Tag: skating

Knyazheska Garden (Sofia)

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Condition

The location is an underutilized urban space which is originally designed to be an water pond. There are certain possibilities to adjust it for the use of urban skating. The existing forms, location (traditional skating gathering point – see the photo) and transport accessibility provide good conditions for becoming a vital place for the skating scene in the city of Sofia.

How-to Manual / Tips

1) Promote the idea to the skating community in Sofia and verify if there is a support for the idea;

2) Get familiar with the legal framework in respect to the particular public space – the park is defined as public space within zone six by the “Ordinance on movable objects for advertising, information and monumental decorative elements and advertising activities on the territory of Sofia Municipality”;

3) Explore technically possible spatial / surface adaptations to facilitate skating usage;

– The paves can be replaced with smooth textile to be used by skaters but also retain the possibility the structure to be also utilized as a pond.

Park Vuzrazhdane, Zona B-5

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Condition

The park has been underutilised for years and it is currently in unsatisfactory physical condition. Due to this fact the place has become a junkyard which hampers the sense of security within the area. The park is referred to some terrible urban legends in Sofia that additionally influences the image of the area.

In the recent past a skate ramp was located within the park and thus, the area was a notable place for the skating scene in Sofia. However, the facility was removed and nowadays the park is only occasionally for temporal establishment of circus installations.

Potential

The condition of the park urges for some interventions. Within the existing setting the place can become a vital public space due to the lack of green areas in this part of the city. For this purpose it is essential the citizens to reclaim the park for certain uses. A structural bottom-up intervention can be a great way to recover the connection between the local communities and the urban environment. The skating traditions within the park can be taken in consideration in a process of urban revitalisation.