Bulgaria’s largest cities, defined as those with populations exceeding 100,000 inhabitants. By integrating multiple theoretical perspectives from urban sociology and segregation studies, the research explores spatial segregation across four core dimensions: residential, infrastructural, economic, and socio-cultural. The analysis draws on data from a nationally representative quantitative sociological survey conducted in 2025 with 900 Roma respondents, within the framework of the project “Spatial Models of Roma Ghettoized Urban Structures in Bulgaria”, funded by the Research Fund of the Ministry of Education and Science. The findings reveal a complex interplay between urban marginality and socio-economic exclusion. Roma neighborhoods in large cities are marked by deteriorated housing conditions, deficient infrastructure (e.g., lack of sewage systems and paved roads), limited access to public services, and low levels of labor market participation. Correlation analysis confirms statistically significant relationships between infrastructural deprivation and increased social isolation, as well as between labor immobility and economic dependence on the local neighborhood. Moreover, the data indicate that spatial segregation operates as a multidimensional phenomenon, shaped by historical legacies, institutional constraints, and socio-economic inequalities. Patterns of territorial isolation are reinforced by high rates of long-term unemployment, lack of educational mobility, and limited participation in cultural and civic life. These processes contribute to the formation of self-contained and marginalized urban spaces, in which opportunities for interaction and integration with the broader urban environment remain highly constrained.

Keywords: Spatial segregation, Roma communities, urbanization, Roma ghettoized structures.