SPATIUM International Review UDC 711.2(497.2)"2006/2010" No. 23, October 2010, pp. 1-8 Review paper 1 DOI: 10.2298/SPAT1023001D CURRENT CHALLENGES AND INNOVATIVE APPROACHES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF PERIPHERAL REGIONS IN BULGARIA (THE CASE OF IVAYLOVGRAD MUNICIPALITY) Elena Dimitrova1, University of Architecture, Civil Engineering & Geodesy, Faculty of Architecture, Department of Urban Planning, Sofia, Bulgaria Angel Burov, University of Architecture, Civil Engineering & Geodesy, Faculty of Architecture, Department of Urban Planning, Sofia, Bulgaria The paper approaches territorial cohesion in SEE from the perspective of social equity with regard to the opportunity to choose to live in one’s native place without compromising the quality of life. It is interested in border areas – both physical and virtual; in real life situations as meeting points of theories and policies influencing human lives; and in the emerging challenges there that often make us question once and again our concepts and actions as experts. Based on the Bulgarian case-study analysis, the authors discuss the effectiveness and current challenges of real-life implementation of EU and national policies aimed at sustainable development of peripheral regions. The rural peripheral municipality of Ivaylovgrad is an indicative case study for the ongoing processes in the peripheral regions of Bulgaria and the efforts to overcome a continuing loss of working places, services, markets and further isolation from the rest of the country since the early 1990s. The paper presents a critical view of initiatives and projects undertaken by interest and local groups in the period 2006–2010. Possible innovative approaches for regional revival are considered and conclusions are drawn about the importance of creating development strategies sensitive to the existing and emerging socio-cultural patterns. Key words: SEE, EU cohesion policy, sustainable regional development, socio-spatial networks. development projects and emerging power life implementation and effectiveness of EU INTRODUCTION1 relations (Csurgo et al, 2008); (c) the role of pre-accession and cohesion policies, as well In the context of an increasingly urbanized knowledge in reconnecting social and natural as broader issues of the ‘continuity-change’ world with decreasing and scarce resources, a systems and in the development of indicator dichotomy in regional development and 2 question inevitably emerges that has to be systems capable of supporting joint learning the challenge of developing as a rural region in answered – whether we should consider by resource users (Parkins et al, 2001; Reed et an increasingly globalized and urbanized peripheries a problem or an opportunity to find al, 2006; Bruckmeier and Tovey, 2008); (d) world. The paper provides arguments stating a better way for a balanced urban-rural multiple factors influencing the dynamics of the need to formulate policies in a way more relationship (RSA, 2009). The topic of rural sustaining activities (Pantic and Miljkovic, persistently sensitive to ‘life on the ground’ regions in Europe is nowadays being 2010); (f) potential effects and challenges of processes and in measuring and estimating researched with a growing awareness about the interaction by socio-spatial networks in remote policy success and failure in the long term and complexity of issues and interacting factors. rural regions (Mulder et al, 2006). from multiple perspectives. In accordance with EU cohesion policy priorities (Davoudi, 2010), Recent research studies are increasingly The paper discusses regional policy issues as it is focused on people and processes in space focused on process-oriented aspects: (a) rural traced in the particular context of a Bulgarian as determined by a particular cultural context; development continuity (Vergunst et al, 2009); peripheral municipality, but also situated at the (b) co-operation between actors within rural meeting point of several broader topics: sustainable regional development and its 2The paper is partially based on analyses undertaken 1 Hristo Smirnenski Blvd. 1, 1046 Sofia, Bulgaria peculiar dimensions under the dynamic within a university research project (UACEG, contract [email protected] BN 103/2009) peripheral/border conditions in Europe, real- spatium 1 Dimitrova E., Burov A.: Current challenges and innovative approaches in the development of peripheral regions in Bulgaria... on social equity with respect to opportunities problems of the south-eastern peripheral political changes brought additional challenges created in living places; and on the emergence region of the country being already clearly to the region and required completely different of value-based identities and communities in visible and addressed by state policy in the approaches to meet them. peripheral regions as an important factor for early 1980s. In 1981 the region was already enhancing social capital – mentioned in all strongly lagging behind the rest of the country Regional policy in the period 1990–2010 official documents on sustainable development in both industry and agriculture, with resulting and territorial cohesion, but in many cases still serious demographic tendencies of After the democratic changes in Central and Eastern Europe during the 1990s, planning strongly underestimated or misunderstood. depopulation. In the period 1965 ‐ 1985 the activities were generally abandoned and Strandzha-Sakar region lost about 45 000 The case study discussed the municipality of neglected for almost a decade – partly because inhabitants, while at the same time the Ivaylovgrad, located in a border region in the of the extreme shifts in social and economic population of large industrial centers in the south-eastern periphery of Bulgaria. Varying life and partly due to a general region increased. There were also considerable regional policies applied from the mid-1980s misunderstanding about the liberalization of inner migrations inside municipalities, from to the present day at different levels of society after the shift from a centralized villages to municipal an secondary centres. governance and under different political economy. Planning practice was then restored The key political document providing policy systems have attempted with no significant thanks to both external and internal measures for regenerating the Strandza-Sakar effect to stop and reverse the unfavourable and encouragements and was based on a and Ivaylovgrad region23was adopted in 1982 unsustainable trends of socio-economic decentralized approach (Regional Development (Statement No. 22/12.05.1982 of the Bulgarian decline and depopulation of the region. Based Act, 1999). The need for harmonization Council of Ministers). The targeted region was on an analysis of available scientific references between socio-economic and spatial planning later on communicated and known as The about the region and personal experience at all levels was confirmed. Republic of Youth. The Statement prescribed a gained through contacts with local authorities, set of strategic measures to slow down and educational and cultural institutions through A National Regional Development Plan and reverse the negative tendencies: support for academic research (1988–1989), NGO activity district development plans were elaborated. small and medium size enterprises, According to the Spatial Planning Act (2001), (2005–2010) and educational field trips development of agri-industrial complexes to a National Integrated Development Scheme is (2008–2009), the paper discusses the need to provide employment all year round, securing to be elaborated. Work has started by re-conceptualize regional policy efforts with a technical, transport and communication stronger focus on bottom-up processes, local developing a Methodology for the elaboration infrastructure, better housing and social capacity-building and partnerships in long- of the National Scheme (to be bound with the services, upgrading social care and National Regional Development Plan). term initiatives designed with the purpose of educational infrastructure, promotion of achieving a higher level of regional and local cultural heritage and tourism; and measures to The Spatial Planning Act envisages the independence. The need for a new regional stimulate people with secondary and higher elaboration of regional development schemes, development policy is asserted, which should education from all over the country to settle in yet work in this field has hardly begun. A be based on integrated approaches, supported the region. second generation of district development by deeper interdisciplinary research and plans is in the implementation phase. It is evaluated through specific sets of indicators A National Research Programme for the recommended that they should be coordinated sensitive to the local and regional socio- Strandzha-Sakar Region was funded and a with district development schemes, but there cultural context. The role and potential of rural series of symposia were organized to discuss has been no substantial evidence of such peripheries are finally discussed in the its findings and policy implementation results. harmonization yet. perspective of more global spatial interactions Although the region saw general development and environmental impacts. tendencies of depopulation, in 1985 The elaboration of municipal master plans was Ivaylovgrad was considered a region with continually hampered by financial deficit, however, in the period 1999–2000 a number of BULGARIAN BORDER REGIONS: comparatively