Atanasovsko Lake and the Black Sea, a view from Burgas. Image: Spas Uzunov (BBF)
Convivial Waterfronts (2026–2031)
Reimagining urban coastal conservation for just sustainability transformations
“Convivial Waterfronts” develops innovative conservation practices (ecological, cultural, artistic, culinary) to reimagine urban coastlines as laboratories for coexistence between humans and nonhuman others. The project rests on a close and iterative exchange between the research team led by Dr. Antonova at the TUM School of Social Sciences and Technology and three environmental NGOs at the frontlines of urban and community conservation in coastal cities across Southern and Eastern Europe: BBF in Burgas, Bulgaria; Salarte in Cádiz, Spain; and PPNEA in Vlora, Albania. In each of these contexts, the “Convivial Waterfronts” team is establishing an urban living lab as a platform for discussions and co-creation with local communities.
Atanasovsko Lake and Burgas, Bulgaria. Image: Spas Uzunov (BBF)
Burgas, Bulgaria
NGO Partner: The Bulgarian Biodiversity Foundation (BBF)
Nestled in between the Black Sea and three lakes, Burgas is a city in the midst of a post-industrial transformation. In 2027, it will host Eurovision; in 2032, it hopes to become a European Capital of Culture; but all the while, it must balance its growth against the spatial constraints of the delicate and vital ecosystems that form part of its landscape.
Cádiz & the Atlantic. Image: Juan Martín Bermudéz (Salarte)
Cádiz, Spain
NGO Partner: Fondo para la Custodia y Recuperación de la Marisma Salinera (Salarte)
Founded by the Phoenicians, Cádiz has been a continuously important port, trading hub, and salt producer for three millennia. Today, it faces challenges like depopulation, sea-level rise, and touristification; yet the Bay of Cádiz remains a landscape where industry, wetland biodiversity, and culture intertwine in often surprising & productive ways.
Vjosa-Narta lagoon & Sazan Island near Vlora, Albania. Image: Xheri Xhemal (PPNEA)
Vlora, Albania
NGO Partner: Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment in Albania (PPNEA)
A growing city at the northern edge of the Albanian Riviera, Vlora borders the Vjosa-Narta protected area, dubbed “Europe’s last wild coast,” yet increasingly threatened by tourist developments and infrastructure. Recently, the area has drawn global attention due to a planned luxury resort in the location headed by Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner.
Team
TUM
Anna Antonova
(Image: Karolina Knittel)
BBF
Diyana Kostovska and Radostina Tzenova
(Image: Karolina Knittel)
PPNEA
Xherri Xhemal and Marina Xhaho
(Image: Karolina Knittel)
Salarte
José Carlos Macias and Juan Martín Bermudéz
(Image: Karolina Knittel)
The project team at the kick-off meeting at TUM in Munich, June 2026. From left to right: Marina Xhaho, Xherri Xhemal, Diyana Kostovska, Anna Antonova, Radostina Tzenova, Juan Martín Bermudéz, and José Carlos Macias (Image: Karolina Knittel)
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