An interview from an architect and spatial planner who has worked in MESP - with the design of plans at the central level but also at local ones. However, counting her experience in non-governmental organizations, commissions, etc.; she is a legislator in UBT, and she is a researcher in areas such as Sustainable Urban Management, Environmental Protection, Targeted Efficiency, Cultural Heritage, etc. Hundreds of scientific researches deal with different topics for the city of Prishtina, one of them is: "The influence of planning and "profit-driven construction", on the "Instability of the city of Pristina" where from this research we can mention "Prishtina among the cities others in Kosovo are facing rapid urbanization for several reasons, mainly economic challenges, such as employment, migration from rural areas and other cities, construction of new housing, construction of road infrastructure. The challenges faced by the city of Pristina in terms of construction are not in response to the needs of the population, but to the so-called "PROFIT CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY", a sector that employs people and other technologies in the name of Urban Sustainability and its Development .'' However, the interview with Elvida Pallaska talks more about the issues of Urban and Architectural developments in the years after the war.                    

Interview:

MS: How do you define the drafting of plans (PRRU, MDP), and to what level of urban and architectural development have these drawn-up plans brought the city of Prish? What do you think about the development of the city of Prishtina, compared to other Balkan cities that have emerged from the 1999 war?

EP: First of all, with the old law of 2003 on Spatial Planning, we had three levels of plans for the regulation of the territory: MDP(Municipal development plan), URP (Urban regulatory plan), and UDP (Urban development plan). Along with the fact that with the new Spatial Planning Law of 2013, the term “City” has been removed (so we only have urban areas), the UDP (for the city) has been removed, because the whole municipality has been unified, and with this the Zonal Map has been added. Some municipalities have it, some don't, and the state hasn't approved it yet (or has approved it - I'm not sure). What I know for sure is that zonal maps are an added planning tool, which has only confused the entire system, and in this multitude of systems (where it is not known specifically what a zonal map represents), and other shortcomings of Law L-04/174, the spaces of Kosovar is disordered (on purpose because it helps and suits someone). In particular, it is by the LAW, that is, formally, when the opportunity is given "to have or not to have regulatory plans (the matter is left in mind - according to the need), while in its absence - BUILDING PERMITS are given (which happens even today when we speak), with another Law, the Law of Construction - Article 18 (where the investor, in case of no regulatory plan - makes the regulatory Plan himself and together with the project applies for a building permit). Again according to the Laws, the response time from municipal officials for permit approval - they have only 14 days. In case of non-response - PROJECTS are considered ACCEPTED.

MS: What is the level of architects and urban planners in Kosovo after the war (level of education, is there a plan), and do you think that the level of architects and urban planners in Kosovo is improving and what would be your recommendations that they should take into account during design?

EP: The fact that we do not have standards according to ODA of Architects and the Profession of URBAN PLANNERS – speaks a lot for the future of this country. So the architect, based on the experience of the institution where he works, may or may not develop spatial planning skills! Terrible. For more, architects with a Bachelor's degree can plan and are planning, but even project architects do not even know the main principles of planning processes. This is because the educational system has taught them to be "urban planners" and not "planners", which according to their education, the postulate says: “The planning process is much more important than the plan itself.” This says a lot. 

MS: What is your experience in spatial planning during the period you worked at MMPHI?  How do you describe the architectural development of the city in the future? How do you define the current Architecture of the city of Pristina with keywords? What were the factors that influenced the urban and architectural transformation in Pristina?

EP: My experience in MMPHI was with the central level of planning, but it was about intervening at the local level, due to the destructions or alarms that were felt or seen or the way Municipal Plans were approved by a corrupt commission in MMPHI, and which is the same today…….this country has no salvation, so our cities have no salvation. Added to this and many other things that have led to this URBICID of our cities, such as the lack of access to the spatial data of the municipalities, the lack of monitoring of developments other granting building permits in the most absurd way possible in the WORLD. 

MS: How can the current situation of planning in Pristina and other cities in Kosovo be improved? What are the shortcomings of the spatial planning law in Kosovo? If you think that the spatial planning law is a failure in Kosovo, do you think MMPHI should take steps to draft a new spatial planning law and should it take reference again to any planning law from another European city?

EP: The beginning of the improvement of this situation is first the Law. The Spatial Planning Law, and then the Construction Law. Both of these provide a good legal basis for right action. The Law on Planning is being made (according to the words), but not according to the construction. As long as ARTICLE 18 of the Construction Law continues to be in action, we as Kosovar have not done anything for spatial planning in Kosovo. There is a lot of work to do in organizing the structure of the municipality - directorates. For example, the building inspectorate is separate from the building permit department or the planning department. If you ask every Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning today, you will get the same answer: We do not deal with CITIES. 

My last comment in a meeting with Liburn Aliu was: How can you say that you should not deal with cities when you are for the entire Kosovar area, which includes municipalities and cities (which are not included in the law)? 

Then, we should change the name of MMPHI to Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning - CENTRAL LEVEL. Then the process of drafting planning documents, public engagement, public discussions, decision-making, monitoring, inspection... at each stage, we have big problems. However, it is not impossible, but the will is required based on the Law. "When there's will there's way".

MS: Who are the winners and who are the losers in the law on the legalization of illegal constructions in Kosovo? Knowing the small number of building permits and certificates of use, can we consider that this plays an important role in poor architectural and urban quality?

EP: First of all, there are some incorrect findings in the question. The number of building permits today is ENORMOUS, how do we call this situation now when buildings are permitted - but not with urban standards? Unauthorized constructions were the legacy of the post-war period, and everyone benefits in this case if they are legalized (those that can be legalized).

 MS: The city of Pristina was developed based on the urban structure which in most neighborhoods is organic, do you think this structure has influenced the poor urban and architectural planning so far? Do you think that the city of Pristina was built based on personal interests, including Politicians, Architects, Investors, and other persons, including the influence of these persons in obtaining construction permits?

 EP: Prishtina and all other cities in Kosovo and the Balkan are organic (old cities), but this must not be seen as a disadvantage, on the contrary! Our cities are thousands of years old and have worked very well. They are small, passable for pedestrians, and do not need road infrastructure making this Urban Chaos. The postulate for planning is: The city must be planned for people, not for cars;

If the city is planning for cars, then there should be more cars in the city. This is exactly what is happening in Pristina, Prizren, etc. The population is decreasing, why are these buildings being built? Or as a product for sale, but again for a corner? This is how the new roads in the city are made, because of the large unnecessary buildings, but as a product for sale, for acute, daily profits, and only for those who build them as a waste of money. We have been restored in the city for money laundering, but disguised under the pretext of " urban development".

It's no secret that the MAFIA uses construction as the best, fastest way to launder money, as it is in Tirana, with the Italian mafia in coordination, which is very similar to Prishtina.“When there’s will there’s the way”

 Elvida Pallaska is a lecturer at the University of Technology and Business (UBT) in Pristina