Tirana: a City Young and Free
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c CASE STUDY TIRANA | CHILD-FRIENDLY DESIGN The once-reclusive former A City Young Communist capital was on a path of chaotic development until it adopted a child-centric and Free urban design that fostered socially inclusive values. Today, this unorthodox approach has helped Tirana bloom into a lively city with a strong sense of civic engagement. TIRANA Toh Ee Ming is a Singaporean journalist covering society, culture and the environment for the South China Morning Post, Associated Press, Southeast Asia Globe and more. CASE STUDY CASE Streets in Tirana used to be overcrowded, polluted and unsafe for children. Image: Wamodo / Alamy Stock Photo 75 The Challenge After decades of isolation under Low-income families living on the a repressive regime, Tirana threw city’s periphery especially struggled open its doors to democracy, free- with the costs of such amenities. market capitalism and freedom of movement after dictator Enver In 2015, Tirana was among Hoxha died in 1985, welcoming Europe’s most polluted capitals, hundreds and thousands of mostly due to heavy traffic migrants into the city. Within a congestion. With an average few years, unsanctioned buildings population age of 27, Tirana’s became common, as informal informal settlements and low quality dwellings and businesses sprang of life threw into relief its city’s up in the Albanian capital. ability to tend to the youngest and most vulnerable. To make matters Public spaces and residential worse, urban sprawl and pollution neighbourhoods were overrun drove many young upwardly mobile with kiosks that doubled as stores, families to emigrate. restaurants and offices, many of which were illegally built. There Nearly 5,000 of its 800,000 residents were few shared spaces for children were younger than six years old— and parents spent as much as a and meeting their needs would quarter of their monthly disposable principally determine the welfare income to access play spaces and future of the city. attached to cafes and bars. URBAN SOLUTIONS • ISSUE 17 The Solution CASE STUDY CASE Tirana’s chaotic image was soon switching from pizza and soda to What used to overturned when Erion Veliaj choices like vegetables, hummus, 2 be a 40,000 m became mayor and centred the yogurt and muesli. city's urban design around a grand roundabout vision of a child-friendly city. As After gaining more political dedicated to many of the city’s public nurseries and public support, the Veliaj and kindergartens were neglected administration’s new municipal cars is currently and falling into disrepair, Veliaj saw agency of parks and recreation Tirana's biggest the chance to shape a new civic- undertook the primary task of minded generation and design a turning Tirana’s long-neglected car-free area and a city with the youngest and most 1.05 km2 Grand Park into Eastern playground where vulnerable citizens at the forefront. Europe’s biggest playground. The Grand Park playground opened in children can enjoy The mayor pledged to renovate June 2016, and featured climbing cleaner air. all 32 of the city’s kindergartens frames, swings and crawl spaces. before the school year started, Encouraged by this success, the after he took office in July 2015. administration renovated 48 more With the support of private playgrounds as part of an initiative enterprises, public kindergartens called Play Tirana. were transformed into safe and conducive spaces for learning. In To make Tirana more sustainable 2018, the city also made lunch and and less car-dependent, the Veliaj snack menus healthier for children, administration restored public 76 Children and parents gathering on the streets on one of Tirana's car-free days. Image: Municipality of Tirana URBAN SOLUTIONS • ISSUE 17 CASE STUDY CASE 77 Skanderbeg Square is now a permanently car-free zone. Image: Leeturtle / Wikimedia Commons URBAN SOLUTIONS • ISSUE 17 CASE STUDY CASE Hundreds of young volunteers in Tirana’s children city council share their views Mayor Veliaj planting "birthday trees" with children. on how their city could be run. Image: Municipality of Tirana Image: Municipality of Tirana 78 Children playing in the Grand Park playground. Image: Municipality of Tirana URBAN SOLUTIONS • ISSUE 17 The Outcome CASE STUDY CASE spaces that were occupied with Today, the once-isolated Tirana kiosks, like Skanderbeg Square. has overcome its turbulent past “What used to be a 40,000 m2 of and embraced its status as a roundabout road dedicated to cars soulful, cosmopolitan cultural is currently Tirana's biggest car- capital of the Balkans. free area and a playground where children can enjoy at any time in In the space of four years, the city much cleaner air," Mayor Veliaj has renovated over 100 nurseries shared with Urban Solutions on the and kindergartens, and constructed pedestranisation of Skanderbeg five schools. The government- Square since 2016. subsidised kindergartens have become so popular that, from Children came with their bicycles having excess capacity, they are My ambition is to and rollerblades, and even cyclists now unable to cope with massive leave children and as young as three years joined in enrolment demand. convoys. The children enjoyed the youth a city where revamped space so much that they The city has earned international they can thrive were able to sway some of their plaudits for its regenerative efforts. parents who were initially wary of The renovation of Skanderberg as adults who the pedestrianisation initiative. Square was awarded the European will carry on the Car-free days soon became monthly Prize for Urban Public Space in affairs, and the square became a 2018. In 2019, Tirana was named transformation permanently car-free zone. the European Youth Capital for the of Tirana for the European Youth Forum in 2022. The This initiative was aligned with city is now preparing a programme next 100 years. Tirana 2030, a city plan Veliaj of cultural and social activities to 79 had inherited from former Tirana address the needs of the young. mayor and current Prime Minister of Albania Edi Rama to solve urban "Advocating for child-friendly sprawl while including biodiversity infrastructure in a city that is as a focus. experiencing rapid urban expansion and population growth under tight The plan envisioned a metropolis budget constraints required a lot of ringed with an orbital forest, a innovative and creative thinking to two-million tree belt where people push forward,” says Mayor Veliaj. could walk and cycle, and fewer “My ambition is to leave children social housing built on the outskirts. and youth a city where they can The Veliaj administration welcomed grow to become healthier, more families to co-create this forest energetic, and competent to thrive by planting “birthday trees” for as adults who will carry on the their children. transformation of Tirana for the next 100 years." Tirana 2030 also included plans for 17 additional schools to be sited By focusing on children’s in underserved urban and rural needs and turning Tirana into peripheries. Through private-public a “big playground”, the city has partnerships, the construction of transformed into a place full of the new schools will be accelerated, life, filled with young people without raising new taxes. Besides hungry for change. serving children, the schools will function as community centres and venues for non-profit programmes. URBAN SOLUTIONS • ISSUE 17.