20-Year-Old Student Creates Digital Map Showing Obstacles on Sofia’s Pavements

A 20-year-old student from Sofia University of Technology, Tihomir Garmenliev, has developed a digital platform aimed at improving urban accessibility in the capital. The initiative, called SOFaccess, allows citizens to report issues on pavements and pedestrian zones, making them visible to the municipal authorities responsible for repairs.

Tihomir Garmenliev:
“I was inspired because I live in a neighbourhood where the pavements are in poor condition. I wanted, in some way, to make our city more accessible.”

The platform functions as a digital map of Sofia, where users can report problems such as broken pavements, lifted surfaces caused by tree roots, missing or damaged manhole covers, and non-functioning elevators or escalators in underpasses.

Anyone can submit a report by scanning a QR code placed at various public locations in Sofia, such as tram stops and underpasses. Reporting involves a few simple steps: selecting the location on the map, describing the problem, and attaching a photo.

SOFaccess is part of the “Academy for Visionaries” initiative by Sofia Municipality, which supports young and creative people in implementing socially beneficial projects. The platform has already received over 210 reports, which are forwarded to the municipality for action.

Anyone can log in to the platform and report a problem by scanning a QR code that has been placed in various public places in Sofia - bus stops, trams, underpasses.

Reporting is done in several steps. You need to select a location from the map, describe the problem and attach a photo.

The project is part of the "Visionary Academy" of Sofia Municipality, which gives young and creative people the opportunity to implement their ideas for the benefit of society. "SOFaccess is one of the winners and Lyubov Kostova is the mentor of the project.

Lyubov Kostova: "It is important for many people, of course, first of all for those who need it the most - whether it be parents with strollers, who we know how difficult it is to navigate the streets, or people with mobility difficulties, be it because they have some physical disability."

Although the platform has only been running for a short time, there are already over 210 alerts going to the council.

Lyubov Kostova: "Which is already taking care of the actions that will lead to a fix. This is a civic position. And for a young person like Tihomir to take such a civic stance, to create such an app that is active, is extremely commendable."

Tihomir Girmenliev: "We don't want to contradict the municipality in any way, we only want to help, thus giving them a map with all the problems in Sofia, and then they can easily plan where they can allocate money for repairs."
The platform is free and requires no registration. Submitting an alert is anonymous. All a person has to do is have an attitude towards their surroundings and take the initiative for change.

Lyubov Kostova:
“We can complain endlessly, walk along the streets and say: ‘There’s a broken paving slab here, it’s uneven there, a tree root has pushed through over there.’ But nothing comes of that. We cannot expect institutions to walk behind us and note down every single irregularity in order to fix it. It depends on us.”

Tihomir Garmenliev:
“We can improve the quality of the environment in Sofia with small steps. Submitting a report through the SOFaccess project takes less than a minute. And with this small step, we can help make our city more accessible and more beautiful, so that one day we truly live in a more pleasant place.”

Tihomir’s initiative is an example of an effective civil society – one in which the community is not merely a passive consumer, but an active participant working towards a more accessible and inclusive urban environment.