Validated Expert info
Expert can perform the Lead expert role and Ad hoc expertise missions at network and programme level in relation to:
1. The design and delivery of (transnational) exchange and learning activities
2. Thematic expertise:
[Participative governance, Strategic Urban Planning, Urban design]
3. Methods and tools for integrated and participatory approaches:
> Integrated and participatory design of strategies
Summary
I have 15 years of experience in working on various urban issues, both in Bulgaria, as well as abroad. In terms of sector expertise I feel strongest in the fields of urban and strategic planning, though I have gone in depth on many environmental, social, infrastructural, mobility and many other urban issues. I also have a substantial experience with pursuing resilience, sustainability and the involvement of interest groups. In the last 10 years I have often had a leading role in the projects and initiatives I have worked on - be it a project or a team leader, or a director. This has allowed me to develop strong organisational and communication skills. Moreover I have more than a decade-long experience of forming, motivating and leading teams of experts of different ages, ethnicities, types of expertise and/or position.
1️⃣ My current role as a leader of the Team Sofia initiative has given me opportunities to engage with more than 70 experts from various fields, looking for adequate solutions to Sofia’s challenges. Starting in spring 2022, we keep involving various interest groups, have an active contact with the media, as well as with politicians from different political parties. The solutions that we have proposed cover variety of topics - from energy communities and the heat-island effect, through public space management and mobility, to the management of water resources and housing policy.
2️⃣ Between 2017 and 2021, aided by a 30+ strong team of different experts I founded and developed Sofiaplan - Sofia’s municipal spatial and strategic body. I gathered and led this multidisciplinary team, creating a number of municipal strategies, conducting a great number of analysis on a variety of subjects and producing Sofia’s Integrated Development Strategy for the 2021-2027 EU planning period. We consciously dedicated time, effort and resources to making difficult subjects more easily comprehendible by non-specialists and we kept an active public appearance. At that same time Sofiaplan took part in a transfer network, supported by URBACT - Com.Unity.Lab. My role was to coordinate the work that was produced in Sofia and represent the city within the network.
3️⃣ Almost parallel to this I led the Vision Sofia 2050 initiative - a proposal made by a group of activists, led by me, and adopted by Sofia’s Municipality. By focusing on the process of an informed dialogue we came to define the long-term goals for Sofia, as well as the steps needed to be taken to reach them. We managed to gather and publish large amounts of data, but also to involve in different ways more than 10 000 people in this process.
My previous experience includes leading the ONE ARCHITECTURE WEEK festival, working for architecture offices in different parts of the world and being involved in a variety of activities in the public domain.
In the course of the years I developed skills for creating systems - teams, processes, projects, plans. I believe in flexible, ever-evolving systems that take into account as many factors as necessary to work properly. And I believe that the future can be bright as long as we invest in it.