Since 1999, in the period following the end of the war, the municipality of Prishtina has experienced fundamental changes, the most striking one beeing a substantial growth of the population leading to a significant development pressure. This development pressure, which is indicated by a substantial demand for housing and commercial land, has led to an uncontrolled growth of the City of Prishtina as well as to an overstretched traffic and supply infrastructure. The municipality of Prishtina also faces other changes: The fact that a range of international institutions and the new Kosovo government are located in the city plays an important role in the development. The ongoing process of development of the City of Prishtina needs clear perspectives to set out the desired direction of a lively and prosperous city with decent housing and sustainable living conditions for all citizens and appropriate space and locations for commercial and industrial activities. Reliable guidance for the future spatial structure of the city and the intended use of its spaces should be available to encourage and enhance private investment. Therefore as a first step a Strategic Plan for the urban development of Prishtina is needed.

VISION 2020+ The Strategic Plan is preparing the urban development of Prishtina in the next 15 years and beyond. In 2020, the city will be a metropolis with 650.000 inhabitants, a national capital with international flair. Not only because of being the location of the government, the city will be the centre of Kosovo. The vision 2020+ for the City of Prishtina revolves around the following goals: · Building a livable and attractive city · Promotion of a sustainable urban economy · Provision of a sustainable urban environment · Development of a sustainable mobility / transport / traffic system

Spatial Development Model The Spatial Development Model shows the most important parts of the urban development of Prishtina. City centre development - an urban backbone The basic planning idea is a band of central infrastructure, that goes South East from the old town via Ulpiana and the hospital to Batovc storage lake. This urban backbone provides building land for well accessible central city functions, for shopping, offices, university, hospital and recreation as well as facilities for various cultural uses as cinemas, museums, opera etc. Both the administration for the city as well as for Kosovo will be situated here; the town hall in the existing part and the government and ministry-buildings in the new. Some elements that fit well in such a band structure are already on their way, as e.g. the Mother Theresa Cultural Centre, The American University, the international village etc. The residence complex for the President of the Kosovo Parliament is also decided to be placed in this area, which may be succeeded by the various foreign diplomatic representations and installations. The ring road A continuous ring road around Prishtina and the Gėrmia Forest marks the border of the city; most of what is inside the ring is urban area and most of what is outside of it is countryside. Additional to this, an inner ring around the city centre is suggested. The railway The existing tracks through the city are connected with a new line in the development-zone South-East, providing the city with an urban light-rail system. There is also a link via the central station in Fushė Kosovė to the airport. All three lines will meet at the regional bus-station. Development in the South-East North and South of the backbone residential areas with small business and commerce integrated in the urban structure may emerge. Especially in the areas adjacent to the forest and the lake high quality level residential areas are to be developed. Development on the Western hills The existing residential and mixed quarters will be extended to the inner ring. West of this road, commercial and Industrial zones will be developed in stripes.

Spatial Development Plan The city centre: the old town and the city backbone The character of the old town, currently under a high development pressure, is to be protected. The area should be upgraded with technical infrastructure and single buildings exchanged by more viable decent housing, but the urban structure should not be changed. The area around the UĒK street, the Mother Theresa street and the Agim Ramadani street will still be the centre of the city. It is the first part of the backbone with a concentration of culture and entertainment facilities. East of the central railway tracks new office buildings and green areas will be introduced. As there are only few older elements of cultural value the upgrading of the centre should make special use of the specific predominant architectural elements, as the festival hall, the news paper building, the library, the museum, the mosques etc. The municipal authorities will stay in the area whereas government administration offices are relocated to the new South-Eastern parts of the city backbone. Urban and suburban mixed zones for both residential and commercial utilisations On the sides of the urban backbone as well as on the main through roads, urban mixed zones are planned. In these zones, dense residential areas with small business and commerce integrated are allowed. Further out on the city periphery, in the suburban mixed zones, the commercial share is larger and the residential areas are less dense. Residential areas Three types of residential areas are foreseen: high density urban, urban and rural residential. In the high density urban zone, mainly the backbone and adjacent areas, a structure of apartment buildings mixed with retail, offices and other not disturbing uses is planned. Building structures in the urban residential zones should also be reasonably dense, but lower and with a concentration of one family houses. In the villages and smaller settlements surrounding Prishtina the rural character should be kept. The building structures should not be especially dense, with mainly one family houses. Recreational and tourist development is also possible. All housing neighbourhoods are to be well equipped with the relevant social infrastructure such as retail, kindergartens, elementary and high schools, centres for health care, local assembly halls and the like. Commercial and industrial zones There are three types of commercial zones; the industrial, the commercial and the mixed zones. The areas in the West, which are more exposed to pollution from the coal mines and the power plants in Kastriot are used for the pure commercial and industrial development. They are organised in stripes between the motorway and the outer and inner rings. The outer zone is to be used for industrial purposes and the inner for commercial use. In addition, the existing commercial zone on the way to Fushė Kosovė will be kept and extended. In the mixed zones, retail and enterprises not disturbing to its surroundings are allowed. Traffic and public transport A continuous ring road around Prishtina and the City Forest will serve the Mramuer and Lugarė villages as well as traffic from Gjillani and the Eastern part of the municipality. Additional to this, an inner and a central ring to relieve the city centre is created. The backbone structure is a good basis for an efficient system of public transport on rail, completed by buses to serve the whole area. This may help to achieve a high level of mobility and reduce private transport. Main traffic lines will run from Batovc lake area and on the existing tracks through the centre with a link to the airport via Fushė Kosovė and the central railway station.

The Ring road system Fully developed roads are planned in rings in and around the city. To be able to go on with the development of the city of Prishtina, three traffic rings are meaningful: · the outer ring road · the inner ring · the city centre ring The three rings are connected with each other by an adequate number of connection streets. The outer ring road has several different functions and characters in the different parts. The most important part is the by-pass West, which is collecting, distributing and by-passing all traffic from Podujevė, Mitrovicė, Kastriot, Fushė Kosovė, Pejė and Ferizaj. The South Western part is passing between the new quarters in the backbone and the villages Quaglavica and Ajvali. This part has the character of a wide city street, and is connecting these new quarters with the motorway and the airport. The Forest-Road, the part through the Mramuer-valley, is connection the villages in the valley and has a smaller cross-section. Finally, the Northern and South-Eastern parts are closing the ring, passing through some difficult topography making the use of bridges, tunnels and galleries necessary. The inner ring is a wide city boulevard with a high capacity, reliving the inner city of traffic. The Hill-Side Road is with a thinner cross-section following the contour lines on the side of the Gėrmia mountain, overlooking the city. The central ring, a combination of existing main streets and a new connection next to / under the tracks, is a carefully designed inner city street, with trees and wide pavements providing enough space for cafés, shops and such. The central ring should have such a capacity so that the UĒK-street and the Mother Theresa Boulevard can be closed for motorised traffic and be used as pedestrian zones. Next to the consolidation of the ring-system, the municipal road network shall be formed and redeveloped with a city street character.

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