The Attitudes of Local Authorities and Civil Actors to Sofia’s Green Urban Development Through Urban Agriculture

When studying the opportunities and challenges for sustainable urban development, it is important to analyse the role of the local authorities for the implementation of green policies, as well as the existing and recognized by citizens conditions for civil participation in a dialogue with the policy makers and in the process of governance of their own communities and social spaces. The article offers such analysis, based on data gathered within the research project “Urban agriculture as a strategy for improving the quality of life of urban communities”, funded by the Bulgarian National Science fund for the period 2016–2020. The project studied the potential of urban agriculture to develop as a socially significant activity in the city of Sofia. The analysis presents the similarities and differences in the attitudes toward urban agriculture as an instrument for sustainable urban policies between different actors. This reveals existing deficits in the communication and information exchange between local authorities, practitioners, and their partner civil groups. Some factors for these deficits, as well as ways to overcome them are also outlined.