Living Lab Sofia: The Reality on the Ground
As part of the Green Esteem project, Team Sofia and UACEG will work on the ground to co-design and co-deliver a ‘Living Lab’ in a neighbourhood of Sofia. Working with municipal partners, citizens and local stakeholders, the aim is to implement a small-scale Nature-Based Solution (NBS) which benefits the community and provides a model of good practice.
Sofia, with a population of 1.3 million people, is the capital and largest city in Bulgaria. Although historical evidence indicates that settlements existed as far back as 7000 BC and the documented history of the city begins in 29 BC, it is only in the last 100-140 years that the contemporary city has developed. Beyond its geopolitical location, other factors and entities that make Sofia unique in Southeast Europe are: its altitude (550 m – the third highest capital of Europe), its distinctive mountain setting, its network of open public spaces providing beautiful landscape views, the abundance of mineral water springs, the diverse cultural layers, and the preserved cultural identity in an environment of rapid globalization. Situated below Vitosha Mountain, the city centre’s architecture combines a wide range of architectural styles – from Roman and medieval to Neo-Classical, Neo-Renaissance, Secession and Modernist. The housing estates, varying in size and predominantly located in the city periphery, remain a vital remnant of the period of rapid urbanization under Centralized planning. Across its 24 regions, the built urban structures inherited problems of privatization and restitution processes during the Transition from Centralized to Market economy. Chronic under-investment, corruption and the lack of a strategic approach, appropriate tools and consistent city planning have led to serious issues with quality of life and urban resilience to climate change. These include property rights conflicts, disputes among users, pollution, parking shortages, transport inefficiencies, infrastructure deficits, and accessibility barriers.
As part of the Green Esteem project, Team Sofia and UACEG will work on the ground to co-design and co-deliver a ‘Living Lab’ in a neighbourhood of Sofia. Working with municipal partners, citizens and local stakeholders, the aim is to implement a small-scale Nature-Based Solution (NBS) which benefits the community and provides a model of good practice.
Sofia-based partners are currently in the process of identifying the ‘Living Lab’ location, drawing on extensive experience of working with community activists and in-depth expertise on the unique and shared challenges of each of Sofia’s neighbourhoods. A recently completed NBS project (URBiNAT) will be used as a learning foundation to build on and further develop an improved Living Lab with a focus on citizen participation, administrative capacity, local regulations, quality of NBS, and maintenance. Team Sofia’s ‘Model for Public Meetings’ and experience of working with local activists to push for evidence-led improvement of the urban environment are also key building blocks of the project, promoting a collaborative and participatory approach which enables co-design.
Activities carried out as part of the URBiNAT project by UACEG. (Photo by: UACEG)
Key criteria for the Living Lab location include active citizens and community organisations who are already advocating for Nature-Based Solutions or improvement of the local environment, support from the regional municipality and appropriate municipality-owned land where the lab can be implemented and the results maintained. The engagement of a diverse range of citizens and engagement of children and young people are also paramount, alongside a focus on areas outside of central Sofia. The team has already begun reviewing potential locations and meeting local community activists and local stakeholders. We look forward to sharing the confirmed location in Spring 2026!
The issue of maintenance is particularly sensitive in Sofia. Many citizens are critical of the quality of the interventions carried out by the municipality and the lack of adequate maintenance afterwards. Often, the very notion of sustainability of interventions, as well as the involvement of citizens, is neglected by local authorities. Therefore, a Collaborative Knowledge Valorisation approach is highly needed, highlighting how knowledge can be used to create social and economic value for citizens and other local stakeholders such as state institutions and businesses.
Living Lab Activities: What to expect!
The Living Lab prioritises discussion and participation, including co-design of the NatureBased Solution (NBS) which will be implemented in Sofia. In 2026 and 2027, a number of in-person workshops will take place. Experts in NBS, citizens, NGOs, municipal representatives, and other stakeholders such as local businesses will be encouraged to attend. This ensures that the final product is co-created, co-delivered and meets local needs. It also enables knowledge valorisation, sharing information about NBS across a wide group of people with different interests and contexts.
Team Sofia, citizen consultation in Krasno Polyana, Sofia, Summer 2025. (Photo by: Ekipet Na Sofia)
April 2026: A Co-Evaluation Workshop gathering experts to assess good practices in planning and implementing NBS. This will include discussing existing practice and examples in Bulgaria and abroad.
June 2026: Open and interactive workshop inviting citizens, experts and stakeholders to discuss potential locations and ideas for the Living Lab.
June 2026: Virtual Reality co-design workshop, inviting participants to build a NBS solution in the chosen location in a virtual setting.
September 2026: A collaborative and hands-on workshop, where participants will design a practical strategy for implementation. Together, we’ll start by defining a clear and compelling vision of the ideal future outcome, then work backward to identify the concrete steps, milestones, and actions needed to make it a reality.
February 2027: A series of free training workshops which will be open to all but primarily aimed at experts, partners and NGOs. These workshops will cover a range of topics including citizen participation and NBS co-creation and sustainability. They will be accompanied by digital resources and aim to provide a supportive network and resources for key stakeholders to apply good practices in Nature-Based Solutions and Knowledge Valorisation in future initiatives.
April-September 2027: On the ground implementation of the Nature-Based Solution and accompanying events.
In addition to the events and workshops listed above, more informal engagements with citizens and partners will be conducted including regular opportunities to engage with the team in the chosen neighbourhood and engagement with local community organisations and relevant stakeholders.
Interested to find out more?
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