Sofia Municipality will try to minimize advertising in the center of Sofia, as well as to unify the appearance of summer gardens and smoking rooms in pedestrian areas. This has to be done with a new Ordinance on Movable and Ad Elements currently under development. The idea is to ban the advertisement on buildings in the historical center of Sofia, explained the municipal councilor from GERB Zafir Zarkov. At the moment, there is no limit for it, and there is a limit for the billboards on the streets. According to Zarkov, greater distances between the different ad units will be placed in order to avoid clogging the city with them.

It is planned to introduce a requirement for the advertising panels that are placed on buildings under repairs. They will be able to show the appearance of the facade after the repair, and only 30% of the area will be used for ads. Currently there is no such restriction.

The municipality will try to unify the appearance of the summer gardens on the pedestrian streets - mainly Vitosha Blvd. Umbrellas and tents in the summer will have to be in specially selected colors by the municipality. For now, the idea is for owners to choose between several colors. What will be the result will become clear after the adoption of the new regulation. There will also be standard designs and requirements for how outdoor outfits should look. Nowadays bars and restaurants have turned the so-called summer gardens into permanent buildings protected by nylons or glass. According to the municipality, only glass partitions should be used for protection against cold, windy or rainy weather. There will also be requirements for constructions. "The basic idea is more order," Zarkov said. He added that there will surely be a grace period in which businesses will meet the new requirements once they have been approved by the municipal council.