Kosovo Civil Society Project (KCSP)

Exhibition Highlights Illegal Building, Urban Degradation in Pristina

Drawing of illegal construction from the IQMQP
exhibition at the Youth Palace in Pristina.

Overcrowding, pollution, illegal building, and urban decay are serious problems facing Pristina, the capital of the newly independent country of Kosovo. These problems stem from decades of neglect when Kosovo was part of Yugoslavia followed by several years of rapid, poorly planned growth. Although the Kosovo government has done little to address these problems, the local NGO Citizens Initiative for Protection of Prishtina (IQMQP) has taken notice and is addressing the situation.

With support from IREX through the USAID-funded Kosovo Civil Society Project (KCSP), IQMQP developed a campaign to improve the condition of Pristina’s neighborhoods – particularly the Sunny Hill neighborhood overlooking the city center.

IQMQP held two conferences on the situation in Sunny Hill with a focus on illegal construction of large apartment buildings and overbuilding onto sidewalks and public roads. With technical support from IREX, IQMQP also educated youth about the consequences of the urban sprawl and decay in Pristina and encouraged them to protect their neighborhood.

As part of its youth program, IQMQP gave 200 primary and secondary school students the opportunity to express their opinion through drawings of illegal construction in their neighborhoods. An exhibition of the drawings, held at the Youth Palace in Pristina, has attracted enough media attention to curb illegal construction.

According to IQMQP Director Zijadin Gashi, municipal officials should take responsibility for combating urban degradation, but citizens must pressure these officials when they do not fulfill their duties. “When governmental institutions fail, civil society must raise its voice in order to draw the citizens’ attention to the need for those are responsible to follow the laws and regulations,” says Gashi. But IQMQP believes that there is still some hope to save the town if its citizens jointly advocate and make pressure towards municipal and central authorities.