site.btaSofia's Chief Architect Comes Down, Mayor Appoints Interim Successor

Sofia's Chief Architect Bogdana Panayotova Monday announced in a Facebook post that she is coming down, following months of public frictions with the city leadership over governance and direction of the city’s urban planning policy. In a statement released soon after that, Sofia Mayor Vassil Terziev said he had accepted the resignation, effective 6 January.

On December 23, Sofia Municipality said it expected Panayotova to resign so it can continue efforts to build a functioning, transparent and accountable system for urban planning and development in the capital. 

As she announced her decision, Panayotova cited a lack of political support, institutional pressure, and structural constraints that, she said, prevented the chief architect from exercising statutory powers. She rejected claims made by Sofia Municipality on December 23 that her resignation was needed to advance planning reforms, calling them factually inaccurate and an attempt to shift political responsibility onto an expert role.

Panayotova said expert opinions were systematically ignored and that the position had been reduced to a formal post without real authority. She also criticized what she described as administrative disarray and avoidance of difficult planning decisions, adding that her resignation would allow for a new competition for the role.

Terziev said Boyan Nedev has been appointed interim chief architect to ensure continuity in the administration’s work. Nedev is an architect by training and has to this day headed a department in the architecture and urban planning unit of the City Hall.

The mayor said the municipality remains focused on long-term urban development reforms, including the creation of an Infrastructure Development Fund, regulatory changes to curb overdevelopment, and a new approach to planning that integrates construction with traffic, social infrastructure, and green spaces.