Sofia Challenge is a competition organized by Sofia Municipality and Transformatori Association and is part of the global contest for innovative ideas Mayor’s Challenge – organized by the Bloomeberg Foundation.
The competition is looking for an innovative idea, that will solve a specific urban problem, but is also easily adaptable to another context.
More on the competition you can see here: http://sofiachallenge.bg и https://www.facebook.com/SofiaChallenge
The winner’s idea was developed with the support of Transformatori Association and Sofia Municipallity and is now part of the final Mayor’s Challenge Selection.
“DIY Sofia – mobile workshop for urban initiatives” empowers citizens to actively shape and transform their cit y through artistic and innovative
interventions. Citizens will choose a problem space in their neighbourhood and will transform it into a shared public space with support of the Municipality, artists and professionals .
In Sofia’s neighbourhoods there are many neglected public spaces. There is only a limit d number of examples showing groups of citizens taking care and successfully maintaining a part of their environment. After introducing the idea to the city, it will gradually change its appearance, becoming beautiful; there will be new, uniquely changed places, best describing the culture and creativity of the residents of the city.
Other independent, grass – root initiatives will appear , that will transform more of public and private urban spaces . The change will be physical as well as in the attitude of Sofia’s inhabitants, who will gain the courage and satisfaction from carrying for their environment . It will c r eat e an aesthetic attitude and sense of community, overcoming social differences and prejudices among the citizens through their involvement in a comm on cause.
This will connect with the global trends of sustainable development , urban agriculture, place-making and urban renewal . All participants in the initiative (citizens, Municipality, N G Os) will learn how to work together, new models of communication and collaboration will be tested , all participants will learn that they can do more for their city.
