Smart Geography

This book focuses on new and innovative spatial approaches based on smart solutions and developed in the field of geography and related interdisciplinary fields such as urban and regional studies, landscape ecology and ecosystem services. It includes contributions from a conference dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the Bulgarian Geographical Society.
In turn, the book reveals how 21st-century geography is expected to facilitate the development of human capital and the knowledge society, while also offering place-specific solutions for sustainable regional development and utilization of the planet's natural and human capital to improve social wellbeing. This volume is intended for the global geographical research community, as well as professionals and practitioners in all fields that deal with space, including regional planners and environmental managers.

Dr. Stoyan Nedkov is an Associate Professor and research secretary of the National Institute of Geophysics, Geodesy and Geography at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. His research areas are landscape ecology and application of GIS in environmental assessment. His current work is focused on assessment and accounting of ecosystem services at landscape level as well as use of GIS and spatial modeling for integrated assessment of hazardous processes in mountain catchments and mapping of flood regulation ecosystem services. Dr. Nedkov has authored 85 publications in different journals and books and is a member of the editorial boards of the journals One Ecosystem and PLOS ONE. He has lectured at Salzburg University (Austria) and University of Joensuu (Finland). He was head of the executive committee of the Bulgarian Geographical Society and member of the Steering Committee of the Ecosystem Services Partnership.

Dr. Mariyana Nikolova is working in the field of physical geography. She is a professor in the National Institute of Geophysics, Geodesy, and Geography at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (NIGGG BAS). Prof. Nikolova was the Director of the Institute of Geography (2008-2010) and Scientific Secretary of the NIGGG BAS (2015-2018). She was the President of the Bulgarian National Committee of Geography at the International Geographical Union (2008-2015) and is Vice-president of the Bulgarian Geographical Society since 2018. Prof. Nikolova has authored 120 scientific publications on various aspects of the use of natural capital, environmental hazards and sustainable development.

Dr. Nadezhda Ilieva is an Associate Professor and the head of the section "Social and Economic Geography" at the department of Geography in National Institute of Geophysics, Geodesy, and Geography at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. Her research field is geodemography, focused on ethnic geography, spatial segregation of Roma population in urban space, depopulation processes, spatial planning, geographic information systems and geographical education.

Dr. Georgi Zhelezov is an Associate Professor and the head of the department of Geography in National Institute of Geophysics, Geodesy, and Geography at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. He graduated in Geography from Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" in 1999. He defended a doctoral dissertation in Cartography at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" in 2005. He specialized in Vienna University in 2002, 2003 and 2007. Georgi Zhelezov started working at Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (Institute of Geography and Department of Geography at the National Institute of Geophysics, Geodesy and Geography) in 2005. His fields of expertise include physical geography, landscape ecology and cartography. The scientific interests and research projects are related to investigation of the state and dynamics of landscape diversity, spatial modelling of nature systems and analysis of ecosystem services.

Dr. Boian Koulov is an economic and social geographer at the National Institute of Geophysics, Geodesy, and Geography at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. He is on the leadership team of Sofia University's "Heritage BG" Center of Excellence.

Between 1990 and 2007, he taught at George Washington University, American University and the US Foreign Service Institute in Washington, D.C., and spent a sabbatical at Harvard University in 2009. Koulov is a Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund Scholar. The European Commission, the US National Science Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the US National Research Council, and the Bulgarian National Science Fund have sponsored his research on regional development and environmental management. The journals "Political Geography" and "Tijdschrift voor Economische/Sociale Geografie", as well as Springer, Oxford University Press, John Wiley & Sons, Wichmann, Berg Publishers, Westview Press, and Ashgate have published his research.

Dr. Kliment Naydenov is Assoc. Prof. at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", Faculty of Geology and Geography, Department of Regional Development.

He graduated from Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" with Master degree in Economic geography - Geography of population and settlements and Geography Teacher. He is a specialist in International relations. He has a master degree in the field of Tourism. He has also a PhD degree in the field of Regional demography. Today he is the head of the department "Regional development" and Chairperson of the Bulgarian Geographical Society. His teaching activities include conducting lectures on the demography and human resources management, regional development and policy, urban planning and management, geodemography and tourism. Kliment Naydenov is author and co-author of over 60 publications in scientific journals and proceedings in Bulgaria and abroad, including books and textbooks for higher and secondary school. He has participated in more than 100 national and international projects.

Dr. Stelian Dimitrov is Assoc. Prof. at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", Faculty of Geology and Geography. He obtained a master degree in Economic Geography from Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" and MA level from University of Oxford Geography, Environmental and Regional Planning. Dr. Dimitrov is the managing director of Geographica Ltd, dealing with regional development and planning, spatial planning, GIS, analysis and forecasting of the economic development of Bulgarian municipalities, strategic documents assessment; socio-economic and geographical analysis. As a lecturer at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, he has taught courses on Regional development of Central and Eastern Europe. Dr. Dimitrov was Vice Dean of Science, research and International relations at the faculty of Geology and Geography at Sofia University.