Sofia Municipality is preparing to significantly expand the city’s parking capacity with the construction of nine new parking facilities over the next 12 to 18 months. The projects are expected to add more than 2,000 new parking spaces across several districts, easing chronic pressure in residential areas.
Mayor Vasil Terziev announced the initiative at a press briefing, describing it as the first concrete step in a broader, long-term strategy to tackle Sofia’s parking and traffic challenges. The facilities will be developed through public-private partnerships, while ownership of the land will remain firmly with the municipality.
According to Terziev, the city has deliberately avoided short-term or fragmented solutions. “This is not about isolated parking lots,” he said. “Our goal is to introduce a sustainable model that can be expanded and adapted as the city grows.”
The selection of sites followed a detailed assessment of 269 municipal properties across Sofia. Officials evaluated each location based on ownership status, readiness under urban planning regulations, archaeological considerations, transport safety, and actual parking demand in surrounding neighborhoods.
Deputy Mayor for Transport Viktor Chaushev said the data clearly showed the urgency of the issue. Sofia currently has more than 750 cars per 1,000 residents, placing it among the European cities with the highest vehicle density and straining existing parking infrastructure.
The nine sites selected for rapid implementation are located in Ovcha Kupel, Ilinden, Nadezhda, Serdika, Poduyane, Krasno Selo, and Mladost. Ovcha Kupel will host three separate facilities, reflecting particularly strong demand in the area.
Several of the new parking lots will function as buffer or park-and-ride facilities near metro stations. The aim is to encourage drivers to leave their cars on the outskirts and continue their journeys using public transport, reducing congestion in central districts.
The largest of the planned sites will be in Ilinden, where a facility offering around 400 parking spaces is envisaged. Its proximity to major transport corridors and public transport links made it a priority location, officials said.
Chaushev stressed that the parking expansion is only one element of a wider package of transport measures. These include discouraging long-term parking in residential streets and supporting alternatives that combine private vehicle use with efficient public transport.
Care was taken to ensure that construction would be sensitive to neighborhood environments. Sites were chosen to minimize disruption and, where possible, integrate additional community benefits into the design of the facilities.
Boyko Dimitrov, chairman of the working group on public-private partnerships, explained that larger sites would be developed under concession models. This approach, he said, allows the municipality to retain strategic control while benefiting from private-sector efficiency and investment.
A detailed report outlining the nine selected locations will be submitted to the Sofia Municipal Council in the coming weeks. Following approval, financial and economic analyses will be carried out before formal project procedures begin.
The estimated investment for the initiative reflects average construction costs in Bulgaria of around 2,500 to 3,000 BGN per parking space. For more than 2,000 spaces, total costs are expected to reach approximately 5 to 6 million BGN.
Terziev underlined that all parking facilities will remain municipal property, regardless of the partnership structure. He also noted that some projects may include added features such as green roofs, landscaped areas, or sports facilities to better integrate them into urban surroundings.
“This is only the beginning,” the mayor said. “Parking development must go hand in hand with better public transport and smarter urban planning if Sofia is to become a more organized and sustainable city.”
Municipal officials indicated that further phases of the strategy are already being prepared, suggesting that additional parking projects could follow once the initial nine facilities are completed and evaluated.