ICMA formed a CityLinks partnership between Golden, Colorado, and the municipalities of Gjilan, Prizren, Štrpce, Deçan, and Junik, Kosovo, earlier this year through USAID’s Democratic and Effective Municipalities Initiative (DEMI) program, which ICMA is implementing with the Urban Institute.
Recently, Golden officials traveled to Kosovo to address tourism and traffic. In the middle of October, Quint Pertzsch, Golden’s GIS director, and Vince Auriemma , deputy director of public works, ventured to Gjilan to conduct traffic planning for intersections, pedestrian crosswalks, and potential parking sites. Later that month, ICMA Senior Governance Advisor Alan Edmond and Golden’s pro bono planning and tourism expert, Steve Glueck, arrived in Kosovo to determine the potential for tourism in the other four municipalities. Edmond and Golden’s Public Works Director, Dan Hartman, had previously carried out a scoping trip in mid-summer.
Recommending Traffic Improvements
Traffic conditions in Kosovo require a great deal of attention and improvement. Main roads are exceptionally narrow and often do not have middle lines to separate traffic, creating mayhem for drivers. Traffic signs are sparse, and pedestrians walk mindlessly along roads that often lack streetlights. With these poor conditions and behaviors combined, a high number of traffic accidents occur each year.
Pertzsch and Auriemma observed seventeen designated intersections for traffic, pedestrian, and sight distance issues. They also addressed street signage and recommended specific locations where signs would be most effective for drivers and pedestrians. During their assessment, the experts noted that, in order to improve mobility, Gjilan will need to address parking enforcement and illegal parking on narrow and congested sidewalks. It will be imperative for open communication to flow among municipal departments, and for local funds to be provided, to create lasting and workable solutions.
Pertzsch and Auriemma attended daily meetings with Gjilan traffic staff regarding their observations, traffic and pedestrian data, traffic models, and ideas for mobility improvement. On the final day of their trip, they conducted a workshop for staff from Gjilan and some of the other surrounding municipalities. This workshop emphasized Golden’s experience with mobility, and included observations concerning Gjilan mobility, improvement ideas, and the next steps for the program. Mayor Qemajl Mustafa expressed his gratitude for Golden’s assistance, and he is enthusiastic about developing and implementing solutions to help mitigate traffic congestion.
Assessing the Potential for Tourism
Tourism efforts in Kosovo are fragmented and fall distantly behind those of neighboring countries such as Montenegro. Edmond and Glueck began their journey in Prizren and Štrpce, municipalities that have made some progress in creating tourism management bodies, establishing public–private partnerships that develop tourism policy and provide limited funding, and promoting tourist events and products. Prizren is currently developing a coordinated tourism strategy, while Štrpce already has the approval of its council for a tourism coordination body. Štrpce has also made the promotion of its agricultural products for tourist purchases one of its chief priorities.
In contrast to Prizren and Štrpce, the small and remote municipalities of Deçan and Junik lack the concentration of attractions and activities needed to make them tourist destinations. They do have restored Kullas, or traditional houses that once served as homes, garrisons, and meeting places for councils. Kullas can be transformed into bed and breakfast inns or even visitor centers. Sightseeing and mountain hiking may be other activities Deçan and Junik can advertise to strategically draw tourists to these areas.
While all four municipalities are eager to incorporate tourism into their overall economic development strategies, the use of tourism as a primary focus applies mostly to Štrpce because of its established attractions and agricultural products. It is also possible for the tourist industry to flourish in Prizren, which has an abundance of activities and an excellent location. The remote location of Deçan and Junik will severely limit tourism, so Edmond and Glueck recommended that these municipalities not rely on tourism as their primary economic development focus.
They suggested that any municipality interested in building tourism should assemble a 2012 calendar of tourism events for the community and present it to the media, submit information regarding hotels, restaurants, events, and attractions to all available electronic sources, and structure a plan to fund the repairs, maintenance, and projects needed to support tourism.
Golden representatives intend to return to these regions in the spring of 2012. In the next few months, DEMI plans to structure a tourism strategic plan for Deçan and Junik, develop an instructional manual on visitor management, assist Štrpce with the branding of its agricultural products, and continue to advise Prizren staff as they create a tourism strategy.
Upon returning from Kosovo, Edmond reflected on the experience in the International Dispatches blog posting “Ski the Balkans.”
For more information, visit the Kosovo section of the ICMA International website, or contact international@icma.org.