site.btaSofia Launches BGN 5.7 Mln Urban Greening Project

Sofia Municipality is expanding the city’s green system through a new project worth BGN 5.7 million, Deputy Mayor for Environment Nadezhda Bobcheva told a press conference on Friday. The project, entitled "Green Measures for Cleaner Air", financed under the Environment Programme, aims to improve air quality by increasing green areas across the capital.

Bobcheva said that selected plant species will help absorb fine particulate matter, while district mayors are actively involved in choosing the locations. The expansion of green infrastructure complements the municipality’s broader clean-air measures, including low-emission zones for vehicles, controls on domestic heating and construction activities, and efforts to curb illegal waste burning.

The project includes three components: innovative green solutions, street greening, and greening of inter-block spaces. It envisages greening a total of 9.90 hectares with 2,089 new trees (1,809 deciduous and 280 coniferous) and 57,664 deciduous shrubs proven effective in capturing fine dust.

New green areas will be created along major road corridors such as Tsar Boris III Blvd., Todor Alexandrov Blvd., and Tsarigradsko Shose Blvd. Additional landscaping is planned for inter-block spaces in Mladost 2 and Obelya 2, with vegetation concentrated in areas adjacent to traffic to maximise filtering of pollutants.

Plans also include a vertical green wall at the main entrance of University First Multiprofile Hospital for Active Treatment Sofia and mobile planters at a playground in North Park to improve microclimate and reduce dust dispersion.

Greening and improvement works will cover 11 sites across Sofia. Landscaping along Khan Kubrat Blvd. between Lomsko Shose Blvd. and Beli Dunav St. is expected to begin in the following week, Bobcheva added.