Pazardzhik to become a city that people choose themselves for quality of life

The city is changing in the areas of transport, housing environment, education and sport, said the mayor of Pazardzhik, Petar Kulenski. He pointed out that the goal is for the city to be the preferred choice for living, not a place people leave out of habit. The change must be felt in the daily life of citizens, not only in one renovated object, he added.

Kulenski emphasized that between 2024 and 2026, within the Recovery and Resilience Plan, 22 projects are planned, with a total budget of over 26.8 million euros for various sectors. He drew attention to the need for long-term planning and linking of investments — transport with clean air, education with demography, health care with the university sector, and sport with the quality of life.

Electric buses are already traveling the streets of the city, and the renovation of school sports grounds, sports halls and social facilities continues. In addition, work is underway on housing renovation, updating heating installations, and improving the living conditions for residents. According to Kulenski, this is a large-scale process aimed at changing the image of entire neighborhoods and areas, not just repairing a single street.

The mayor also spoke about the Medical University of Plovdiv, Pazardzhik branch, as an opportunity to retain young people and attract teachers, which would help local hospitals solve staffing problems. He noted that the municipality has invested in a renovated building and training conditions, and the goal is to create around the branch an environment for students, doctors and future employers.

According to Kulenski, the approach to renovating neighborhoods should be holistic, as in the example of “Maritsa-Hospital”: in addition to streets and sidewalks, work is also being done on inter-block spaces, children's playgrounds and the living environment around homes. At the same time, it is acknowledged that renovating all neighborhoods at once is difficult and requires serious financial resources, but the direction is clear.

Regarding air quality in winter, the mayor does not announce final results, since this indicator depends on many factors. Nevertheless, it is noted that the measures are of a large scale: replacing wooden and coal heating systems with cleaner solutions for more than 3,656 applications by September, as well as installing more than 3,900 new devices by August. Electric buses supplement updated transport.

Social care in Pazardzhik is developing with a focus on independent and active aging. In the project for innovative health and social services in the home environment, work is being done with 160 users; 56 employment contracts have been concluded with home assistants, nurses and drivers, and through the “Personal Assistance” mechanism over 1,300 people with disabilities are being supported. Pensioners’ clubs and their infrastructure are being renovated.

Kulenski notes that there is no single project to attract youth. The strategy emphasizes a combined approach: good schools, higher education, sport, culture, jobs and a high-quality urban environment. For 2026, the education sector receives 46.65 million euros, with the main portion being state funds for educational institutions.

Regarding the sports scene, the city already has a strong base: the renovation of Hall “Hebar”, hosting the Modern Pentathlon World Cup, and the participation of the national football U21 team at the Georgi Benkovski stadium are part of the efforts. In the long term, development of neighborhood sports spaces is expected, including new zones for urban sports such as bike and skateboard areas. The goal is for Pazardzhik to establish itself as a city of sport, as well as a place where people exercise regularly.

Kulenski emphasizes that the city must have its own reason to be chosen, which means providing quality conditions for education, work, investments, transport, a clean and orderly city, sport and health care, as well as social security. The big vision for the term is Pazardzhik not to be simply a city to live in by birth, but a city that people choose, even if they have options.

Source: Стандарт нюз