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The concreting of a flowerbed undermines the action to liberate public spaces!

2025-07-18 16:05:25Aktualitet SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Kukes

In the days when IKMT inspectors were busy with the action of freeing public spaces from unauthorized construction, a concrete carpet brutally replaced the green grass in the main park of the city of Kukës.

The concreting of Kukes' only flower garden is being done with the blessing of the Municipality as part of a project to build a children's playground in collaboration with the Turkish Cooperation and Development Agency, TIKA.

“Our goal is to create more opportunities for fun, physical activity for all age groups, in a safe and accessible environment for all,” advertised the mayor of Kukës, Albert Halilaj, in a post on his Facebook page.

But the Municipality's project has angered residents, municipal councilors, and civil society representatives, who are speaking out against the plans for concreting.

The garden in the heart of Kukës is not only a resting place, but also has symbolic value.

It was built over a temporary shelter camp for hundreds of Kosovar families during the humanitarian crisis of 1999.

"In the summer of 1999, after the departure of refugees from Kosovo, CARE International funded our request with a value of 350 thousand USD for the construction of the garden, exactly in the place where dozens of tractors with families from Kosovo had been parked," recalls Safet Sula, former mayor of the Municipality of Kukës in the years 1996-2000.

The design and supervision of the works was entrusted to the late florist, Mehmet Leza, who also decided to plant decorative trees.

Sula says that the flowerbed should not be destroyed for any reason.

“The garden, which is almost the only one, is needed by the citizens of Kukes,” he told BIRN.

The 1999 funding was not the only one. Other taxpayer money was invested in 2018 as part of a major government project called “Urban Renaissance.”

From the 147 million lek fund for paving the road with decorative stones and painting the facades, the garden benefited from a fund of 59.5 million lek.

Aurora Guska, a lawyer by profession and resident of the area, says that the flower garden is the "pride of Kukës" and should not be destroyed.

Even Artan Laçi, a trader in the area, calls the latest intervention a mistake.

"Instead of the flower garden being enriched and composed with plants and flowers, it is being concreted," he emphasized.

Rifat Demalia, director of the Center for Youth Progress, also addresses criticism not only for the concretization, but also for the lack of transparency and consultation with the community.

"I am against, totally against this project, as it ruins the decor and structure of the garden. There are several other places where the project could be developed, namely in undeveloped areas within neighborhoods or in vacant squares where vehicles are currently parked," said Demalia.

"There is no consultation with stakeholders, citizens and civil society. Information dissemination should have been done before the investment began," he added, stressing that residents had been completely ignored.

Urban planner Andrit Shehu recalls that the experience with outdoor games was bittersweet.

“The equipment of these games is damaged in a short time and the surface remains nothing but a shell,” said Shehu, former director of Territorial Planning and Urban Development in Kukës.

A green sector employee, who spoke on condition of anonymity, is also frustrated with the concreting.

"We have maintained this garden with great difficulty, as it is known that there is a lack of industrial water in Kukës. An immigrant from Kukës who works and lives in the USA has financed about 10 thousand USD for its irrigation by opening a well, and now they are putting the spade to the grass," he said.

The Municipality of Kukës refused to provide additional information about the flower garden project, while local MPs and the prefect dismissed the residents' concerns.

"The Mayor, Mr. Halilaj, has explained everything through his official Facebook page. We have nothing to add. They emphasize that the project was done by the urban planning office in the municipality," said the General Secretary of the Municipality of Kukës, Fadil Morina.

"There is no problem. It is a park for children," said Socialist MP Eduard Shalsi in a message on the Whatsapp application, while accusing this reporter of "misinterpretations."

Prefect Dritan Baji said he was unaware of the project, as "we have independence of powers."

Unlike the above officials, the chairman of the Kukes Municipal Council, Albert Muja, expresses concern about the non-compliance with procedures, as the project has not passed through the Council.

"Every investment must go through the Municipality Council. It is a green public space that has been concreted and given to a foreign organization to invest in. The violation has to do with the permit. We do not have any document that TIKA is the funder, or who TIKA is," said Muja, while emphasizing that the Mayor will be called to the next meeting to report on this issue.

The issue has also attracted the attention of the National Inspectorate for Territory Protection in the Municipality of Kukës, which for the moment has only had verbal communication with the municipality representatives regarding the concreting of the flowerbed.

" I requested information regarding this problem and the municipality's response was for a children's playground. We will then carry out the necessary verifications and proceed, but as far as I am informed, the works have been suspended, " Besar Tota, director of IKMT for the Kukes region, told BIRN./ Reporter


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