On 22, 23 and 24 November, our Urban Lab took place in the Collective space, where we rethought ‘grey areas’ and their place in the contemporary city. The three-day event was led by architects, designers and urban planners, as well as people with experience in organising urban initiatives. Participants worked on two case studies: parking on the boulevard “Maria Louisa”, famous for the large advertising graffiti above it, and the courtyard of the National School of Ancient Languages and Cultures (NGDEK). During the lab, participants looked for solutions on how to transform these asphalted areas into spaces with diverse functions to be used by the local community.
The larger goal of the event was a comprehensive rethinking of the city’s “grey areas” – paved areas such as schoolyards, inter-block spaces, and parking lots. These places are often inhospitable to people while exacerbating problems like heat islands during the increasingly hot summer season and flooding due to heavier rainfall.
Although grey areas are not fully exploited, they have great potential. Lab participants worked in teams to develop an approach to make these places active and contribute to the quality of life in Sofia. They created design concepts as well as implementation and management strategies that would ensure the long-term sustainability and financial security of the projects.
The lab was open to all those interested in urban environments, including architects, urban planners, designers, students and active citizens. On the last day of the three-day workshop, each of the working groups presented their ideas to a panel of experts and received valuable feedback.
Working together has shown that when we bring different perspectives together, we can create amazing concepts and strategies for our city. We remain hopeful and inspired to move forward together towards creating a more sustainable and accessible environment for all.
The event was held as part of the project “Incubator for Urban Change – a Hub for Urban and Cultural Development in Bulgaria”, which is funded by the Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation. The statements and opinions expressed herein are solely those of The Collective Foundation and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Lachezar Tsotsorkov Foundation or its partners.
