A Slow City - Rethinking Ferizaj 's infrastructures, landscape & urbanism

Diellëza Tahiri

A SLOW CITY: RETHINKING FERIZAJ’S INFRASTRUCTURES, LANDSCAPES & URBANISM

Rethinking Ferizaj’s Infrastructures, Landscapes & Urbanism Master Thesis Research by design Author: Diellëza Tahiri Academic Superviser: prof. Matteo Motti A.A. 2021/2022 Sustainable Architecture and Landscape Design Politecnico di Milano Piacenza

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No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photo-copying, recording or any information storage retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher or specific copyright owners. Work and publication made during the course of a personal master thesis project.

All content is produced by the author, unless written otherwise.

“I would like to thank my supervisor Matteo Motti for his amazing support and inspiration throughout the process of this master thesis.“

“Falenderim i veçantë i takon familjes time të mrekullueshme, mbështetja dhe dashuria e së cilës nuk më ka munguar asnjëhere gjatë këtij rrugëtimi.

Ju dua shumë!”

- Diellëza Tahiri June, 2022

KEY WORDS

•urban growth •reclaimed landscapes •soft mobility •water regeneration •slow food •agriculture •productive land •forestation •socio-politics •building design •heritage

ABSTRACT The nineteenth century era of “imagining the modern city” has raised a series of urban questions and prominent dilemmas on growth, degrowth and environmental justice as realistic yet bizarre realities. Consequently, cities were left on a state of uncertainty, belief in a communication society, and constant paradigm of transformations, further altering individual and collective images, new ways of imagining the city, the territory, and their possible future.

Opposing sprawl tendencies and recalling traditional European city models, most contemporary theories and approaches of today are shifting towards many alternative developments, such as following the philosophy of the slow food movement.

On the other hand, the Eastern European cities are yet experiencing rapid urban development and are codepended on the idea of “speed” as subconsciously the main idea of urban vision. The car-focused development, occurs on a rapid timetable, separates land uses, creates infrastructural chaos, and devalues the concept of a sustainable, compact, and “walkable” city. Furthermore, the human vulnerability and dependency for speed over slowness stimulates fast developments and a loss of authentic, place-based character, or simply a genius loci.

This ‘research by design’ project critically argues about commercial-led productions of “fast”cities in Kosovo and their post-war transformations, particularly the city of Ferizaj. It further analyses in depth significant layers and factors from which the city was historically developed; elaborates patterns of transformations in the city centre and the city edges; illustrates uncontrolled urban growth, land changes, lack of public spaces, infrastructural chaos, abandoned landscapes, neglected agriculture, water pollution, industrial production, cultural values of identity and heritage; discusses about different contemporary and experimental approaches in urban planning; and introduces design strategies of layered, multi-scale, natural based solutions on how to tackle the fast urban growth issue and how to apply the slow food movement philosophy in urbanism, landscape and lifestyle combined into A Slow City.

CONTENT 5 11 15 19 20 25 29 31 35 39 40 41 42 43 45 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 57 63 67 69

A land of palimpsest A rail that made a city What stays? What goes?

Transformation as permanency Methodology Model Infrastructure Soft Mobility Narrow and chaotic Buildings Housing Industry Services Cultural Urban growth Bits of Architectural identity Hotel Lybeten Grand Mosque & Orthodox Church Train Station building Public Library Sports Hall “Bill Clinton” Former City Mall Economy Landscape Water Supply & waste Water versus wood

71 73 74 75 77 79 81 83

Case Studies Emerald Necklace Randstad DeltaMetropool After Sprawl Antwerp: The structural plan Metropolis of the 21 century- le grand Paris Loop city, Copenhagen Slow food freescape

85 90 97 99 101 103

Synopsis Concept Strategy Mobility System Building System Green System

107 109 111 113 117 121 123 131

Zoom in Areas City Centre Interventions Plans Isometrics Long section Modern Art Museum Human erspective views

135 136 137 141 145 151 157 163

Green-edge Interventions Plans Isometrics Civic Center Remote Working Cabins Indoor Swimming Pool Human perspective views

167 168 169 173 177 179 181 187 193

Agri-edge Interventions Plans Isometrics Community Mosaic Flows Agricultural Hub Housing Cabins Human perspective views

200 201 202

Conclusion Bibliography References

A LAND OF PALIMPSEST Kosovo as a country with a troubled past, has undergone a series of transformations over the past decades.

Different ethnical, political, social, and economic factors as well as complex historical events in Balkans as a region in southeast Europe, have caused erratic, fluid and unpredictable development of territories, landscapes, cities, and infrastructures.

The palimpsest as used by André Corboz1, mainly describes polysemic cultural landscapes experienced by processes of new layers constructed over time. Kosovo in this case, can be considered an example of a constant palimpsest, and not only in terms of land and its cultural change, but also in terms of social multi-layered processes, built into a blurry and foggy mindset of people of Kosovo in modern day.

It is a relatively broad but interesting matter to study on the ethnical issue in Balkans, in Kosovo and particularly the Albanian people. The centuries long processes of war and constant invasions by diverse usurpers, led to major changes and transitions in terms of education, religion, culture, traditions, politics, economy, and heritage.2 Undoubtedly, the most difficult thing to change has always been ethnicity and cultural heritage. The Albanians therefore are known to be subjects of shifting religion, political and cultural influences for centuries but not the ethnicity3. Consequently, this caused serious confusions about what is heritage and culture for us? And how can we define our identity?

The last war of 1998-1999 however, as still being a fresh wound to the people of Kosovo, had huge effects in mentality, beliefs, and well-being. A sense of confusion, fear and uncertainty combined with greed, corruption and commercialism is very evident even today, 23 years after the war. It is rather interesting to observe the post-war period in Kosovo, especially after Kosovo became an independent state in 2008. Due to individual interests of the political parties and state leaders, the governance driven projects stimulated a rapid development of the main cities which resulted in uncontrolled urban growth, prone to corruption and crime in many aspects of development, particularly in terms of architecture, urban planning, territories, landscapes, environment, and heritage. Lack of proper education and scientific research is evidently concerning

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Corboz, A.(1983).The land as Palimpsest. In Diogenes, vol.31, Issue121.

ISSN: 1467-7695.

Elsie, R. (2004). Historical Dictionary of Kosova.

United Kingdom: Scarecrow Press; Second Edition: 2011.

ISBN:9780810872318 Malcolm, N. (1998). Kosovo: A Short History. United Kingdom: Papermac.

ISBN 9780330412247

Fig 1: Map of Kosovo showing infrastructures and territories of urban and rural areas

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KOSOVO 10,887 km2 1.873 million

PRISHTINA 523.13 km2 | °4 198,897 | °1

PRIZREN

GJILAN

626.86 km2 | °1 177,781 | °2

391.84 km2 | °5 90,178 | °6

PEJA

FERIZAJ

GJAKOVA

MITROVICA

602.63 km2 | °2 96,450 | °4

586.91 km2 | °3 94,556 | °5

345 km2 | °6 108,610 | °3

331 km2 | °7 84,235 | °7

Fig 2: Data diagram of municipalities showing the distribution of surface and population

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when it comes to addressing important issues and longterm planning. Immediately after the war, in 2000, more than 2000 illegal buildings were documented in Prishtina, the capital. Rexhep Luci, an Albanian official architect, together with the UN organisations, proposed drafting a visionary urban plan for the capital which included urban parks and public spaces along with vertical growing of the city. The initiative to demolish illegal buildings unfortunately was stopped after the architect was shot dead in a “mafia” killing4. This shocking event, although not commonly known, somewhat impacted many future generations of official architects and urbanists to not oppose corruption, but rather be part of it. Inevitably, due to UN initiatives in Kosovo, the urban development plans were to be completed and followed accordingly. Apart from Prishtina, which had the first urban development plan in 2004, other cities were rather late in planning, hardly drafting any proper plan.

The main tools used, specifically in planning of cities today are Zoning Maps, which are predominantly prone to corruption and individual interests of political parties.

Driven by challenges of governance, large industries and trade companies, cities in Kosovo in the past 10 years have expanded immensely. Thousands of new businesses, numerous new infrastructures, different major transformations in city centres of housing and commerce as well as continuous degradation of historic buildings, heritage sites, natural environment, and water pollution, have been present and layered in a dispersedly manner throughout the country in the last decade.

On the other hand, the demographic data show rather irregular patterns of population increase and decrease over the years. According to ASK (Kosovo Agency of Statistics)5, the population of Kosovo estimated in 2021 is 1.873 million and it’s not expected a particularly high increase of numbers in the future, although the number of births is relatively high each year.

This data inconsistency is a result of constant emigration, a phenomenon that has been happening in Kosovo for decades. Nevertheless, the people living outside Kosovo usually tend to invest in their cities in Kosovo and maintain an ongoing bond with their homeland. Therefore, the irrelevance between people and urban growth seems to

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Shahini, B.,IKS & ESI. (2006).Vizionet utopike: Dështimet e qeverisjes në kryeqytetin e Kosovës.Iniciativa Kosovare për Stabilitet (IKS).

Available at https://iksweb.org/vizionet-utopike/ (Accessed in 19 May 2022) Agjencia e Statistikave të Kosovës.(2021).Vjetari Statistikor i Republikës së Kosovës 2021. Kosovo:Pjetër Bogdani. ISBN:9789951227278

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make more sense considering this phenomenon.

Moreover, a gradual change of families to adapt in the new contemporary social trends, urges young adults, young families to move out of their home into new housing units of residential complexes in the city, as well as large movement of people from rural to urban areas, creates the need for new businesses and new housing to emerge, commercial and recreational activities to be introduced.

Hence many cities are almost being merged with villages, and nearby cities, notably the eastern part of Kosovo, also known as Kosovo Field (al: Fusha e Kosovës). This region is composed of four main “metropolises”, Prishtina, Mitrovica, Ferizaj and Gjilan. Apart from Gjilan, the three are connected by railway and highway systems which pass to North Macedonia in the south and Serbia in the North.

It has become clearly apparent that the territories between Prishtina-Ferizaj-Gjilan, form a strip of expansion at the urbanized areas, a possible conurbation urban model to be expected in the future6. However, this expansion with its peripheries and with its “sprawl”7, resulting also in the loss of a clear and recognizable limit separating the city from the countryside, is not something new in the history of urbanism.8 This issue has been debated ever since deindustrialization of the European modern city in the mid-20th century. Urban growth as a concept raises a lot of questions related to contemporary metapolises or also known as mega-cities, cities of stratifications and merging of several planes and layers.

The situation of Kosovo Field, can be debated on future studies as a functional megacity model, where the main cities will cooperate instead of just competing with one another, like the case of the old Randstad and the new Deltametropool, the Flemish Diamond, Ruhr, etc.

Albeit, this research project will deal mostly with Ferizaj, one of the cities in Kosovo Field, the design approach vastly foresees the city as part of a bigger system. Ferizaj as the third most populated city in Kosovo, obtains very strong connections with the capital Prishtina: 36km; the capital of North Macedonia, Skopje:48 km, which means significant development in the field of industry, trade, commerce, tourism, and other branches of the economy.

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Hall, P. (2014). Cities of Tomorrow: An Intellectual History of Urban Planning and Design Since 1880. Germany: Wiley.

ISBN: 9780631232520 Berger, A. (2006). Drosscape: Wasting Land in Urban America. United Kingdom: Princeton Architectural Press. ISBN: 9781568987132.

Secchi, B. (2003). The form of the city. In Planum. The Journal of Urbanism, n. 7, vol.2.

Available at http://www.planum.net/diary-11-the-form-of-the-citybernardo-secchi (Accessed in 20 May .2022).

Fig 3: Map of urban growth in Kosovo Field Region

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A RAIL THAT MADE A CITY The history of Ferizaj is memorable due to its impact on the economic, political, social culture of the region from antiquity to the present. The region dates back in the neolithic period where Vinca cult is believed to have inhabited. ‘The Goddess of Varosh’ is one significant artifact that supports this hypothesis. Years later, the Dardani tribe of Illyrians, that were ruled by a king, existed until the Roman wars in Balkan9. Remains of archaeological sites indicating some sort of necropolises and early roman churches, are found in different locations in Kosovo and date from this period. The most notable site in Ferizaj is the Nikadin Archaeological Site10 located in the southeast. Thousands of years later the region is still inhabited and active in rural and urban contexts.

A rail that made a city, is a literal way of explaining how the city of Ferizaj was founded and converted into a city. During the Austrian-Ottoman wars of the late 17th century and the first half of the 18th century, the major social changes occurred and the rapid islamization from Ottoman Empire began, the town was a little more than a village until 1873, when the Belgrade-Thessaloniki railway was opened, passing through the town. At the beginning, the area was called “Tasjon” by surrounding villagers; this term came as a result of mispronunciation of the French word “station” by the locals. Nonetheless, the town gets its name from its first declared inhabitant, Feriz Shasivari, who was the owner of a hotel-like building in 1873. The rapid development of the town started with the construction of the railway station, and within a short period of time, the city became home to different inns, warehouses, and permanent markets.

Traders of Kosovo, using caravans as transport, that moved from Prizren to Shkodër, were mainly directed towards Thessaloniki. Export of raw materials especially that of cereals, went through Ferizaj and through aligned foreign goods transportation, came from Thessaloniki and Skopje.

This was the reason that Ferizaj for a period of thirty years became a city with about 400 houses and 200 shops. Wheat cultivation and flour production due to considerable number of mills, hence water, was another significant activity of people of Ferizaj. However, most of the population worked in crafts and other commercial activities related to trade. During this period, the opening of the colonial shops, craft workshops accelerated further development of the city.

Mustilli, D. (1942). Archeologia del Kossovo. 1941-XX. In Estratto del volume “Le terre Albanesi redente”, I – Cossovo. Italy: Reale Accademia d’ Italia.

Centro Studi per l’Albania.

10 Berisha, M. (2012). Archaeological Guide of Kosovo. Kosovo Archaeological Institute and Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports.

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Fig 4: Map with a photo of Ferizaj Railway, 1903 Photo credits: ©Franz Baron Nopcsa

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Fig 5: Historical timeline drawing of Ferizaj (photos taken by unknown sources) 13

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WHAT STAYS? WHAT GOES? The troubled past of ethnic conflict between Albanians and Serbians was present in Ferizaj ever since the fall of the Ottoman Empire. Ultra-nationalism and discrimination11 towards ethnic Albanians by Serbian forces over time effected dramatically living conditions of Albanians at that time, hardly developing their city, and mostly focusing on living in rural areas. Unlike other regions of Europe, this ongoing conflict, blocked any type of advancement in almost all aspects of life, let alone proper education and academic research in the topics of urbanism and sustainability.

As part of Yugoslavia, Kosovo and surely Ferizaj had a great economical boost as an industrial city. From the 1960s to 1980s interesting pieces of brutalist architecture were built.

Although the infrastructure system was not very visionary at that time, as the main roads were somewhat narrow, and the buildings vertically reached 5 to 6 floors, the city facilitated a lot of public spaces in the centre and the relationship between people and nature was quite envious.

The image of the city at that time, somewhat created an identity of Ferizaj as a city and not only as a town around a train station. Unfortunately, after the 1980s socio-political situation in Yugoslavia as Kosovo fell under Serbian regime, people were vilified in racial terms, and excluded from jobs, education, and government benefits. Left out of the 1995 Dayton Agreement, Kosovo became a breeding ground for frustration and ethnic strife, ultimately leading to war in 1998 and the NATO bombings.12 During the war, the city of Ferizaj suffered extensive damage by the Serbian army that shelled and burned Albanian-populated neighbourhoods as well as most buildings that resemble anything in relation to bits of Albanian culture (e.g. mosques and catholic churches). The US Army base Camp Bondsteel was established outside of the city of Ferizaj, now being used by forces belonging to KFOR13. Camp Bondsteel today plays an important role in the economy of the city.

The impact of such dark past, combined with the postwar period of corruption and challenges of governance, surely is obvious when we see the city of today. Like in most Kosovo post-war cities, Ferizaj is left with almost no tangible heritage; robust infrastructural chaos; lack of water management; degradation of natural environment; immense urban sprawl in the peripheries; lack of public spaces and urban parks; almost no soft mobility; problems

Malcolm, N. (1998). Kosovo: A Short History. United Kingdom: Papermac.

ISBN 9780330412247 12 Clark, H. (2000). Civil Resistance in Kosovo. United Kingdom: Pluto Press. ISBN :0745315690 13 The Kosovo Force (KFOR) is a NATO-led international peacekeeping force in Kosovo 11

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Fig 6: Ferizaj, 2021 ©Google Satellite

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Fig 7: Map of Ferizaj in the larger context in energy production; numerous large commercial areas; privatised industrial factories; and a strange need for new housing and social activities.

The paradigm of Ferizaj as a city experiencing a sort of late modernisation transition resembles the early European Metropolis14 concept of large movement of people from rural to urban areas; combined with the Garden City model and American Suburbia15 concept of car as a significant urban tool; touching the deindustrialisation and urban shrinkage trends of European cities after 1970s; as well as following the globalisation and technological development of the 21st century16. These significant urban planning approaches of different periods of urban debate, are all tangled up into a single complex conglomerate which is today the city of Ferizaj. That is why we cannot define, and surely not comprehend the complexities of the cities today by directly comparing old, applied models. To aim a sustainable development in the contemporary city, we must engage in deeper understanding of each single element and view them as changeable little particles of a vivid multi-layered system. Different debates on sustainability and contemporary city planning approaches argue about the form of the city, what defines cities, how cities are seen as living organisms instead of a setting of functions fragmented by large infrastructures or zoning of Hall, T. (1997). Planning Europe’s capital cities : aspects of nineteenthcentury urban development. Germany: E & FN Spon. ISBN:0419172904 Berger, A. (2006). Drosscape: Wasting Land in Urban America. United Kingdom: Princeton Architectural Press. ISBN: 9781568987132.

16 Secchi, B. (2007). Section 1: Wasted and Reclaimed Landscapes Rethinking and Redesigning the Urban Landscape. Places, 19(1). Retrieved from https://escholarship.org/uc/item/15q4w442 17 Secchi B. (2010) A new urban question. Understanding and planning the contemporary European city. Territorio, 53 14

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social segregations, and really how do we grow. Bernardo Secchi talks about ‘the new urban question’, discussing three main issues of urbanism, the massive urbanization post industrialization; increasing and increasingly visible spatial injustice; and widening environmental problems and climate change vulnerability. He further explains how crises of capitalist economy are overcome by a stronger concentration of power, which in the case of today, is globalization, causing a radical decrease in the public investment aimed at tackling the worsening of social inequalities, and will result in a reduction of public facilities and services, and it will probably contribute to an increase of the social segregation. 17

Fig 8: Chronological maps of Ferizaj ©Google Satellite 18

TRANSFORMATION AS PERMANENCY

Reflecting on ‘the new urban question’ discussion, a multi layered research is substantial to understand and visualize the future of the city. Furthermore, Ferizaj is a typical example of radical decrease of public investment and increasingly privatization of public land as most of public production factories that used to hire large numbers of people, are converted into private companies today, with less and less employees, or grand concentrated shopping malls, contributing to shrinkage of the city centre.

If we obtain a quick urban reading of Ferizaj in the past 10 years and compare, we clearly see how much the image changes, even in a very short time. It is very challenging to formulate a consistent idea of preservation and restoration of urban and architectural heritage under such circumstances of permanent paradigm of change being experienced in the city. It is rather bizarre to rationalize as to why this phenomenon does not seem to bother people.

In an urban environment that is in constant change, one does wonder what will remain of the city, what will my memory be in the future? Perhaps this bizarre phenomenon is a result of some sort of unconscious denial that the people of Kosovo generally are facing in this post-war period associated with post politicaleconomic crisis merging into a “disturbing sense of limbo”.

According to casual discussions with citizens collected in different years, most people are not very interested in preserving old buildings and are particularly not aware of what architectural heritage means to them. They somewhat do want change and new modern buildings, new commercial spaces, public spaces, and recreational activities. Perhaps the meaning of heritage in this case is only in memory, nostalgia of “good times growing up in the countryside, swimming in the rivers, ponds and playing in the agricultural fields”- as many senior citizens claim.

Contemplating such micro-stories, it is simply understood how important natural environment was to people, what water mills meant to the citizens, and how they spent more time with nature than architecture itself.

No matter how inconsistent the city is, perhaps that is after all a possibility to understand the paradigm of these transformations, consider them as part of a bigger picture and classify them in multiple dimensions such as infrastructure, buildings, natural environment of landscape and water, in order to create a new image.

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METHODOLOGY MODEL

The methodology used in this research will be organized in different socio-spatial analysis of these four dimensions of urban transformations. A common list with the types of changes, will be applied to each analysis, and driven by respective key element prone to change.

For instance, if we have ‘housing’ as a key element under the ‘building’ dimension, we can obtain different types of transformations as a result, such as degraded, abandoned, demolished, transformed, or added buildings. Following respective maps will sort these transformations according to their type and location, following an identifiable legend, which is figuratively explained above.

Nevertheless, if we generally classify these transformations according to the most common locations, we will come up with two categories: The city centre, and the city edges.

This methodology will eventually help distinguish the real permanencies among the “transforming permanencies” and deepen more in each individual dimension with diverse mapping tools.

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Fig 9: Transformations in the city centre

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Fig 10: Transformations at the city edges

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Fig 10: Sketch map of main roads in Ferizaj

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INFRASTRUCTURE Ferizaj’s position as a city is extremely favourable in terms of proximity to other cities in Kosovo and North Macedonia.

It has easy access to the main artery roads of Kosovo: the running north-south highway which connects M2/ E65 Pristina to Skopje; and the east-west highway M25-3 (upcoming project), that will connect Ferizaj with Gjilan and Prizren. As a linear city, it is clearly visible that the road network is formed in the centre, primarily made of three main roads, which considering city growth, undoubtedly lead to the interurban traffic.

Ferizaj is a city born by infrastructures. Historically speaking, the railway is essential to the city’s identity and holds important connections even outside Kosovo borders.

It however has been neglected as a function for many decades, used mainly for transportation of goods and rarely for people, despite its historical and social significance. In 2019, the “Rehabilitation of Route 10” project, managed by the European Union & WBIF18, plans to reactivate and upgrade the railway system to link Kosovo and Balkan states with the rest of Europe, especially considering the political situation with Serbia, which keeps most mobility modalities hardly available or at times, blocked.

According to the project, the railway will be physically shielded due to the introduction of high-speed trains, and accessible only in respective stations. In the case of Ferizaj, this project will fragment the city in two sides, creating problems of physical linkage within the city.

Consequently, the municipality of Ferizaj is working on a project to build new underground infrastructures for cars and people, alternatively providing parking areas underground, and using the surfaces above as new public spaces. This project is known as “Bashkimi i Qytetit”19 (eng: unification of the city) and it’s expected to be completed within 4 years. Only three passages are completed in 2021, whereas the biggest one, also facilitating a parking for 200 cars, is in the city centre, attached to the “Adem Jashari” square. Eventually, more underground infrastructures are expected to be implemented in other locations.

Albeit this project aspirations to solve infrastructural chaos in the city centre, it still fails to provide larger road networks, it encourages people to use cars, totally deflects the climate change issue, and it lacks consistent soft mobility as an important system of a contemporary city.

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WBIF - Western Balkans Investment Framework. (2019). Route 10 Phase 1, Fushë Kosovë - Border with North Macedonia Railway Section. https://www.wbif.eu/project/PRJ-KOS-TRA-001 Ferizaj Press. (2021). Përurohet “Bashkimi i qytetit” në Ferizaj. https://ferizajpress.com/perurohet-bashkimi-i-qytetit-ne-ferizaj-foto/

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Fig 11: Map of existing infrastructures and their transformations

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Fig 12: Map of existing soft mobility network

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SOFT MOBILITY

Promoting soft mobility or rather providing open spaces for people has not been on the list of goals when designing Ferizaj infrastructures. With the city’s transformation patterns, public space is becoming lesser every day. It is a mentality issue as well as a planning issue to be taken into consideration, especially since the ‘American City’ concept of moving with cars is trending rapidly in the recent years.

If we measure a sample distance from the city centre to a city edge, we get 2.4 km which means 30-minute-walk or 6-minute-drive. Frankly, this is a short distance to be using cars as the main mode of transportation, contributing further to the urban chaos, and urging new roads for cars to emerge.

On the other hand, the city itself is not pedestrian-friendly, most streets lack proper sidewalks which can be frequently found occupied by cars, as informal parking spaces. If we roughly estimate all roads in the city, an average dimension of sidewalks is in fact not more than 100cm, making it impossible for a proper soft mobility network to naturally exist. However, there are only 2 streets in the city (st.Brahim Ademi and st.Reçaku), that provide formal bike lanes and wider sidewalks, but are actually fragmented in different parts of the city, making it difficult for people to move consistently.

Nonetheless, Ferizaj has two formal significant public spaces, known as the most alive parts of the city: Boulevard Dëshmorët e Kombit and Adem Jashari Square.

The main square of the city holds significant and historical value to the identity of Ferizaj. After the construction of Hotel Lybeten in the 60s, the square became a place for hosting important events, concerts, protests, and festivals.

The square used to have a monumental sculpture resembling the iconic monument in Prishtina, called “Bashkim Vllaznimi”, which is regarded as a symbolic representation of the Communist Party Yugoslavia. It is believed that the monument was demolished during the WW2. However, the square is still used today, regardless the fact that vegetation, paving as well as urban furniture are newly designed in a rather careless way. Shops, fashion stores, caffes and restaurants are present and highly active near the square and along the adjoining boulevard of Dëshmorët e Kombit, which used to be a street for cars in the past.

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NARROW AND CHAOTIC

Road network in Ferizaj is complex and perhaps, so called labyrinthine. Apart from the central roads and the main ones that connect Ferizaj to other cities and villages, the rest of the infrastructural network emerged abruptly, without consistent planning, solely relied on the vernacular design of neighbourhoods.

Linearity, which the railway together with the central roads created; and irregular placement of individual houses, influenced these roads to be built in such fluid and irregular manner, with relatively minimal dimensions, used only for accessing the housing units. This caused a series of problems like sprawl and wasted lands, erratic parcel forms, lack of parking, very narrow local streets, lack of sidewalks, lanes dedicated to bikes and proper urban furniture.

Moreover, the recent trends of building new mixed-use residential complexes without appropriate city planning, resulted in chaotic building compositions where these local narrow roads, due to individual interests of occupying more land to commercialize, do not change the dimension much, but only the material. This new image the city is obtaining by such scenarios is indeed concerning, particularly when talking about essential building codes of proper lighting, enough parking and green public spaces.

On another note, the public transport, if introduced in the future, will surely face difficulties operating in similar circumstances. Currently there is no public transport within the city, although two stations are present: the train station, which is in the center, and actively operates the train line between Kosovo Field and the border with North Macedonia; and the bus station, which operates the bus lines to other cities and villages. According to municipality ongoing plans, the current location of the bus station will change soon, moving further north at the Reçaku street.

In the following maps, plan and section views, are represented several parts of typical roads within the city, notably the long section of a newly implemented underground passage between Boulevard Dëshmorët e Kombit, Railway Buffer area and Ahmet Kaçiku Street.

This underground infrastructure consists of a passage for pedestrians, a road for cars as well as a parking space designed in two floors. This long section drawing also shows a fraction of the public space designed above the infrastructure, as designated in the project of “Bashkimi i Qytetit”, still to be implemented in the upcoming years.

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Fig 13: Map showing the typical infrastructure network in the city centre

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Fig 14: Section & plan of few largest roads

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Fig 15: Section & plan of underground infrastructure - “Bashkimi i Qytetit”

Fig 16: Section & plan of typical main roads

Fig 17: Section & plan of narrow roads

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BUILDINGS Architecture reflects a lot of things that have been going on in a place. It describes important phenomenas from historical timelines of national and political driven symbolism to capitalist investments, commercialism, and social movements. Ferizaj does not own a particularly planned uniformity in terms of architecture, especially since socio-political situations caused a foggy perception of what architectural identity means to people of Ferizaj.

Nevertheless, there are buildings that date back before XIX century, from the Ottoman period, such as the train station building, the small city church, mills and several individual houses made of stone, clay, and adobe bricks. Due to constant wars happening in the area, buildings from these periods were demolished, severely damaged and only few of them are restored and active.

On the other hand, if we look back at the 60s, it was the first time that a sense of place and architectural identity was introduced, as the most prominent architectural pieces were built and somewhat shaped the identity which Ferizaj proudly holds even today, among other cities in Kosovo.

Fig 18: Collage sketch drawing of some of the most significant buildings in Ferizaj

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This architecture was important to people as it represented them in multiple ways. We can assume this appreciation happened because of the glorious years of Yugoslavia’s geopolitical advantage and industrial bloom for 20 years.

Unfortunately, this period ended towards the dark Serbian regime where direct consequences can be recognized in architecture as well: the urban development ceased to exist, schools were not functioning properly, public space was not safe anymore, and finally during and after the war, the architecture Ferizaj is left with, can be described as abandonment, fear, and depression.

In the post-war period, the sense of hope and fear, combined with greed and commercialism stimulated a very uncontrolled urbanism, with no proper planning, no building code, and no work ethics.

However, if we document the architecture of Ferizaj today, it is quite obvious the main influence of modernist architecture of the XXth century, as the most solid identity the city still has, where brutalism of concrete rigid cubist architecture is empathized in most public buildings.

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Fig 19: Map of urban fabric and its transformations

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Fig 20: Map of housing

HOUSING

More than 80% of buildings in Ferizaj are solely housing, vastly dominated by individual homes in both sides of the historic city centre, and public mixed-use housing buildings, notably concentrated in the centre.

The small homes (commonly 10x11m gross floor area) as architecture, do not hold particular values to any respective architectural identity like in the case of brutalist public buildings from the 60s. They were mainly built out of mere necessity, without following proper building regulations.

Moreover, if we look closely at the map of individual housing, we immediately understand the tendency of urban sprawl happening, with no defined limit.

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Fig 21: Map of industries

INDUSTRY

Ferizaj is one of the richest cities in Kosovo, in terms of private businesses, major production factories and commercial areas. Most industrial factories were built around 70s-80s, including Minex Peanut Factory, Tefik Çanga Wood processing Factory, IMK-Metal Industrial Factory of Kosovo, and so on. Although many of these buildings do need restoration for better working conditions and some even were demolished due to abandonment (eg. Tefik Çanga), most of them are actively working today. When it comes to commercial areas, the Transit Road connecting PrishtinaSkopje-Gjilan, is home to numerous businesses of different activities, sadly contributing to sprawl of monotonous “box architecture” and landscape degradation.

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Fig 22: Map of main services

SERVICES

Ferizaj lacks a lot of important functions, or at least proper buildings to facilitate these functions. According to the Municipality, several projects are in process of being developed in the upcoming years, such as the main Hospital building, Central Bus station, city stadium, the communal building and other municipality buildings which are going to be designed outside the city centre.

Moreover, sports centres facilitating leisure activities, are hardly provided. There is only one sports hall, built in the 80s and holds brutalist architecture values, the facade of which is currently being “wrongly restored”, demolishing the architectural heritage it represents. The military base of FSK is present and active at the western part of the city.

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Fig 23: Map of cultural buildings

CULTURE

Due to multi-cultural phenomena the population in Kosovo, Ferizaj has a remarkable tolerance when it comes to religion, ethnicity and cultural diversity. Catholic church, Orthodox church and several Mosques are found in several parts of the city. When it comes to schools and other cultural buildings, Ferizaj has been lacking proper education buildings for people. The Municipality is currently working on new school projects to be built at the north-west part of the city, which will be connected to the existing youth centre and the theatre. On the other hand, another cluster of professional schools are recently built in the eastern part, including the first public University in the city known as The University of Applied Sciences in Ferizaj (UASF).

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Fig 24: Two maps showing existing and foreseen city growth

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Fig 25: Diagram showing two types of transformations

URBAN GROWTH

Ferizaj has been growing, especially for the past 5 years it is very evident the pace in which urban development has been going. Continuous transformation can be identified in endless cases throughout the city. Most areas prone to such changes are almost everywhere, starting from the central part of the city, where mass production of high-rise buildings is happening. Common patterns include demolition of individual 1 to 2-story homes and development of large public mixed-use housing complexes, ridiculously built with no respect to essential architectural principles. These buildings usually do not own any architectural identity to be considered “good architecture” but rather “kitch architecture”, they severely lack proper lighting due to building distances between one another, massively lack parking spaces, open and green spaces like neighbourhood pocket parks, lack adequate insulation and basic living standards, leading to a rather low-quality life. Another significant pattern of transformation is at the city edges, where a sort of sprawl is happening. Starting from mass production of commercial “box architecture” of private businesses to projects of private neighbourhoods resembling the “American Suburbia”. This is causing constant degradation of agricultural fields and natural environment, resulting in abandoned landscapes.

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FIRST SCHOOL BUILDING

PUBLIC LIBRARY

BITS OF ARCHITECTURAL IDENTITY

Due to rapid urban growth, fast economy, and capitalist investments happening, notably in the city centre, a considerate neglect of architectural heritage is very much present. Although the city is not particularly old, it still holds many significant and iconic buildings of XIX & XX centuries that in one way or another represent the identity of Ferizaj20.

A large number of modernist architecture buildings have been continuously restored in improper ways, which ironically degraded the building essential and authentic features. Hence numerous building permanencies that are found in the city, are weakly restored & reused, completely changed, in damaged condition, or abandoned.

It is substantial to mention the fact that because of this so called ‘ignorance’ or lack of proper heritage education, even people’s awareness towards heritage is remarkably low and misperceived, even further allowing architectural degradation of the remained bits of architectural identity21.

HOTEL LYBETEN

TRAIN STATION

20 21

Hyseni, I. (2014). Ferizaj 1873-1944. Kosovo:Intergraf Elezi,K., Sadiki,A. (2019). Architectural reflection in Ferizaj: from Eclecticism to the new wave of Modernism. UBT International Conference. 244.

CITY ARCHIVE 45

Fig 26: Map of city centre and the most iconic buildings

100m

SPORTS HALL “BILL CLINTON”

CITY THEATER

GRAND MOSQUE & ORTHODOX CHURCH

POST OFFICE

BANKOS

SMALL MOSQUE

CATHOLIC CHURCH

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Fig 27: Sketch drawing of Hotel Lybeten (former condition)

HOTEL LYBETEN

Built in 1960, Hotel Lybeten is one of the most prominent and iconic buildings in Ferizaj. Resembling more with early modernism architecture as a style, the hotel is designed in 4 floors: ground floor hosting cafes and small shops, the first floor for administration and two other floors are used as hotel rooms. The building structure consists of modular repetitive elements of columns exposed on the surface and walls drawn back inside22.A characteristic feature seen on the facade of the building is the concrete brise-soleil, serving as expressive repetitive element that reduces heat gain within the building by deflecting sunlight. As a matter of fact, this feature is found in most public buildings in Kosovo, designed during this period.

The drawing on top shows an old image of the building former condition in the 60s. Today half of the building (lower roof part to be exact) is totally transformed, hosting some private shops and caffe/club like stores, which is a perfect example of weak and irresponsible restoration of heritage buildings in Ferizaj and Kosovo as well. However, an impressive cubist style mural of a waiter can be identified on the main plain facade, and it is an authentic & iconic element with which Ferizaj is known as a city even today.

22

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Elezi,K.,Sadiki,A.(2016). Modernizmi në Ferizaj, 1960-1990. Fakulteti i Arkitekturës dhe Planifikimit Hapsinor, UBT, Prishtinë. Kosovo:Europrinty Group.

ISBN:9789951550154

GRAND MOSQUE & ORTHODOX CHURCH

Although religion does not hold a central importance to the people of Ferizaj, an interesting phenomenon can be noticed: two contraverse religious buildings cooperate in the same garden in the city centre. This symbol represents the religious tolerance that Ferizaj is known and identified in Kosovo and can be an example of how architecture can be an important factor of creating a sense of place. The Grand Mosque was built in the 1890s by the Ottomans and later destroyed by German bombers during WWII. The current Mosque was completed in 1943 and restored in 2013 when the second minaret was added. The Orthodox Church was built in the 1920s by Serbians, dedicated to the emperor Uros. Over the years, ethnical conflict took a toll on the church because the city was not known to be inhabited by Serbians, but the majority has always been Albanians, who did not consider themselves Orthodox, but rather Muslim or Catholic. However, after the war in 1999, the people of Ferizaj embraced the historical quarrels regarding religion, living now in tolerance and peace between three official religions.

Fig 28: Sketch drawing of the main religious buildings, which represent religious tolerance in Ferizaj (current condition)

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Fig 29: Sketch drawing of the original train station building (current condition)

TRAIN STATION BUILDING

Built in 1874, the train station is one of the oldest buildings in Ferizaj, built coherently with the famous railway line construction of the same year. It holds a crucial importance to the people of Ferizaj since the city itself was made because of this railway and this particular station. The building is located at the heart of the city, accessible through the main city square “Adem Jashari” and boulevard “Dëshmorët e Kombit”, being in a proximity with other significant buildings like Hotel Lybeten and Public Library. Apart from being restored, modified, and damaged in the past, it has always survived and yet remained an active station.

In terms of architectural features, the station owns a typical structure of massive walls (50-60cm thickness), designed in two floors; the ground floor hosts a waiting area and other service and administration rooms of the station, whereas the first floor consists of 2 housing units, originally used by foreign station workers23. Today the building needs proper restoration, enhancement, promotion, and cultural, social, and economic integration with the city, gaining the attention it deserves as a substantial heritage of Ferizaj.

23

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Drenogllava,E., et al.(2021). Rilevimi i ndërtesës së stacionit të trenit në Ferizaj.

Fakulteti i Arkitektures, Universiteti i Prishtines.

Available at: https://issuu.com/edmond_drenogllava/docs/draft_rilevimi_i_nd_ rtes_s_s__stacionit_t__trenit (Accessed in 30 May 2022)

PUBLIC LIBRARY BUILDING

The building in which the public library of Ferizaj operates today is believed to be built in 191224. The original function of the building is not documented or known properly but it is quite evident that this building has been present and very central to the identity of the old city.

Nevertheless, as a library, it started to function from the 1950s under the name “Jovan Popović” and it is recognized as the first library operating in Ferizaj. Shortly after the war in 1999, it changed its name to “Anton Çeta” following a division in another old building built in 1923, known as the small library (today the city archive building).

In 2001, the library changed its name to “Sadik Tafarshiku”, a name which holds even today. The small library was merged with the main one under a single name in 2010.

Afterwards the municipality decided to use the building as a city archive, not a very convenient choice frankly speaking, considering its historical value.

Despite the very weak condition the library is in today, it is still highly functional and yet not enough as it is the only library in the city, meaning the city seriously lacks public spaces for socio-educational activities.

Fig 30: Sketch drawing of the main city library building (current condition)

24

Qendra Multimedia. (no date). Profili i bibliotekës së qytetit “Sadik Tafarshiku” – Ferizaj.

Available at: https://qendra.org/profil-biblioteka-e-qytetit-sadik-tafarshiku-ferizaj/ (Accessed in 30 May 2022)

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Fig 31: Sketch drawing of the sports hall building (current condition)

SPORTS HALL “BILL CLINTON”

Literally representing the typical brutalist architecture in Kosovo25, this building shows a remarkable typology of the structure being directly expressed on the facade. Built in 1982 its materials consist of primarily reinforced concrete, articulate red clay bricks and repetitive colored glass. The building displays a high dose of monumentalism and late modernism, with consistent repetitive facade elements, stimulating a unique light & shadow effect.

Functionally speaking, this is the only building officially dedicated to sports activities, major events, concerts and other cultural and recreational purposes. It is located in the western part of the city, along Brahim Ademi street and it is easily accessible.

Based on very recent Municipality major projects, the sports hall’s facade will be insulated which theoritically means “lost”, as it is usually the case of every restoration project in Kosovo, irresponsible, commercial and a total failure.

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FORMER CITY MALL

“Shtëpia e Mallrave” as the locals used to call it, the city mall of Ferizaj was one of the most impressive and influential buildings that not only held architectural values, but also cultural ones, in terms of public space and social integration.

Built in 1970, it consists of two volumes: the public mall designed in two floors; and the administrative part designed in five floors. Characteristic for this building is the particular facade membrane of prefabricated aluminium elements in triangular shapes. The double circular stairs in the middle of the mall are another interesting feature that used to make this public space quite brilliant. Due to privatisation and capitalist economy, today this building is almost utterly transformed into a private shopping centre whereas the described aluminium facade exists only on one side of the building. A preservation failure of this kind further degrades and even offends the heritage of the people of Ferizaj which is in very high risks and needs immediate attention.

A building of quite similar characteristics can be found in Prishtina as well, known as Gërmia, which in comparison to Ferizaj, still holds architectural values and is a target for new and better restoration projects25.

Fig 32: Sketch drawing of the old city mall building (former condition)

25

Gjinolli, I., Kabashi,L.(2015). Modernizmi Kosovar: një abetare e arkitekturës.

Kosovo: National gallery of Kosovo. ISBN:9951587534

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ECONOMY Ferizaj is a relatively new settlement, hence compared to other municipalities in Kosovo, its economy has developed in the recent years. The earliest known base of economic activity included mainly crafts and trade. For instance, in 1900, out of 400 buildings that Ferizaj had at that time, 200 of them were stores26. The main craft activities were plis (traditional Albanian hat), filigree and shoemaking.

Moreover, one of the first businesses that were established in Ferizaj was a hotel, owned by Feriz Shashivari. These facts show how the city’s identity started to form, a city of rich trade, commercial and touristic businesses. Apart from trade, many factories were built during the period of ex-Federation of Yugoslavia in Kosovo, causing further a rapid industry and economic development. Almost all large businesses and enterprises were established after the second World War. Ferizaj had well developed food, metal, construction, wood processing industries, forestry, and agriculture, until the war in 1999 when most industries collapsed.

The loss of Kosovo’s autonomy and reinforcement of the Serbian authority in Yugoslavia in the 90s, followed by violence and massive removal of Albanian workers from their jobs, had major negative consequences on Ferizaj’s economy. After the war, many efforts were made to consolidate and revitalize these enterprises and their capacities, but the results were not much encouraging.

Today Ferizaj is converted into an important economic centre and has a wide recognition in Kosovo for its economic development. Some factories and former enterprises still operate to date, for instance Metal Tubes Factory (al:Fabrika e Tubave të Çelikta), Oil Factory (al: Fabrika e vajit), Wood Processing Factory (al:Kombinati i drurit), and Brick Factory (al: Fabrika e tullave). These factories have built the base for the economic development of the municipality, making Ferizaj one of the richest cities in Kosovo. Even though Ferizaj’s economic development came out of the war with a very fragile economy, its transition period began building a sustainable economic system based primarily on development of the private, small, and medium businesses, which usually consist of metal and pipes industry, construction industry, wood processing industry, furniture design, commercial shopping centres, tourism, and agribusiness.

Privatisation in Kosovo is a famous phenomenon that

53

impacted positively the economical aspect of cities, but on the contrary, negatively impacted the architectural heritage and life quality of people. In the municipality of Ferizaj the economic activity is developed by 25 social and private enterprises. The oil factory, which was commercialized in september 2001 has 160 full-time employees, 25 of these employees receive social assistance. The average incomes are 325 euro per worker. The other commercialized enterprise is the Exotic Fruits’ production and processing factory “Minex” (known as the Peanut Factory) which has 210 employees. Other privatized enterprises are the trees plantation (al: Plantacioni i pemëve); and the Wood Processing Factory (al: Kombinati i drurit) named: “Tefik Çanga”. It is paradoxical to justify the consequences of privatisation in Kosovo, because while it revived collapsed and unused factories of the past glory and stimulate factories to continue to operate today, it still fails to create favourable salaries and work conditions to average factory workers, lacks proper production methodologies, does not offer any export, even hardly providing enough resources for the country and highly lacks sustainability in terms of environment and architecture. However, nowadays the private sector presents the main economic base for the city. According to data taken from the Department for Economy and Finance of the Municipality of Ferizaj the number of small and medium registered businesses reaches 4413, in which businesses have 9137 employed workers, and based on the statistics of Businesses Registration Centre in Ferizaj, for a period of only 6 months, over 400 new businesses have been registered27.

If we focus on a singular economic activity in Ferizaj today, it is obvious that the wood industry is the most common one. According to statistics, Ferizaj is ranked the first city regarding wood processing industry, with 22.3% of Kosovo’s wood companies being from Ferizaj, which is a quite high percentage, considering the size and population of Ferizaj in comparison with the other larger cities in Kosovo. Embracing such industry, Ferizaj is actively working on wood processing studies in the academic aspect as well, owning the Faculty of Architecture, Design and Wood Technology, part of public University of Applied Sciences. The following map shows a dense distribution of outstanding industrial factories and wood businesses with significant statistics and an overview of logging areas.

26 27

Hashani Sh. (1998).Ferizaj dhe rrethina 1873-1941. Kosovo:Dinograf.

Ferizaj Municipality (2017). Urban Development Plan of Ferizaj 2017–2025+. The Department of Urban Planning, Property, Cadastre, Geodesy and Environment Protection.

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Fig 33: Map of industrial enterprises and wood processing businesses

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LANDSCAPE Natural environment of Ferizaj is quite rich of natural resources as the city is tangented by large mountainous areas covered with diverse vegetation. These large mountains are consistently attached to Sharr Mountains.

Sharr is a mountain range extending from southern Kosovo to north-western North Macedonia. Rugged and barren, the mountains are among the highest on the Balkans, with 30 peaks higher than 2,500m and 70 above 2000 m, and present one of the main natural wealth resources in Kosovo. When it comes to biodiversity, Sharr is quite rich in flora and fauna. It has an abundance of high-mountain pasture of about 45000 hectares and high-trunk conifer woods. Fir and juniper trees are most common, and in the lower parts beech and chestnut forests are plentiful.

Sharr Mountain is a large massif that features a variety of habitats, and home to around 2000 different plant species28. The fauna has over 14% species of wild animals, which are present on this mountain including the critically endangered Balkan lynx, bear, wolf, and the Balkan chamois. Eagles, falcons, and hawks are also very common on Sharr Mountain. The closest part of Sharr in proximity to Ferizaj is Jezerc mountain, located on the west side of the city and is an important natural asset contributing to tourism in cycling, exploring, and hiking activities.

Moreover, Ferizaj is connected to Sharr in the southwestern part as well, it’s connected with the famous skiresort in Brezovica, and in close proximity to one of Sharr’s famous peaks, the Luboten Peak (al: Maja e Lybetenit).

Luboten is located on the border between Kosovo and North Macedonia, has an elevation of 2498m, and has been an interesting symbol for the people in the region of Ferizaj, since the peak is visible from all parts of the city.

The following drawing shows a sketch of a typical view of this peak. If we elaborate the cultural meaning behind this peak as symbolism, it may be regarded as an example of landscape identity and heritage, a genius loci that holds significant values to people and shows a fascinating emotional connection to landscape. That is why it is customary for every citizen of Ferizaj to recognize in a heartbeat the peak of Luboten, and a numerous range of associations to this name, that are again related to this natural feature, e.g., Hotel Lybeten.

28

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Menczer,K.,et al.(2018).Kosovo biodiversity analysis. United States: DAI Global.

Available at: https://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PA00WCZP.pdf (Accessed in 1 June 2022)

Fig 34: Sketch drawing of Lubeten Peak

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Fig 35: Map of landscapes and their transformations

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Fig 36: Long landscape sections

The map above shows the existing condition of landscape features in the city of Ferizaj. As seen, the city is surrounded by natural features, such as Jezerc, two forests parks of Liria in the west and Rahovica in the north-east. Separated by settlements and infrastructures, the rest of the land is agriculture. Unfortunately, the agricultural production is very weak due to rapid urbanisation and commercial architecture at the city edges, resulting in a large number of abandoned fields and degraded landscapes.

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The two long sections, show better the terrain features, main infrastructures, and several settlements. The city is relatively flat, only tangented by Jezerc mountain, forests parks and small villages. The most identified transformations regarding landscape, include massive loss of vegetation by illegal logging, bad municipality management and constant environmental pollution by the locals.

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WATER In Ferizaj, the surface waters flow along the Nerodime river, which is an important branch of the Lepenc river.

Nerodime represents Europe’s only instance of a river bifurcation flowing into two seas, dividing into two irreversible branches. It flows from two mountain streams, the big stream (al: lumi i madh) and the small one (al: lumi i vogël), originating in southern part of Nerodime mountain, at an altitude of 600m. Both streams join near the village of Nerodime e Epërme. From there, Nerodime flows towards the outskirts of Ferizaj, where the second bifurcation occurs. The northern branch flows into the Sitnica river and ultimately into the Black Sea via the Ibër, Morava and Danube rivers; while the main, southern branch joins with another branch of the Nerodime river and together continue the journey to the Aegean Sea via the Lepenc and Vardar rivers. The length of Nerodime river is 29 km, the surface of the basin is 209 km2 , whereas the average speed is 0.9m³/sec. The bifurcation is an artificial phenomenon, as the connection was achieved by digging an artificial canal, but the downstream water flow is still natural. The bifurcation of Nerodime has been under state protection since 1979, and it is declared as a strict wildlife sanctuary, first category according to IUCN. This phenomenon is attractive for researchers and visitors and has great importance to education, science, and tourism.

The water flow is weak because of the bifurcation, which is hardly functional. The left branch is totally empty from the water flow. In the other side, the right branch which takes water to the historical Nika’s Mill, is damaged due to often changing the direction of water flow, made by local inhabitants. Another factor disturbing the river flow is the commercial activity of local businesses in that area, who use the river to create artificial water features for commercial profits, thus influencing the water flow29.

Other surface waters that flow in the territory of Ferizaj, like the small streams of Pleshina and Greme, that join Nerodime River near the village of Gurez, are being used for irrigation and drinking water supply for the city.

The following map shows the existing condition of water features in Ferizaj, including the alluvial aquifer (part of Kosovo Basin), main production wells together with some identified private wells, which are essential to the city’s water supply source, the Nerodime river, its branches and the run-off water streams.

29

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Prishtina Insight.(2016).Unique Kosovo River Phenomenon Flows Once More.

Available at: https://prishtinainsight.com/unique-kosovo-river-phenomenonflows/ (Accessed in 1 June 2022)

Fig 37: Sketch drawing of Nerodime river bifurcation

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Fig 38: Map of water streams and groundwater

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SUPPLY & WASTE

Currently the city’s main water supply comes from the Municipality DWTP company called “Bifurkacioni, ShA”, which operates a large collector that accumulates water from small streams in Pleshina village and three significant production wells in Varosh, Gërlicë and Begracë30. Anyways, Ferizaj can hardly manage to supply drinking water for the whole city, especially considering the rapid urban growth which creates higher demand of water.

On the other hand, the water quality of streams and rivers in Ferizaj has deteriorated over the years, leaving the water polluted, including the direct discharge of untreated wastewater and the indiscriminate disposal of solid waste. Ferizaj has almost no wastewater collection and no treatment infrastructure. The untreated wastewater is discharged into a tributary of the Ibër. Wastewater also finds its way south, into the Lepenc river, which then flows into North Macedonia and the Aegean Sea. The following diagrams show the water treatment process and a geological section representing production wells.

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Fig 39: Scheme drawing of current water treatment process

Fig 40: Section & diagram of groundwater wells According to research data about groundwater potential of the alluvial aquifer, Ferizaj has a high amount of groundwater that can be used further for water supply31. A proposal by the research team is to open 6 more wells with a speed of 7.5l/s, as a solution until at least 2034 and strictly preserve the rivers from further degradation.

In fact, most people living in urban and rural areas in Ferizaj, are actively opening new wells by their own, only to facilitate essential needs of water. Besides, the city’s main water supply comes mostly from groundwater.

It is crucial for the Municipality of Ferizaj to address the water supply and wastewater treatment issue, strictly prohibit water pollution, and riverscape degradation for commercial interests.

30

31

Kadriu,S., et al. (2020). Determining the drinking water quality in several rural settlements in Ferizaj Municipality, Kosova. Bilimsel Madencilik Dergisi, Volume 59, Issue 3,2020,207-217.

Hajra, A., et al.(2022). Delineation of Well Head Protection Areas for the Public Wells in the Ferizaj Region (Kosovo) with Limited Data Availability. Journal of Environmental Protection , 13, 204-219. https://doi.org/10.4236/jep.2022.132013

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WATER & DEFORESTATION

If we look closer at the degradation of natural resources like water and landscape in Ferizaj region, we can draw a sort of connection line between water loss and deforestation.

The following drawing shows an abstract interpretation of how the human factor is affecting the environment, more specifically, the Nerodime river and its branches.

Ferizaj counts more than 358 wood processing companies, actively profiting more than 3.5 milion euros per year, thus resulting in companies and corporation that employ from 9 to 250 workers32. Although it is entirely private-owned, the wood production industry certainly is an important asset for the economy of Ferizaj as it generates profit and continuously ensures employment. According to statistics33 regarding wood processing industry, it is asserted that only 15% of raw wood is provided by import and 85% by logging in the surrounding forests, and the most common form of logging is either irresponsible or illegal. Other logging is surely used as firewood in households, considering almost 50% of population still uses firewood as the main source of heat energy during winter season. However, this percentage has been decreasing in the recent years due to rapid urbanisation, whereas public mixed-use housing buildings use electrical heat systems.

On the other hand, the natural water flow has been decreasing immensely over the years, especially with the rapid economic development of Ferizaj. Based on local people’s memories and storytelling, a lot of plantation areas that were blooming during the 70s and 80s do not exist anymore, for instance, the west part of the city, where the northern branch of Nerodime flows along Brahim Ademi street, used to be full of mills, water springs and natural ponds where people spent most of their leisure time. Moreover, the Jezerc mountain, where Nerodime originates, is constantly being degraded by deforestation, which one way or another highly influences water loss. The lack of trees causes the flow of water to be disrupted, and the soil to lose its ability to retain water, which causes large amount of water to run-off.

Apart from these consequences, deforestation causes wildlife extinction, loss of biodiversity, climate imbalance and climate change, increase in global warming and greenhouse gas emissions, soil erosion, floods, and a decline in life quality of people.

32

33

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Sejdiu, Rr., et al. (2015). A survey of volume, species and origin of dry timber consumed by the wood processing industry in the region of Ferizaj. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/276057756_A_SURVEY_OF_VOLUME_ SPECIES_AND_ORIGIN_OF_DRY_TIMBER_CONSUMED_BY_THE_WOOD_ PROCESSING_INDUSTRY_IN_REGION_OF_FERIZAJ (Accessed in 1 June 2022) Sejdiu, Rr., et al.(2020). Motivation Impact on Workers Performance.

Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344891397_Motivation_ Impact_on_Workers_Performance_Case_Study_Wood_Processing_Companies_ in_Ferizaj_Region_-_Republic_of_Kosova (Accessed in 1 June 2022)

Fig 41: Abstract analytical map of water and deforestation

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CASE STUDIES The following case studies are chosen based on personal inspiration, philosophy, experimentation and relevancy.

Emerald Necklace | Frederick Olmsted34

The park system designed by Frederick Law Olmsted from 1872 to 1892 and constructed by 1895 runs through two municipalities: Boston and Brookline. It is an example of how a series of landscapes, parks and public spaces can be connected inclusively within the urban fabric and reshape a city’s identity towards sustainable development.

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“The main distinctive characteristic of the Boston municipal system is its design as a series of parks, each possessing an individual landscape character and special re-creative functions, united by a chain of drives, rides and walks, forming a grand parkway of picturesque type... reaching from the heart of the city into the rural scenery of the suburbs.”

- Olmsted and Eliot Landscape Architects, 1894.

Fig 42: Map of Emerald Necklace | ©Olmsted

34

American Society of Landscape Architects (no date).Emerald Necklace Overview.

Available at: https://www.asla.org/guide/site.aspx?id=40785 (Accessed in 4 June 2022)

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Randstad - Groene Hart | Luigi Snozzi35

One of pivot examples of urban conurbation is surely the Randstad, representing a model of how nine regions colive in dense, compact, and developed cities, embracing a perfect harmony. In his proposal, Snozzi deploys one architectural element, a circle, traced with mathematical precision, which runs through the open agricultural area and skirts the periphery of the large cities, passing east of Utrecht to complete the perfect shape. The ‘structure’ consists of a public transportation route, raised thirty metres above ground level, with monumental high-rise development at strategic points. Development is halted inside the circle; development outside is channelled over time towards the centres of the large cities. Space for the development of new towns is reserved at less densely built-up locations. Although Snozzi’s proposal might seem absurd and unrealistic in many levels, it still encouraged a lot of discussions regarding contemporary concepts of public transport, circular economy and efficency.

Fig 43: Map of Groene Hart vision | ©Snozzi

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DeltaMetropool | OMA35

This controversial concept opposing the Randstad by OMA claims that Randstad is now an outdated concept because the towns of Leiden and Gouda are too weak to create a coherent ring. Due to mutual disputes many towns are at risk of losing their competitive position. As a starting point would be, establishing two major, mutually stimulating and competing poles: the ‘centre city’ of Amsterdam and a new ‘field, grid or pixel city’ incorporating The Hague and Rotterdam (with a secondary line of development focused on strengthening older towns along the Rhine like Leiden and Utrecht. The proposal considers existing and recently initiated development in the zone extending from The Hague to Rotterdam. By laying a rectilinear grid over this area and designating it a ‘city’, we can create a logic for further development, the most significant new element of which is the conversion of the A13 motorway into a central urban boulevard.

Fig 44: Concept drawings of DeltaMetropool | ©OMA

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Vollaard, P. (2003). Four Delta Metropolises. Archined Foundation. Available at: https://www.archined.nl/2003/01/four-delta-metropolises/ (Accessed in 4 June 2022)

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After Sprawl | XDGA36

This experimental work shows an invert way of looking at cities. It tackles the sprawl issue at the city edges by radical design proposals, including rigid areas of dense forestation in order to oppose urbanism from occupying more land.

“Does the designation “city” still apply to modern day urban zones with sprawling edges? Is it still possible to talk about the countryside if one encounters similar densities there as in the city? Does the dispersal of the city also mean its dissolution?” These are some of the questions XDGA discusses about in their book.

Fig 45: Map of unbuilt space in the region of Flanders | ©XDGA

Fig 46: One of the proposals | ©XDGA

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The book further documents and analyses the impact of sprawl on the built space, intriduces a new conceptual apparatus and puts forward spatial propositions for the hybrid urbanity of the after-sprawl.

Fig 47: One of the proposals for Brussels | ©XDGA

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Bekaert, G., May, A., Boeck, L. d. (2002). Xaveer De Geyter Architects: After-sprawl : Research for the Contemporary City. Netherlands: NAi Publishers.

ISBN: 9789056622657

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Antwerp: The Structural Plan | Bernardo Secchi & Paola Viganò37 When it comes to urban structural planning, the case of Antwerp is strategic and pioneer planning tradition of Flanders, Belgium. The plan is conceived through two ideal means: on one side the ‘images’, and on the other side the ‘scenarios’. The ‘images’, based on both the city history and more recent interesting reflections are the guidelines for future action and in particular for the construction of a ‘vision’. The images as elaborated include Antwerp as a: -water city; -eco city; -harbour city; -rail city; -porous city and -mega city.

The ‘scenarios’ on the other hand, are a “what could happen if ….” analysis system: they allow to push further the project through a collective involvement of city actors and users, getting over traditional exclusively data based previsions.

The proposed scenarios are structured in the: -lower network; -hard spine and -soft spine.

In this framework Secchi adopts a strategy of his famous renovatio urbis: in a general structure of urban space strategic projects are developed.

“It is not the European city that is disappearing, but certain concepts of urbanity and their traditional interpretations.

The social and functional mix visible in contemporary European cities is different from traditional functions. In the allocation of new functions, an evaluation now has to be made that introduces the concept of environmental compatibility. The same can be said of the traditional concepts of zoning and land use hierarchies. Little by little these concepts must be replaced until a true porosity of uses and activities emerges.” - Secchi

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Secchi, B. (2007). Section 1: Wasted and Reclaimed Landscapes - Rethinking and Redesigning the Urban Landscape. Places, 19(1).

Retrieved from https://escholarship.org/uc/item/15q4w442

Fig 48: Structural Plan for Antwerp | ©Secchi & Viganò

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The Metropolis of the 21 Century - le Grand Paris | Bernardo Secchi & Paola Viganò38 Another quite influential proposal is The Porous City of Paris, which as Viganò explains: “illustrates three different ‘scenarios’ we consider fundamental for the XXI century -the after Kyoto - metropolis and its future. the scenario 1 took as a model a future of 100% durable energy situation; the second scenario envisages the creation of a new great wetlands system in the metropolitan area, aiming at a composed ecological and recreational system starting from the ‘dross’ biotic system; and, at last, the shift from a hierarchical vertical system to a horizontal isotropic mass transportation system. In the third part, finally, we will propose some strategic projects, interacting with the three scenarios”

Fig 49: Map of Paris as a porous city | ©Secchi & Viganò

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Viganò, P. (2009). The Metropolis of the Twenty-First Century. The Project of a Porous City. On Territories, OASE, (80), 91–107. Retrieved from https://oasejournal. nl/en/Issues/80/TheMetropolisOfTheTwenty-FirstCentury

Fig 50: Sections of Paris as a porous city | ©Secchi & Viganò

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Loop City, Copenhagen | BIG39 The following project by BIG, shows a typical example of how public transport of light trains can make cities more compact and sustainable, as well as connect and revive a series of areas in the city that need more attention.

LOOP City seeks to reimagine Greater Copenhagen by centralizing urbanization around a light rail system that would ultimately be a part of a larger transportation/ development loop that would extend around the entirety of the Oresund Region. The plan is for an area equal in size to central Copenhagen with a similar urban profile, turning areas of 25% urban density to areas more like the central city, where density is as high as 200%. According to BIG’s plans, if the new areas were urbanized similarly to central Copenhagen it could provide housing for over 325,000 new residents and create more than 280,000 working places.

Fig 51: Map of the loop, Copenhagen | ©BIG

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Bjarke Ingles Group. (2010). LOOP City in Copenhagen.

Available at: https://big.dk/#projects-loop (Accessed in 10 June 2022)

Fig 52: Overview plan | ©BIG

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Slow Food Freespace | StefanoBoeri Architetti40 Slow Food Freespace is the pilot project for the first Slow Village based on the Slow Food Movement, presented

by Stefano Boeri Architetti at the 16thVenice Architecture Biennale. Starting from Slow Food philosophy and a vision of promoting an agricultural economy that focuses and develops local cultures and products, the project consists of a school, a library and a small museum. By offering better cultural, economic, architectural and environmental conditions to a fragmentary constellation of local communities, the intervention aims to strongly oppose the ever increasing emigration to the big Chinese cities of the last few years, and the consequent dumbing down and loss of the specific characteristics related to the cultural wealth of the country. The strategy is based on the use of three prototype projects that can evolve and adapt to the different programme requirements and site conditions.

Each building, the museum, the school and the library

Fig 53: Concept diagram | ©StefanoBoeri Architetti

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Stefano Boeri Architetti. (2018). Seeds of Culture | Slow Village. Available at: https://www.stefanoboeriarchitetti.net/en/project/seeds-of-culture-slow-village/ (Accessed in 10 June 2022)

aims to refine the beauty of traditional architecture and its surroundings, as well as to strengthen its identity.

“We easily forget that the rural areas provide sustainability to our daily lives. It is an inevitable necessity of architecture to confront the speed of evolution while also feeding it with the richness of the past. For this reason, we have proposed to enhance the agricultural villages with a system of small but precious catalysts of local culture, able to improve the lives of the residents.” - Stefano Boeri in Shanghai.

Fig 54: Slow food freescape masterplan | ©StefanoBoeri Architetti

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SYNOPSIS The research about Ferizaj, conducted in multiple aspects considering most significant factors that influenced the city’s condition of today, shows a pretty complex outcome.

There are tons of issues that need immediate attention, either acting upon or merely discussing in more qualitative ways that take into account even influential and important references in the contemporary approaches of landscape and urbanism. Especially since many of these issues are not new in the history of urbanism and urban processes which have typically been subjects of bigger socio-politic and socio-economic factors.

Transformation of Ferizaj holds a remarkable economic value at one side and a terrible environmental justice on the other. Fast urban growth is having tons of consequences in multiple degradation levels such as continuous neglect of identity and heritage; irresponsible water management and pollution; illegal high-rise architecture; deforestation and climate change; infrastructural chaos; lack of public spaces; a series of abandoned landscapes; and constant loss of agricultural fields.

Since fast urbanism prioritises speed over democracy and participation, the speed is considered extremely important in city development. This undoubtedly urges cities to rapidly converge time and space under the imperative of fast growth, think fast, develop a sense of material greed, and constantly try to catch up with the West, which leads to out-of-context or exotic city planning.

As many urban theorists believe, it is crucial that cities should be treated as living organisms, always evolving, adapting, and growing, it only depends on which direction is the best to follow. But what is the best direction Ferizaj should follow? What actions must be taken in order to tackle this complex conglomerate of multiple issues? How do we deal with rapid urban growth? Can we really reclaim landscapes and lost agricultural fields? What about soft mobility? Is it possible for Ferizaj to be more open to public recreational activities in a more pedestrian friendly environment? After all, can Ferizaj’s identity be rescued?

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Fig 55: Problem statement diagram

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Fig 56: Sketch mapping of the analytical research

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DRIFTING SYNOPSIS Sketch Mapping

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Fig 57: Sketch mapping of main issues

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DRIFTING SYNOPSIS Sketch Mapping

CONCEPT Following a systematic research, a methodology of sketch mapping and a selective criteria, I’ve come to clarify several sites where most of the above issues intersect with one another. What all these sites have in common is again the speed urban growth. Ergo, a reversed and contrasted concept is proposed to slow down this ‘speed’. Founded by Carlo Petrini in 1986, the slow food movement philosophy can be translated in urban planning concepts, respectively in slow landscapes and urbanism, towards a slow city, that totally deflect rapid developments and aims for more compact and sustainable cities. Therefore, the idea of Ferizaj as A Slow City is elaborated throughout the project proposal, collecting three ‘scenarios’41 of what if-s?

41

Secchi, B. (2003). Scenarios. In Planum. The Journal of Urbanism, n. 7, vol.2.

Available at: http://www.planum.net/diary-06-scenarios-bernardo-secchi (Accessed in 10 June 2022).

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Fig 58: Concept map. What if water defines growth?

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WHAT IF WATER DEFINES GROWTH? CONCEPT Sketch Mapping

Natural water flow of rivers does not rush to be drained in seas, instead it follows a constant tempo based on territories and their natural features. As a result, the shape of rivers is never regular as it is with humans trying to alter and control everything, including nature. But what happens if we let nature grow into the city, or for once, barrier the city from further growing onto nature?

By wondering “what if water defines growth?” I mean giving more territory to the land itself instead of new buildings, which is the first conceptual step into the strategy of A Slow City.

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Fig 59: Concept map. What if a tram revives the city?

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WHAT IF TRAM REVIVES THE CITY? CONCEPT Sketch Mapping

Coming from the fact that Ferizaj as a city was created because of a railway, it developed and was always identified with the railway, I’ve come to concentrate on the symbolic significance the rail represents. Actually, this railway is being taken away from people by an international project of buffering the railway line. Besides, the lack of public transport and the ridiculously high usage of cars in such a small narrow city, cause chaos and an unsustainable urban environment. By combining these substantial points of view, I started wondering “what if a tram revives the city?” meaning a new rail will be given to people, providing a public transport network of trams and bike lanes, moving from the centre towards the city edges, connecting and inhabiting diverse clusters of public spaces.

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Fig 60: Concept map. What if the edges gain a new identity?

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WHAT IF THE EDGES GAIN A NEW IDENTITY? CONCEPT Sketch Mapping

To limit city growth at the edges and therefore distinguish urban and rural areas from one another is quite impossible, realistically speaking. Especially in Ferizaj, where villages are almost merged with the city, sprawling indefinitely, and leaving many neglected agricultures in between. To provoke these transformations, I wonder what will happen if we give the city edges a new identity and bring rural into urban? Then perhaps urban growth will change its speed into a humbler and more human dimension. “What if the edges gain a new identity?” may convey alternative possibilities of circular economy, commercialism, and social awareness regarding environmental justice.

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Fig 61: Strategy diagram - Mobility System

STRATEGY Based on all three conceptual ‘scenarios’ of what ‘ifs’, a strategy of three important layers is created. These layers overlap with one another, principally focused on pragmatic solutions to the identified problems, and pursuing an ambitious goal of slowing the city from speed growth.

Three strategic layers consist of Mobility, Buildings & Green.

Mobility System aims to solve public transport by proposing a robust loop network of tramways with many stops and stations throughout the city centre reaching towards the city edges. The main tram line passes along the central boulevard, parallelly with the other central roads & existing train line, connecting two opposite sides of the city. This line is then followed by two large loops which will operate between neighbourhoods, intersecting with eventual boulevards and public spaces that can be developed in the future. Another important point of the mobility system is soft mobility which will be provided along the artery roads, within the whole city centre and in peripheries with many possible routes for cycling in the natural environment.

Building System explores new possibilities of restoration and adaptive reuse of several heritage buildings into new

Fig 62: Strategy diagram - Buildings System

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socio-educational, cultural, and recreational functions.

Additionally, a few new building prototypes are introduced in some strategic areas to influence integrated living between landscape, water, and architecture; and promote sustainable design methodologies.

Green system being the most dominant one, tends to inhabit new spaces of natural colonization to enhance biodiversity, rehabilitate the river flows, reclaim degraded landscapes, tackle climate change, and improve quality life of people living in the city.

One important aspect of the green system is the network of ecological corridors proposed along both branches of Nerodime river, which will retain tons of areas with dense forestation and new recreational public spaces. Besides, within the concrete urban fabric, a series of pocket parks and green infrastructural interventions will be inclusively introduced. Finally, the transit road will be given a new identity of rural-urban environment and will slowly allocate a tensile network of new productive landscapes.

Fig 63: Strategy diagram - Green System

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Fig 64: Conceptual Mapping - Physical Model

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Fig 65: Strategy map - Mobility System

HOSPIT

tram sta newly bu

FOREST CYCLING

expanded soft mobility path

BUS

tram station at the bus station

GREEN-EDGE

tram station at the recreation & innovation area

“THE VILLAGE shopping and

all mobility mo

CITY CENTRE

boulevards, squares and public spaces

TRAMWAY

extended public transport with stops in all areas

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RA

ce st

A SLOW CITY STRATEGY Systematic Map

AGRI-EDGE

tram stop at the community gardens

TAL

MOBILITY SYSTEM:

ation at the uilt hospital

Stops & Stations

TRANSIT ROAD

4-lane road, includes bike & pedestrian paths

Railway Buffer Tramway Underground Infrastructures Main Roads Soft Mobility Boulevards, squares & public spaces

E” d fun

odes

AILWAY

entral train tation

NIKADIN

tram station at the archeological site

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Fig 66: Strategy map - Building System

A

s to

SWIMMING POOL newly designed sports building

ART SCHOOL CIVIC CENTER & REMOTE WORKING CABINS

new socio-educative & sustainable buildings

restoring and reusing abandoned historical

20TH

desig space histor

MODERN ART MUSEUM

building restoration, adaptive reuse of the old City Mall brutalist building

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G

re th c

AGRICULTURAL HUB

A SLOW CITY STRATEGY FACTORIES

Systematic Map

sustainable design of several food processing factories to influence agriculture & slow food

socio-educative building o promote and enhance agricultural production

HOUSING CABINS

new housing design prototype of micro-architecture to promote slow tourism

BUILDING SYSTEM:

g an l school

Preservation Projects Socio-Cultural Buildings

H CENTURY HERITAGE

Sports Buildings

gning & reusing abandoned es inside and upon several ric & iconic buildings

Factories Micro-Housing Existing Buildings Urban Rings* new zones of planning for public mixed-use housing buildings: high, mid and low rise

GALLERY

estoring and reusing he old city archive for cultural purposes

RESEARCH CENTER

designing new spaces for archeological research in the Nikadin Site

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Fig 67: Strategy map - Green System

FOREST PARKS

extention of the existing “Liria” park

PRODUCTIVE FORESTS

some areas are dedicated to logging & productive wood

GREEN-EDGE

newly designed recreation area, wetlands & forestation

RAIN GARD

interventions and parking infrastructura

U URBAN PARKS

small pocket parks in different parts of the city

d a p

WATER REGENERATION

ecological corridors designed the bifurcation and along bo branches of the river to impr biodiversity & water restorati

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A SLOW CITY STRATEGY Systematic Map

COMMUNITY GARDEN

area designed as a prototype model for slow landscapes and slow food design

PRODUCTIVE FIELDS

reactivating abandoned landscapes at this edge of the city, introduce new crops and cultivations

DENS & BIOSWALES

s along the roads spaces for sustainable al solutions

URBAN VEGETATION

diverse trees and plants along the roads and public spaces

GREEN SYSTEM: Rivers

N

d at oth rove ion

Wetlands Ecological Corridors Forestation

ARCHEOLOGICAL PARK new area dedicated to science and archeology

Urban Parks Tree Rows Low Vegetation

AGRICULTURE: Plantation Cereal Crops Vegetation Crops Cash Crops Community Gardens

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Fig 68: General Strategy map

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A SLOW CITY STRATEGY General Map

MOBILITY SYSTEM: Stops & Stations Railway Buffer Tramway Underground Infrastructures Main Roads Soft Mobility Boulevards, squares & public spaces

BUILDING SYSTEM: Preservation Projects Socio-Cultural Buildings Sports Buildings Factories Micro-Housing Existing Buildings

GREEN SYSTEM: Rivers Wetlands Ecological Corridors Forestation Urban Parks Tree Rows Low Vegetation

AGRICULTURE: Plantation Cereal Crops Vegetation Crops Cash Crops Community Gardens

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ZOOM-IN AREAS In order to test the strategy, it is necessary to jump in different scales of mapping and designing. The following content will elaborate more closely three characteristic zoomed-in areas chosen to illustrate some most interesting aspects of the strategy.

Starting from the centre and dissolving towards the edges, the design part is divided in: 1 - City Centre, representing slow urbanism, 2- Green-Edge, representing slow landscapes, 3 - Agri-Edge, representing slow food.

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Fig 69: Diagram of three main zoom-in areas

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CITY CENTRE Associated with the “slow urbanism” concept, the city centre area shows a series of interventions in public spaces by introducing a tramway passing through the central boulevard, by enhancing and improving existing public spaces, by designing new squares, and by adding more vegetation; a series of interventions in buildings, by restoring and reusing degraded architectural heritage in interiors and rooftops; and series of interventions in infrastructures, by converting several car lanes into boulevards, pedestrian paths, bike lanes and green sustainable solutions of bioswales and raingardens.

The following drawings, carefully show these proposals in public spaces, buildings, and infrastructures in comparative explanations: the existing condition and the proposal.

In terms of infrastructural interventions, two artery roads, Ahmet Kaçiku and 12 Qershori will be removed of one car lane to allocate space for trees, bikes and pedestrians; the existing street of Dëshmorët e Kombit will be transformed into a boulevard and attached to the existing boulevard of the same name, which will create two new squares and an extended public space without cars. This proposal actually corresponds with the Municipality plans to create another underground passage at the northern part of the centre.

When it comes to buildings interventions, Hotel Lybeten rooftop of the degraded part, will be reused as a public space, facilitating entertainment and social events, like open-air cinema; the City Archive building which used to be a library decades ago, will be redesigned and given a new function as a small caffe gallery for local artists to engage in collective works; and the former City Mall building will be redesigned with a new function as a Modern Art Museum, by recovering also the lost facade features it used to have.

Moreover, green infrastructural interventions will be proposed along the converted roads, along the boulevards and in randomly placed in public and parking spaces, serving as ‘green islands’ of bioswales and raingardens.

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Fig 70: Diagram of Slow Urbanism

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Fig 71: Interventions in infrastructure

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Fig 72: Interventions in buildings

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Fig 73: Map of existing condition in the city centre

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Fig 74: Map of proposals in the city centre

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Fig 75: Isometric drawing of existing condition in the city centre

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Fig 76: Isometric drawing of proposals in the city centre

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Fig 77: Long section of proposals in city centre

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MODERN ART MUSEUM

The former City Mall building that is currently used as a shopping centre by a large company known as Super Viva who privatised the building years ago, did fail massively to preserve and maintain the characteristic facade the building used to have and totally did eradicate the cultural and architectural identity it once possessed. Hence the existing building does not hold any values to people today, instead it only promotes commercial fast consumerism.

The proposal seeks to recover the building to its former glory, by restoring, reusing, and recovering its features. With recovering the prefabricated aluminium facade elements and combining it with new glazing walls, the building will be used as a new space to accommodate the modern art museum of Ferizaj on the first floor, a shopping zone on the ground floor, and a performance space on the rooftops.

Fig 78: Modern Art Museum - axonometric drawing in context

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Fig 79: Modern Art Museum - plan drawings 127

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Fig 80: Modern Art Museum - front elevation drawing

The drawings explain more precisely main interventions necessary to revive the building facade and redesign the interior spaces.

The new spaces are designed in coherence with the original project of the former Mall, which was taken by archived project drawings made in the 60-70s. (retrieved from: Modernizmi në Ferizaj, 1960-1990)

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Fig 81: Modern Art Museum - exploded axonometric drawing

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Fig 82: Modern Art Museum - close section drawing 131

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Fig 83: Perspective view of the city centre main boulevard

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Fig 84: Perspective view of the modern art museum

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GREEN-EDGE The concept of slow landscapes as applied by the second zoomed-in area, tends to focus on reclaiming lost landscapes and retaining water flows by establishing new ecological corridors to buffer the rivers; by planting massively large areas with trees to recall lost plantations of the west Ferizaj; by introducing new wetland landscape for recreational purposes; and by designing new timber structured buildings for remote working, socio-educative and sports activities.

The interventions are derived from the river territories, totally abandoned lands, and partly degraded lands. In terms of mobility, the area will be connected to the city via tramway and soft mobility routes, further expanded towards the existing forests of Jezerc and ‘Liria’ forest Park.

Fig 85: Diagram of Slow Landscapes 137

Fig 86: Interventions in the green-edge 138

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Fig 87: Map of existing condition in the green-edge

The following drawings show two comparative situations of existing conditions and proposals. The respective existing trees along with the proposed ones, are also included in the drawings, whereas the faded ones are existing and the solid ones are newly proposed.

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Fig 88: Map of proposals in the green-edge

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Fig 89: Isometric drawing of existing condition in the green-edge

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Fig 90: Isometric drawing of proposals in the green-edge

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CIVIC CENTER

One of the buildings proposed as an anchor to reactivate the green edge is a civic centre. Designed in 2 floors it accommodates a large food court area, a temporary exhibition room, offices, workshop and conference rooms on the ground floor; and a library with two dedicated spaces for private studying and public reading on the first floor.

The building will serve as a social reference point for people to engage in public social interactions as well as initiate a dissolving relationship with the surrounding landscapes.

In terms of structural features, the building is entirely designed in timber framed construction of timber beams and columns. Associating with the existing sports hall, a building of the XX century modernist architecture and its expressive facade, the Civic Centre tries to follow similar articulation by adapting a repetitive composition of massive columns displayed uniformly on the facade.

Additionally, the rooftop is dedicated to energy production via numerous solar panels.

Fig 91: Civic Center - axonometric drawing in context 147

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Fig 92: Civic Center - plan drawings 149

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Fig 93: Civic Center - front elevation drawing

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Fig 94: Civic Center - exploded axonometric drawing

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REMOTE WORKING CABINS

Since covid-19 sort of revolutionized the concepts of remote studying, working, and meeting, there has been an increasingly high demand of spaces for people to use as home offices for remote working, remote meetings, remote studying, and even remote workshops. Ferizaj has always lacked spaces dedicated to educational gathering and social events, and even so today with the high development of technology and remote jobs that the youth is constantly inquiring. The remote working cabins are therefore designed specifically for these needs. They are situated in different positions within the landscape, closer to nature. The cabins are made entirely of prefabricated timber panels, and they may vary in size and requirements.

Typically, a cabin is designed as a semi-open space, bears a flexible envelope meaning it can be closed with glazed walls during winter, provides necessary furniture to shelter 2 to 5 people and secures electricity which comes from the solar panels system integrated on the roof.

Fig 95: Remote Working Cabins - axonometric drawing in context 153

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Fig 96: Remote Working Cabins plan drawings Fig 97: Remote Working Cabins exploded axonometric drawing

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Fig 98: Remote Working Cabins characteristic elevation drawing

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Fig 99: Remote Working Cabins - close axonometric drawing

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INDOOR SWIMMING POOL

Although the west side of the city, is mostly oriented in providing sports fields, sports events as it hosts the only sports hall in Ferizaj, the city still lacks recreational and sports areas. However, using such preferable conditions in this area, a new sport facility is proposed near the second roundabout in Brahim Ademi street. This facility building is primarily designed as an indoor swimming pool on the ground floor, while it offers gym, yoga, and other activities spaces on the first floor.

The building follows the same design principles as the civic centre, notably having a timber framed structure of beams and columns calculated in long distances and displaying this structural frame on the facade. It also provides a large area on the rooftop that is entirely dedicated to solar panels as renewable energy resources.

The following drawings illustrate more closely a typical design of the building in plans, axonometric details and elevation views.

Fig 100: Indoor Swimming Pool - axonometric drawing in context

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Fig 101: Indoor Swimming Pool - plan drawings

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Fig 102: Indoor Swimming Pool - front elevation drawing

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Fig 103: Indoor Swimming Pool - exploded axonometric drawing 164

Fig 104: Perspective view of the indoor swimming pool in the green-edge

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Fig 105: Perspective view of wetlands and work cabins in the green-edge

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AGRI-EDGE The last zoomed-in area represents more directly the philosophy of “slow food” culture, reflected in architecture and landscape. Currently, the commercial driven transit road is nothing more than mere fast consumerism. Only few fields are actively cultivated with local cereal crops. The Agri-edge seeks to enhance those fields, reclaim the lost ones, and create a prototype of a simple agri village, that generates cash profit and employment by introducing food processing factories with local and new crops; explores new architectural housing units that are more open to social integrations; and a zero kilometer restaurant aligned with community gardens to promote local production and agritourism as a ‘new hypothetical identity’.

The interventions are formed from two existing factors, the transit road weak condition, and for sure the degraded or unused agricultural fields.

Fig 106: Diagram of Slow Food 169

Fig 107: Interventions in the agri-edge 170

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Fig 108: Map of existing condition in the agri-edge

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Fig 109: Map of proposals in the agri-edge

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Fig 110: Isometric drawing of existing condition in the agri-edge

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Fig 111: Isometric drawing of proposals in the agri-edge

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Fig 112: Drawing of the community mosaic farming model

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Fig 113: Drawing of the flow network between cultivations, products and users 181

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AGRICULTURAL HUB

Tangented by the newly designed transit road (PrishtinaSkopje-Gjilan), the agricultural hub consists of two buildings placed in irregular positions. The first building is designed in two floors, whereas the ground floor serves as a zero-km restaurant, followed by circular stairs upwards to the first floor where areas dedicated to socio-educative purposes are designed. The other building is designated to be used as an open kitchen, a concept where community is free to use the space to prepare their own cultivated from the individual plots of land spread throughout the so called community mosaic. Structurally speaking, all buildings, including the agricultural hub, are made of prefabricated timber panels and solar panels on the sloppy roofs. Eventual green roofs are found on some parts of the building facades. Additonally, a parking area and a public market space is offered next to the transit road, to accomodate people’s needs and engage them in buying and selling their products. Next drawings show more closely how these buildings are designed and used.

Fig 114: Agricultural Hub - axonometric drawing in context 183

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Fig 115: Agricultural Hub - plan drawings 185

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Fig 116: Agricultural Hub - typical elevation drawing

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Fig 117: Agricultural Hub - exploded axonometric drawing

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HOUSING CABINS

As a new prototype design, the housing cabins do not follow traditional principles of designing homes. Instead, they tend to be more flexible in terms of space usage, privacy, and functional divisions. The houses are entirely made from prefabricated timber and are raised 50cm above ground in order to not harm the land. The sloppy roof as explained in other buildings, is dedicate to solar panels while the flat ones are mainly considered ‘pergolas’ that can be opened or closed according to the user.

In terms of functional composition, the cabin consists of a bedroom as the private part designed on the first floor; and the living-resting-cooking-dining room as the public part designed on the ground floor. The public area is flexible in terms of individual users’ preferences as it can be semi-open, where the cooking-dining part is open, and the living-resting part is closed, or it can be entirely closed.

To ensure the sense of community, the cabins are placed in different configurations, attached, or detached to one another.

Fig 118: Housing Cabins - axonometric drawing in context

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Fig 119: Housing Cabins - ground floor plan

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Fig 120: Housing Cabins - typical section

Fig 121: Housing Cabins - first floor plan

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Fig 122: Housing Cabins - exploded axonometric drawing 193

Fig 123: Housing Cabins - close axonometric drawing 194

Fig 124: Perspective view of the agricultural hub in the agri-edge

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Fig 125: Perspective view from the housing cabins in the agri-edge

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Fig 126: Perspective view of the agricultural fields in the agri-edge

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Fig 127: Conceptual drawing on the book cover

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CONCLUSION A slow city, as a research by design project, critically aims to open important discussions about the pragmatic issues in cities which by promoting fast urbanism, are experiencing rapid transformations and it persistently seeks to propose possible resillient solutions that promote environmental justice, soft mobility, sustainable design, heritage and social integration.

A multi-scalar research that is based on multiple drivers of socio-economic and socio-politic factors, is crucial in order to develop a generic design framework for a singular layered strategy, that will follow the initial conceptual ambitions.

Consequently, to test the strategy itself, we must jump from scale to scale, from 1:5000 to 1:50 and constantly experiment with realistic design proposals, into a full circular design process.

I hope this project will serve as a critical pivot point to open new arguments, debates and encourage further research topics in the field of contemporary urban planning, landscape and architecture in Kosovo.

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Beelen, K.(2010).Imag(in)ing the Real. The ‘Region’ as a Project of Cartographic ReConfiguration. Editor: Meijsmans, Nancy. Designing for a Region, 24-37. Netherlands: SUN Academia.

Oswald, F., et al. (2003). Netzstadt: Designing the Urban. Illustration Germany: Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN: 3764369639.

Hall, P. (2014). Cities of Tomorrow: An Intellectual History of Urban Planning and Design Since 1880. Germany: Wiley. ISBN: 9780631232520 Hall, T. (1997). Planning Europe’s capital cities : aspects of nineteenthcentury urban development. Germany: E & FN Spon. ISBN:0419172904 Berger, A. (2006). Drosscape: Wasting Land in Urban America. United Kingdom: Princeton Architectural Press. ISBN: 9781568987132.

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