Spatial Segregation and Transformation of the Bulgarian Urban Space: Case Study Bulgaria

Abstract: Spatial segregation, driven by demographic shifts, political history, and social and economic inequalities, has intensified in Bulgaria since the post-socialist transformation of the 1990s. Today, with most Bulgarians living in urban areas, growing economic and social disparities have led to the construction of new “walls” and “borders” within the urban fabric. This paper explores the complex nature of spatial segregation in Bulgaria, analyzing old and new forms of segregated communities and the process’s internal and external drivers. Addressing these issues requires a comprehensive and holistic approach that promotes intercultural dialogue, reduces discriminatory attitudes and stereotypes, and improves access to public services, transport, and affordable housing in marginalized neighborhoods. Aligning urban planning policies with the New Leipzig Charter (2020) is crucial for creating more equitable and inclusive “urban places” for all Bulgarian citizens.

Keywords: spatial segregation, urban space, ghettoization, Roma population, Bulgaria

Professor Nadezhda Ilieva, PhD works in the Economic and Social Geography section of the Department of Geography, NIGGG-BAS. Her scientific interests and research projects are related to ethnic geography, the spatial segregation of Roma in urban spaces, depopulation processes, spatial planning, geographic information systems, and geography education.

Dessislava Poleganova is a geographer and researcher at NIGGG-BAS’s Department of Geography. Her scholarly work focuses on human geography, with a persistent interest in behavioral geography, urban studies, political and regional geography, and geography education.

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