Books by Velislava Simeonova
Conflicts in the City: Reflections on urban unrest, 2015
The beginning of the transition and manifestation of neoliberal transformations in the post-socia... more The beginning of the transition and manifestation of neoliberal transformations in the post-socialist cities led to abrupt changes in the skyline (urban, architectural, social), horizontal and vertical expansion, differentiation in social-classes and other characteristics of these spaces. In many cases these changes led to urban contestation that has been totally exempt from academic interest.. The basic goal of this research is to trail the trend of stratum homogenization in the southern arc of Sofia, of changing the natural rural landscape in the former villages, of occupying this part of new capital city suburbia, with modernized and densely build up “collar”, entirely in favor of representatives of high and upper-middle class in the Bulgarian capital city, a situation that has brought a “latent urban conflict” that could emerge in any moment.
Conference Papers by Velislava Simeonova
Resumen
La formación de la Unión Europea y la investigación sobre sus transformaciones territoria... more Resumen
La formación de la Unión Europea y la investigación sobre sus transformaciones territoriales a diferentes escalas durante las últimas tres décadas han sido los responsables de la "aparición" de un proceso multidimensional y multidireccional denominado europeización. En la presente comunicación se lleva a cabo un análisis teórico-metodológico con el fin de comprender y estudiar las nuevas prácticas, que configuran dicho proceso y su afectación en cuanto a la planificación local de los países miembros. Este estudio está enmarcado dentro de una investigación de mayor rango enfocada a la elaboración de un modelo metodológico para registrar las influencias y la implementación de los sistemas nacionales de planificación que supone la Europeización.
4th SERBIAN CONGRESS OF GEOGRAPHERS
Being a cornerstone of analyses in the domain of regional geography, the study of the spatial in... more Being a cornerstone of analyses in the domain of regional geography, the study of the spatial inequalities could also be perceived as an important instrument to measure the dynamics, the strength, the sustainability, and the scale of the differences between investigated units, thus providing also the necessary base for making up sound recommendations for the regional and cohesion policies.
Although there are many studies of the inequalities at supranational, national and regional level, the majority of them lack complexity by concentrating only on certain indicators or development aspects. Therefore, the aim of this paper is not only to study the dynamics in key indicators, but also scrutinize the inequalities on a more complex base. Considering the major tasks of the research and the available statistical data, our analysis is best suited at the level of NUTS3 regions. In order to create spatial model of the development, we develop author’s methodology for complex assessment, which is based on multifactorial analysis of 6 groups of indicators: economic, infrastructural, social, political, demographical, and ecological. Subsequently, we compare our model with the scenarios represented in the Bulgarian “National concept for spatial development 2013-2025” aiming to uncover to which of them our model corresponds best. To summarize, the empirical results of the study prove that despite the EU membership the regional inequalities in Bulgaria remain striking, which poses a real threat to the future of some peripheral regions and to the sustainable development of the country.
The author’s interest in this subject, as well as its general relevance, are provoked by the insu... more The author’s interest in this subject, as well as its general relevance, are provoked by the insufficient research in the field of spatial planning in the Balkan region, and especially concerning the period after the political changes that started in the 90s. To widen the scope of the study, we concentrate on
four countries - two of them are EU members; the third one is characterized with high degree of European integration and the other one is lagging behind in terms of socio-economic parameters. The main idea of this article is to offer a theoretical and methodological points for empirical research designed to compare the different notions of territory/space, to scrutinize the diverse planning cultures and to summarize the guiding principles in the legislative framework and main planning documents.
The post-socialist development in the cities of Eastern Europe since the 90s of the last century ... more The post-socialist development in the cities of Eastern Europe since the 90s of the last century has deeply changed the compact one-class model of the city due to the dispersion, as well as spatial and social fragmentation of the capitalist cities. During the past few years, the theoretical problem of isomorphism between the physical and social space of post-socialist cities and social inequalities as expression of hierarchy of places (Bourdieu, 1997) is still a topical issue for Bulgarian scientists. Cities like Sofia remain on the periphery of the general and scientific literature interests (Hirt, 2012). Since 1989 they have been marked by the rapidly expanding suburban areas and have seen the processes of privatization of urban space and the isolation of "High life" inherent in the Western societies. The result of the coexistence of different social classes in the suburb area of Sofia remains completely misunderstood and is still a main topic of the Bulgarian urban and radical geography. The purpose of this paper is tracking the current trends of the south - southwestern periphery of the metropolitan area of the Bulgarian capital Sofia, as an expression of neoliberal urban conflicts and the classes' fragmentation. A special focus of the study islaid on the phenomenon of the gated communities perceived as a global and irrefutable marker focused on the transformation of the urban southern periphery. The study covers four peripheral districts of the city, namely - Panchаrevo, Vitosha, Ovcha Kupel and Bankya.
LA EUROPEIZACIÓN Y E L NUEVO VALOR DEL ES PACIO PÚBLICO EN LA CIUDAD POSTSOCIALISTA. LOS CAMBIOS FUNCIONALES Y LOS RE TOS DE LA NUEVA PLAN IFICACIÓN URBANA EN BULGARIA, 2013
The urban space has always been one of the significant factors in assessing the socie... more The urban space has always been one of the significant factors in assessing the society that inhabits and the projection of the evolution of urban planning decisions.
The fall of the socialist regimes made a series of urban transformations describing the peculiarity of post-socialist development in the entire region of Eastern Europe.
This communication reviews some of the parameters of urban change in Bulgaria, after more than twenty years of transition and focuses on the context of the new challenges of urban planning in the Bulgarian cities, with special attention to the City of Sofia’s case.
Articles by Velislava Simeonova
Land, 2022
The article deals with the issue of spatial plans at the local level. The aims of this paper are ... more The article deals with the issue of spatial plans at the local level. The aims of this paper are (1) extracting the characteristics of local spatial plans that can be compared more broadly (2) identifying, on this basis, the role of spatial plans at the local level in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). In achieving these aims, the authors have critically examined spatial plans and their performance, as well as the planning systems they belong to. Hence, they have investigated the types of local plans in each country, their legal features, and the layout of their content. This examination has revealed a host of problems in the workings of the CEE planning systems. The article highlights those spatial planning issues that could be the subject of more in-depth international comparisons. The study provides additional evidence that in countries where spatial plans are legislated, there are more (mutually differentiated) legal problems in their application. Such problems have been analyzed. Besides procedural problems, discrepancies between the contents of different types of plans (e.g., general plans and detailed plans) are very often a problem. The paper also proposes a novel method for detailed comparisons of selected aspects of spatial plans. It can be applied to a large number of countries and also to other aspects of spatial planning. Last but not least, the paper emphasizes the need for a detailed multi-stage consultation of each aspect to be compared.
Територията е социална, историческа и културна конструкция, резултат от присвояване на власт (app... more Територията е социална, историческа и културна конструкция, резултат от присвояване на власт (appropriation of power) и връзките между многобройни "съдържания и енергии", които управляват определено пространствено представянединамично и мобилно по своята същност, с географски скали (общностна, общинска, регионална и т.н.) и нива (Sosa Velásquez, 2012). Именно от тази гледна точка трябва да подхождаме и към територията на Югоизточна Европа или, казано накратко, Балканите. Териториалната структура на тази част от Европейския континент, където се преплитат толкова много национални истории, поставя въпроса за комплексния характер на пространството и неговата времева динамика, които в контекста на съвременната европейска и общностна (тази на ЕС) реалност, отключват въпроси, третирани частично от мнозина специалисти на научното познание, но често в необвързан контекст. Особено, когато става дума за подреждането на пъзела, включващ пространство, планиране, историко-географска и политическа динамики, културна идентичност и подходи на развитие, които по някакъв начин очертават многообразния облик на балканската територия, но в същото време я фрагментират.
The Transformation of Cuba: from social revolution to market socialism?, Aug 2014
В съвременния етап от развитието на света Куба е сред малкото примери за упорито отстояване на со... more В съвременния етап от развитието на света Куба е сред малкото примери за упорито отстояване на социалните ценности, равенството и икономическия рационализъм и национализма, характерни за т.нар. латиноамерикански социализъм. През 55-годишната история на страната след успеха на революцията, кубинският социализъм беше продължително и многократно съблазняван от успехите на капиталистическите общества и, паралелно с това, остро критикуван поради невъзможността да осигури икономически оптимални резултати, особено след разпадането на СССР, с чиито политико-икономически блок беше обвързана и Куба. Добре известният "специален период", който маркира социално-икономическата депресия от края на 80-те години на ХХ век, се характеризираше с перманентна криза на териториалното и икономическо планиране, продължила близо двайсет години. В края на първото десетилетие на ХХІ век тази депресия, в съчетание с дългогодишния "икономически апартейд" в развитието на страната, императивно наложи старта на програма от реформи за възраждане на икономиката, с която днес се идентифицира управлението на президента Раул Кастро.
Teaching Documents by Velislava Simeonova
Proceedings 1st EJIG 2014 by Velislava Simeonova
Facing new global challenges in an increasingly globalized context, the modern society needs a re... more Facing new global challenges in an increasingly globalized context, the modern society needs a reference benchmark to focus public attention in an adequate and serious manner on the variety of social, economic, political, cultural and environmental phenomena and the diversity of knowledge, dynamics and insight. It is indispensable to adopt a scientific attitude based on a well-ordered mind to systematize and properly address the global challenge in its overall complexity.
Facing new global challenges in an increasingly globalized context, the modern society needs a re... more Facing new global challenges in an increasingly globalized context, the modern society needs a reference benchmark to focus public attention in an adequate and serious manner on the variety of social, economic, political, cultural and environmental phenomena and the diversity of knowledge, dynamics and insight. It is indispensable to adopt a scientific attitude based on a well-ordered mind to systematize and properly address the global challenge in its overall complexity.
Conference Presentations by Velislava Simeonova
Books by Velislava Simeonova
Latin America Space, Society, and Economy is a publication from Sofia University in Bulgaria that... more Latin America Space, Society, and Economy is a publication from Sofia University in Bulgaria that covers different aspects of Latin-American reality from the perspective of Geography, History and Social Science in general.
Papers by Velislava Simeonova
Key challenges in geography, Oct 6, 2019
The process of urban shrinkage is not new in Europe. In post-socialist countries, the economic tr... more The process of urban shrinkage is not new in Europe. In post-socialist countries, the economic transformations since the beginning of the 1990s have led to changes in the settlement patterns caused by large-scale internal migrations in favour of metropolitan and regional urban centres and for the account of the remote and peripheral regions. Bulgaria is no exception to these processes where urban areas have been subjected to complex shrinkage, resulting in demographic and economic decline after the political changes in 1989. The economic and functional restructuring of the Bulgarian cities according to the market economy conditions have led to the inability of these areas to provide sufficient jobs and quality of life to other urban areas, leading to a progressive decline in their populations. This study groups the Bulgarian cities according to the causes and dynamics of their shrinkage from the last century to 2017, with a focus on the functional changes in the market economy after 1989, accompanied by demographic crisis and urban decline.
This study aims to advance the knowledge of the system of spatial planning instruments and of the... more This study aims to advance the knowledge of the system of spatial planning instruments and of the Europeanization process, having as an object of study a country from Eastern Europe: Bulgaria. The actuality of the topic is justified by the fact that Bulgaria is one of the new EU member states and also by the need to understand how the national system of spatial planning is transformed and Europeanized as a result of this membership. Understanding and interpreting the changes in the planning system after vii CONTENTS
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Books by Velislava Simeonova
Conference Papers by Velislava Simeonova
La formación de la Unión Europea y la investigación sobre sus transformaciones territoriales a diferentes escalas durante las últimas tres décadas han sido los responsables de la "aparición" de un proceso multidimensional y multidireccional denominado europeización. En la presente comunicación se lleva a cabo un análisis teórico-metodológico con el fin de comprender y estudiar las nuevas prácticas, que configuran dicho proceso y su afectación en cuanto a la planificación local de los países miembros. Este estudio está enmarcado dentro de una investigación de mayor rango enfocada a la elaboración de un modelo metodológico para registrar las influencias y la implementación de los sistemas nacionales de planificación que supone la Europeización.
Although there are many studies of the inequalities at supranational, national and regional level, the majority of them lack complexity by concentrating only on certain indicators or development aspects. Therefore, the aim of this paper is not only to study the dynamics in key indicators, but also scrutinize the inequalities on a more complex base. Considering the major tasks of the research and the available statistical data, our analysis is best suited at the level of NUTS3 regions. In order to create spatial model of the development, we develop author’s methodology for complex assessment, which is based on multifactorial analysis of 6 groups of indicators: economic, infrastructural, social, political, demographical, and ecological. Subsequently, we compare our model with the scenarios represented in the Bulgarian “National concept for spatial development 2013-2025” aiming to uncover to which of them our model corresponds best. To summarize, the empirical results of the study prove that despite the EU membership the regional inequalities in Bulgaria remain striking, which poses a real threat to the future of some peripheral regions and to the sustainable development of the country.
four countries - two of them are EU members; the third one is characterized with high degree of European integration and the other one is lagging behind in terms of socio-economic parameters. The main idea of this article is to offer a theoretical and methodological points for empirical research designed to compare the different notions of territory/space, to scrutinize the diverse planning cultures and to summarize the guiding principles in the legislative framework and main planning documents.
The fall of the socialist regimes made a series of urban transformations describing the peculiarity of post-socialist development in the entire region of Eastern Europe.
This communication reviews some of the parameters of urban change in Bulgaria, after more than twenty years of transition and focuses on the context of the new challenges of urban planning in the Bulgarian cities, with special attention to the City of Sofia’s case.
Articles by Velislava Simeonova
Teaching Documents by Velislava Simeonova
Proceedings 1st EJIG 2014 by Velislava Simeonova
Conference Presentations by Velislava Simeonova
Books by Velislava Simeonova
Papers by Velislava Simeonova
La formación de la Unión Europea y la investigación sobre sus transformaciones territoriales a diferentes escalas durante las últimas tres décadas han sido los responsables de la "aparición" de un proceso multidimensional y multidireccional denominado europeización. En la presente comunicación se lleva a cabo un análisis teórico-metodológico con el fin de comprender y estudiar las nuevas prácticas, que configuran dicho proceso y su afectación en cuanto a la planificación local de los países miembros. Este estudio está enmarcado dentro de una investigación de mayor rango enfocada a la elaboración de un modelo metodológico para registrar las influencias y la implementación de los sistemas nacionales de planificación que supone la Europeización.
Although there are many studies of the inequalities at supranational, national and regional level, the majority of them lack complexity by concentrating only on certain indicators or development aspects. Therefore, the aim of this paper is not only to study the dynamics in key indicators, but also scrutinize the inequalities on a more complex base. Considering the major tasks of the research and the available statistical data, our analysis is best suited at the level of NUTS3 regions. In order to create spatial model of the development, we develop author’s methodology for complex assessment, which is based on multifactorial analysis of 6 groups of indicators: economic, infrastructural, social, political, demographical, and ecological. Subsequently, we compare our model with the scenarios represented in the Bulgarian “National concept for spatial development 2013-2025” aiming to uncover to which of them our model corresponds best. To summarize, the empirical results of the study prove that despite the EU membership the regional inequalities in Bulgaria remain striking, which poses a real threat to the future of some peripheral regions and to the sustainable development of the country.
four countries - two of them are EU members; the third one is characterized with high degree of European integration and the other one is lagging behind in terms of socio-economic parameters. The main idea of this article is to offer a theoretical and methodological points for empirical research designed to compare the different notions of territory/space, to scrutinize the diverse planning cultures and to summarize the guiding principles in the legislative framework and main planning documents.
The fall of the socialist regimes made a series of urban transformations describing the peculiarity of post-socialist development in the entire region of Eastern Europe.
This communication reviews some of the parameters of urban change in Bulgaria, after more than twenty years of transition and focuses on the context of the new challenges of urban planning in the Bulgarian cities, with special attention to the City of Sofia’s case.