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Urban Agriculture for Improving the
Quality of Life
Examples from Bulgaria
Editors: (view affiliations) Dona Pickard
Presents a multidisciplinary and holistic approach to
Urban Agriculture
Provides primary data and includes a sociological
survey conducted in Sofia, Bulgaria
A self-assessment tool for UA initiatives to evaluate
their contribution to the quality of life of urban
communities
Part of the book series: Urban Agriculture (URBA)
128 Accesses
Sections
Table of contents
About this book
Editors and Affiliations
About the editor
Bibliographic Information
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Table of contents (8 chapters)
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Front Matter
PDF
Pages i-xiii
Introduction
Mariana Draganova, Dona Pickard
Pages 1-5
Overview of the Sofia Urban
Agriculture Case and Research
Approach
Front Matter
PDF
Pages 7-7
Historical Evolution of Urban Agriculture
Practices in Sofia and Local Context at
Present
Mariana Draganova, Dona Pickard
Pages 9-19
Framing the Research Approach and
Literature Review
Dona Pickard
Pages 21-38
Dimensions of the Impacts of Urban
Agriculture on the Quality of Life in
Sofia: Results and Analysis
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Front Matter
PDF
Pages 39-39
Social Dimensions
Dona Pickard, Mariana Draganova, Albena Nakova,
Emilia Chengelova
Pages 41-85
Economic Dimensions
Zornitsa Stoyanova, Galina Koleva
Pages 87-109
Environmental Dimensions
Petko Tzvetkov, Ivaylo Dedov, Stoyan Beshkov, Petar
Shurulinkov
Pages 111-134
Spatial Dimensions
Nina Toleva-Nowak
Pages 135-184
Conclusions
Dоna Pickard
Pages 185-191
Back Matter
PDF
Pages 193-197
About this book
This book presents the findings of a multidisciplinary
study on the effects of urban agriculture (UA) on the
social, economic and environmental aspects of the
quality of life in Sofia - the capital of Bulgaria. The
analyses are based on a sociological survey
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representative of 3 districts of Sofia (among 750
people), in-depth interviews, focus groups, expert
statements, ecological monitoring of UA sites, and
spatial mapping of natural resources for UA. It also
focuses on UA effects on the social well-being of
citizens and communities, the correlation between
social capital and UA attitudes, the challenges for UA
to integrate disadvantaged social groups, the factors
for success of small UA businesses, as well as the role
of policy and civil society in developing UA. This
work is also important for the analysis of the
underlying links between all aspects of urban
agriculture, many of which are valid beyond the local
socio-economic context and environmental specifics
of the city of Sofia.
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Keywords
Social
Economic
Sustainable
Spatial
Environmental
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Editors and Affiliations
Institute of Philosophy and Sociology,
Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia,
Bulgaria
Dona Pickard
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About the editor
Dona Pickard, PhD is an Assistant Professor in
Sociology at the Institute of Philosophy and
Sociology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. She
has been studying social capital in rural communities
and the social effects of agriculture in urban
environments. Her interest in the subject is focused
on the potential of urban agriculture to improve the
quality of life of urban communities through social
cohesion, integration of disadvantaged communities
and citizenship empowerment. Apart from
coordinating academic research in the field of urban
agriculture, Dona Pickard consults other research
institutions on the topic, as well as NGOs and the
media.
Mariana Draganova, PhD is an Associate
Professor at the Department
of Stratification, Inequalities and Mobilities, Institute
of Philosophy and Sociology, Bulgarian Academy of
Sciences. Her main research interests and experience
are in the field of rural sociology: land reform,
sustainable rural development; rural-urban relations;
rural tourism; urban agriculture. As a key expertsociologist she carries
out theoretical and empirical studies and analysis. M.
Draganova has coordinated and participated in
national and international projects in the field
of agriculture and rural development. She
coordinated the interdisciplinary project “Urban
agriculture as a Strategy for Improving the Quality of
Life of Urban Communities”.
Galina Koleva, PhD is an Assistant Professor at the
Institute of Philosophy and Sociology at the
Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. Her research and
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scientific activities (projects, surveys, analyses,
teaching and scholarships) are in the fields of
business and entrepreneurship, rural economy and
land use, rural-urban relationships and urban
agriculture, employment and informal economy.
Since her participation in the COST Action Urban
Agriculture Europe (2012-2016), her areas of scientific
interests have been focused on the socio-economic
performance of urban farming; entrepreneurial
models of urban agriculture and their role in the
economic system and the effects on the urban
environment and society as well.
Zornitsa Stoyanova, PhD is an Associate Professor,
PhD at the Natural Resources Economic Department
at the University of National and World Economy,
Sofia Bulgaria. Her scientific interests are in the field
of sustainable development agricultural and
environmental management, natural resource
economy. She is Chairwoman of the Business Faculty
General Assembly and Deputy head of the Natural
resource economics department. Stoyanova has over
100 publications (books, articles, papers) on
the agricultural sector, natural resources, water and
environmental management, project and risk
management, education etc. Z. Stoyanova is a team
member and team leader in more than 25
international, national and university projects.
Albena Nakova, PhD is an Associate Professor in
Sociology at the Institute of Philosophy and
Sociology, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. For more
than 25 years, her academic interests and scientific
research have focused on the intersection of
sociology and social psychology and, more
specifically, on the study of problems of social
communication and interaction, social
representations and attitudes, communities and
identities, social inequalities, social cohesion,
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community building, social capital, as well as the
problems of inclusion of ethnic minorities and
disadvantaged groups. She has over 90 scientific
publications on these issues and has participated in
over 30 scientific projects.
Emilia Chengelova is a Professor, Doctor of
Sociological Sciences at the Institute of Philosophy
and Sociology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.
Her experience is focused on implementation of
Social Survey Methods (both qualitative and
quantitative methods), extensive work in elaboration
of conceptual models and methodological
approaches for collecting empirical information. She
has successfully implemented innovative research
techniques to study respondent behaviour and
obtain reliable research data. Her methodological
qualification and expertise have found relevant
practical implementation in more than 80 projects
over the last twenty years. Prof. Chengelova has over
120 publications, including 30 monographs and more
than 35 articles in highly ranked scientific journals.
Nina Toleva-Nowak is a PhD candidate in History
and Theory of Architecture at the University of
Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy, Sofia.
Her research focuses on history and theory of urban
planning, self-organization, spatial reflections of
social practices, preservation of cultural heritage,
interdisciplinary research and working with
volunteers and local communities. In 2016, she was
Head of Research of a comprehensive
interdisciplinary study of the third biggest prefab
neighbourhood in Bulgaria. Currently she is a Chief
Expert of “Culture, Archaeology and Cultural
Heritage” Department at Plovdiv Municipality. She
has multiple publications in the field of urban theory,
grassroots processes and empowering neglected
groups.
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Petko Tzvetkov is a Master of Science in Ecology at
Sofia University. He is an expert and a project
manager at the Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation
and a consultant for several other environmental
organizations and agencies. He has got over 20 years
of experience in applied ecology, biodiversity
conservation, and sustainable development. His
scientific interests are biodiversity assessment and
environmental management. He is a qualified field
researcher of bird migration. During the last 10 years,
his special interest and focus is on theoretical and
practical aspects of urban agriculture and gardening.
Ivaylo Dedov, PhD is an Associate Professor,
specialist in gastropods at the Institute of Biodiversity
and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of
Sciences. He has more than 100 publications on
molluscs and has participated in many research
projects, including “Development of a representative
national system of protected areas in Republic of
Macedonia”, “Transboundary Biosphere Reserve
Prespa – Support to the Albanian Prespa National
Park”, “Mapping and assessing ecosystem services in
wetlands in Bulgaria”, “East and South European
Network for Invasive Alien Species”, “Establishing a
European Red List of Terrestrial Molluscs”. Since 2003
Dedov has been a consultant of the scientific CITES
committee at the Ministry of Environment and Water,
Bulgaria.
Stoyan Beshkov, PhD is an Associate Professor,
Deputy Director and Head of the Invertebrates
Department of the National Museum of Natural
History, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. His scientific
interests are in the field of biodiversity and nature
conservation, especially of Lepidoptera. Beshkov has
over 140 publications (books, articles, papers) on the
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Lepidoptera fauna of Bulgaria, Balkan Peninsula and
other countries. Several species and subspecies are
described by him, several other taxa, including one
genus are bearing his name. Beshkov proposed
several Natura 2000 sites for Bulgaria and works on
the biodiversity in the majority of the Natura 2000
sites and parks in Bulgaria. He is the founder and
member of several NGO-s and scientific societies and
is a member of several editorial boards.
Peter Shurulinkov, PhD is an Associate professor at
the National Museum of Natural History, Bulgarian
Academy of Sciences. At present he is the curator of
the bird collection. His scientific Interests are in the
field of ornithology, parasitology, ecology and nature
conservation. Member of BALKANI Wildlife Society
since 1993. Author of 107 scientific articles and two
books in the fields of ornithology, ecology and
parasitology. He has been an active bird ringer since
1990.
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Bibliographic Information
Book Title
Urban
Agriculture for
Improving the
Quality of Life
Book Subtitle
Examples from
Bulgaria
Editors
Dona Pickard
Series Title
Urban
Agriculture
DOI
https://doi.org/
10.1007/978-3030-94743-9
Publisher
Springer Cham
eBook
Packages
Social Sciences,
Social Sciences
(R0)
Copyright
Information
The Editor(s) (if
applicable) and
The Author(s),
Hardcover
ISBN
978-3-03094742-2
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under exclusive
license to
Springer Nature
Switzerland AG
2022
eBook ISBN
978-3-03094743-9
Series ISSN
2197-1730
Series E-ISSN
2197-1749
Edition
Number
1
Number of
Pages
XIII, 197
Number of
Illustrations
1 b/w
illustrations
Topics
Urban Sociology,
Landscape
Architecture,
Urban Ecology
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