THE ROMA GHETTOIZED STRUCTURES IN DOBRICH: A RESOURCE OR A CHALLENGE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CITY

Abstract

Dobrich is one of the cities in which an increase in the size of the existing Roma ghettoized urban structures (Izgrev quarter, Iglikite quarter, Bus Station 1 and Bus Station 2) has been observed, which is changing the appearance of the city, albeit unconsciously, given the fact , that three of them are mixed inside the structure of the city and have a significant impact on its development. In the context of European policies for territorial cohesion, an important focus is the construction of more equal cities in socio economic terms. In the report of the European Commission "Cities of the Future", published in 2011. the view is taken that European cities become places of social progress, working towards social cohesion, balance and integration in order to reduce disparities between neighborhoods and to reach a low degree of spatial segregation and social marginalization. Regardless of the fact that the local authorities in the city make significant efforts to overcome stereotypes and prejudices towards the Roma community, a large part of the Roma population continues to be marginalized and socially excluded from the life of the city. There are a number of problems in the independent district of Izgrev, which, regardless of the efforts of the municipality, remain unresolved, which in turn, according to Francini (2013), may threaten the social, cultural and spatial integrity of the city. The Roma neighborhood is changing very intensively both horizontally (in space) and vertically (in height), but regardless of this, the dynamics in the inner structure of the neighborhood remain hidden from the local authorities, which significantly complicates the integration processes. The main purpose of the report is to outline the main problems faced by the Roma ghettoized structures in the city, which contribute to the deepening of the exclusion of the Roma population, lead to the underestimation of the opportunities to improve the educational, socioeconomic and health status and ultimately to the encapsulation of the community. This, in turn, significantly limits the opportunities and prospects for the development of the city and forms a specific attitude towards it from the point of view of investment growth and economic prosperity. Based on a series of in
depth interviews conducted among representatives of the Roma community, mediators, non governmental organizations, Roma from the neighborhoods and representatives of local authorities within the framework of a project on the topic: "Spatial models of Roma ghettoized urban structures in Bulgaria", financed by the Scientific Fund research at the MES, an attempt will be made to answer the research question posed.