The Compact vs. the Dispersed City:  History of Planning Ideas on Sofia’s Urban Form

Hirt, Sonia

The Compact vs. the Dispersed City: History of Planning Ideas on Sofia’s Urban Form

dc.contributor.author	Hirt, Sonia	en
dc.date.accessioned	2014-05-29T19:54:28Z	en
dc.date.available	2014-05-29T19:54:28Z	en
dc.date.issued	2007	en
dc.description.abstract	This paper reviews the planning history of Sofia since its designation as Bulgarian capital in 1879. It argues that Sofia’s planning has been persistently shaped by two perennial dilemmas—how to reconnect the city with nature and how to define its relationship with the region. In response to these dilemmas, different visions, shaped by both local conditions and dominant foreign theories, were proposed at different times. Some promoted a compact city, while others advocated a dispersed form. The case of Sofia demonstrates the significance of the city-nature and the city-region relationships in the evolution of planning thought. It also points to the difficulties which arise when local ideas of how to organize these relationships are inspired by international models made for cities with different historic experiences.	en
dc.identifier.citation	Hirt, Sonia. 2007. The Compact vs. the Dispersed City: History of Planning Ideas on Sofia’s Urban Form. Journal of Planning History 6 (2): 138-165.	en
dc.identifier.doi	https://doi.org/10.1177/1538513206301327	en
dc.identifier.issn	1552-6585	en
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10919/48183	en
dc.language.iso	en	en
dc.publisher	Sage Publications	en
dc.rights	Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication	en
dc.rights.uri	http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/	en
dc.subject	planning history	en
dc.subject	post-socialist Europe	en
dc.subject	urban sprawl	en
dc.title	The Compact vs. the Dispersed City: History of Planning Ideas on Sofia’s Urban Form	en
dc.title.serial	Journal of Planning History	en
dc.type	Article - Refereed	en