Creating user-friendly public spaces in Cities (Prishtina), between public interest and private rights

Abstract

Friendliness of public spaces to users is dependent from accessibility they offer and attractiveness they display. However, these characteristics of public open spaces are always challenged as inadequate in quantity and quality. Public spaces in Cities of European developing countries are urban spaces which are misused, shared and used by the community. Especially in countries as Kosova that from paste century inherited more than 70% rural structure of population and high rate of urban growth hence public spaces in Cities experienced consequences of unplanned urbanization processes. Prishtina is no exception. Situation is provoked by the process of transition to the capitalistic mode of development, where priority is often granted to land used as a means of production rather than consumption. This paper attempts to examine the original causes and effects (reasons) of significant unfriendliness as a phenomenon of open spaces in Prishtina. Two major issues are associated with this phenomenon: public interest and private rights. Public interest refers to the extreme limited management and supply of urban land, while the private rights refers to unconsciousness in rights and obligations due to unclear delineation of property rights. The paper will suggest principles that will serve as policies to the new approach in process of design, creation and maintenance of user-friendly public spaces. As a conclusion, this paper is just starting point in integrative development process to the socially inclusive and spatially assimilative public spaces. I hope that this paper will be used by architects and urban designers as guideline of future research in this field, providing reader's opportunity to reevaluate and re-appreciate our invaluable public open spaces.