The City Ideas Institute — "CityLovers" — is a civic think-and-do tank dedicated to urban development, connecting small-scale initiatives and building a network of ideas and active people across Bulgaria and the Balkans.
From knowledge and research to fellowships and regional connections — our work spans the full spectrum of civic urban change.
Leveraging the database of 200+ urban initiatives to create a national resource for urban knowledge and assistance.
Explore initiatives →Testing, prototyping and scaling urban solutions — producing policy papers, rankings, and actionable products for cities.
Read our work →Bringing together urban movements, civic groups, experts and local authorities for dialogue, peer learning and exchange.
Join an event →Growing into a true Balkan hub for urban collaboration, attracting EU funding and international partnerships.
Become a partner →Five flagship initiatives underway in 2026.
The "Paint With Us" association from Svishtov won first place in the 5th CityLovers competition with their "Accessible Art" project — creating outdoor exhibition panels to bring art closer to citizens. The jury selected from a record 60 submissions across Bulgaria. Two more projects were awarded: recycled-plastic urban furniture in Silistra and a mobile greenhouse in Sofia.
Read in Capital →A deep dive into the three winning projects of CityLovers 2025 — from outdoor art panels in Svishtov built on 10 years of the "River" cultural festival, to recycled bottle-cap seating in Silistra's parks, to a mobile glass-and-wood greenhouse in Sofia.
Read in Capital →Economics teacher Irena Petrova from Ikhtiman took the grand prize with her Bee School — a wooden beehive-shaped structure offering environmental education for children aged 3+. Nine projects from across Bulgaria were awarded at a ceremony in the British Ambassador's residence in Sofia.
Read in Capital →Two awarded projects from the 4th CityLovers edition: "Natural Art" aims to create Bulgaria's first permanent land art park inside Stara Zagora's biodiverse Bedechka Park. In Haskovo, a mobile library caravan and book-shaped play stage will bring reading outdoors for children and families.
Read in Capital →Monthly updates on urban initiatives, events and opportunities from across Bulgaria and the Balkans. Be part of the conversation.
No spam. One email per month. Unsubscribe anytime.