A SUSTAINABLE URBAN MOBILITY PLAN FOR THE CITY OF...

A SUSTAINABLE URBAN MOBILITY PLAN FOR THE CITY OF TIRANA: VISIONING WORKSHOP

REPORT BY EDEN AND SEE CHANGE NET

SEPTEMBER 2019,

HOTEL INTERNATIONAL

Report produced by EDEN and SEE Change Net 1

This Visioning Workshop Report is part of the activities of SEE Change Net within the development process of a Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) for the City of Tirana. This takes place as part of the regional project “Sustainable Urban Mobility in SEE Countries II” (SUMSEEC II) under the Open Regional Fund for South-East Europe – Energy Efficiency (ORF-EE). The project is implemented by GIZ and funded by the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

This workshop report documents the input provided by a diverse group of stakeholders from different fields of expertise. The report does not necessarily represent the position of GIZ, the City or Municipality of Tirana, SEE Change Net, EDEN, or TRT. Because the report partly documents opinions by individual workshop participants, these might diverge in some respects. This document is not a technical report, but a reflection of the SUMP visioning process in Tirana.

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) License. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/.


Contents Prologue: Quotes from Key Speakers ...............................................................................3

1. Background ...................................................................................................................4

2. Introduction: Visioning Workshop ..................................................................................6

2.1 Target Group ....................................................................................................................... 6

2.2 Workshop Facilitators .......................................................................................................... 8

2.3 Methodology ....................................................................................................................... 8

3. Results.........................................................................................................................12

3.1 Draft SUMP Vision for Tirana in 2030 ................................................................................ 12

3.2 Values ............................................................................................................................... 13

3.3 Analysis of Key Strategic Topics for the SUMP ................................................................. 13

4. Evaluation ....................................................................................................................20

5. Media Coverage ..........................................................................................................23

6. Conclusions .................................................................................................................25

Annex ..............................................................................................................................26


Prologue: Quotes from Key Speakers

Representatives from key partner organisations provided the following statements about the SUMP visioning workshop:

Erion Veliaj, Mayor of the City of Tirana:

“Sustainable urban mobility is a serious and important matter for our city. In four years, we have done a great job in increasing public walkable spaces, built more than 40km of bike lanes, issued several licences for electric taxis that operate daily in Tirana, tested the first electric bus in our public transport and very soon we’ll launch our first green bus line. Developing a smart, green and open city is the solution, and our shared challenge, that is why we take full commitment to the SUMP process and have the dedication and energy to take further steps in fulfilling our goals.”

Enton Punavija, Director of the Department of Transport, Municipality of Tirana:

“After a long period of preliminary work, now we are at the beginning of a very important process for preparing the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan for Tirana. We believe that this SUMP process will assist the Municipality of Tirana in creating a unique document that will integrate all existing and ongoing projects, coupled with the creation of a structure for the implementation of the SUMP in the coming years.”

Ismail Beka, Project Manager, GIZ Albania

“With the dynamics of the demographic development of these years of transition and uncontrolled urbanisation of Tirana, a vision and concrete steps to significantly improve safe and fast mobility for Tirana’s inhabitants by public transport and by bike are important for the future of the city.”

Anna Loffing, Urban Planner with SEE Change Net (expert of the German Center for International Migration and Development; CIM):

“Planning for people requires planning with people. Sustainable urban mobility planning needs to be a democratic and transparent process, and that means engaging citizens and stakeholders. How we get around in cities affects everyone in their daily life!”


1. Background

Tirana is a partner in the regional project “Sustainable Urban Mobility in SEE Countries II” (SUMSEEC II) under the Open Regional Fund for South-East Europe – Energy Efficiency (ORF-EE). The project is funded by the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and is implemented by GIZ. It focuses on capacity building and technical support to capital cities as well as associations of municipalities in SEE in applying a sustainable approach to urban transport planning with special emphasis on the development of Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMP). The European Union is also a strong advocate of the concept of SUMP and SUMSEEC II is using the similar methodology and guidelines, which will be adapted and applied to local contexts.

What is a SUMP?

A Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) is a strategic plan designed to satisfy the mobility needs of people and businesses in cities and their surroundings for a better quality of life. It builds on existing planning practices and takes due consideration of integration, participation, and evaluation principles. A SUMP puts forward an integrated set of technical, infrastructure, policy-based, and soft measures to improve performance and cost-effectiveness with regard to the declared goal and specific objectives. This approach of mobility planning aims at breaking out of “silos” (in the sense of considering the needs of the “functioning city” rather than an administrative area; and also in the sense of creating links between different disciplines). In contrast to traditional transport planning approaches, the SUMP concept places particular emphasis on the involvement of citizens and stakeholders and the coordination of policies between authority levels, between neighbouring authorities, and between sectors (transport, land use, environment, economic development, social policy, health, safety, energy, etc.). Rather than on traffic, a SUMP focuses on people. While traditional transport planning used to be the domain of traffic engineers, sustainable urban mobility planning is a task for interdisciplinary planning teams.

What Role Does Visioning Play in Developing a SUMP?

A vision provides a qualitative description of a desired urban future. In this sense, it not only focuses on mobility and transportation, but takes broader topics into consideration, such as quality of life, health, land use, and more. The vision serves as a crucial guiding element for the further SUMP planning process and provides the reference point for all subsequent steps, such as the development of objectives, indicators, and effective packages of measures. The workshop held on September 30th, 2019 in Tirana had the purpose to agree with stakeholders on a draft for such a common vision for the SUMP Tirana.

The chart below visualises the ideal-typical SUMP development process, which is then adapted to the local circumstances. For more explanations about each step, see the Guidelines for developing and implementing a Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (2nd edition). The second graphic below entails the milestones for the SUMP development in Tirana.


The 12 steps of sustainable urban mobility planning; 2nd edition. (Source: Rupprecht Consult 2019)

Milestones of the SUMP process in Tirana (Source: Julia Nagel, GIZ)


2. Introduction: Visioning Workshop 2.1 Target Group The visioning workshop process was expected to provide a critical input for shaping the vision of integrated citizen-centred mobility in the city of Tirana on the 2030 horizon. To arrive at an agreed, widely representative SUMP vision, the workshop had to account for the full scope of what is believed to be desirable by 2030. In this respect, all important arbiters of knowledge, action and change, residing in Tirana, were broadly taken as stakeholders/ target groups of the visioning process such as representatives and planners from public institutions, civil society, business, academia:

● Representatives from public institutions (Tirana Municipality, Ministry of Tourism and Environment, Institute of Public Health, National Agency of Territory Planning, Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy etc.) provide important insights on policy and institutional frameworks that have powerful influence on mobility changes in Tirana from the perspective of urban planning, the needs of citizens, concrete plans, and forecasted actions.

● To include academic insights, university representatives from the fields of transport, environmental engineering, urban planning etc. participated in the workshop.

● Private and public companies offer important insights for the understanding of the main market trends and developments.

● Last but not least, the involvement of civil society initiatives that advocate for and demonstrate possible changes has been considered of utmost importance, such as organisations representing people with disabilities, those dealing with road safety, environmental issues, and more.

Further, information on critical aspects of sustainable urban mobility (technology, policy, lifestyle, market, socio-economic impacts, etc.) have been preliminarily identified to serve as a set of criteria for stakeholder mapping and it was intended to assist the SEE Change Net team in understanding specific and complementary stakeholders' contributions and to assess whether there are stakeholder groups or specific areas of input that run the risk of being excluded or overrepresented in the visioning process. The identified aspects include among others, health, gender, age, (dis)abilities, space (centre and periphery), environment and resources, community, lifestyles, technology, investments, safety, urban and spatial planning, economic development, social inclusion, etc.

The initial stakeholder list has been compiled with contributions and inputs from members from EDEN, GIZ, and the Municipality of Tirana. The SEE Change Net team will continue to brainstorm about stakeholders associated with relevant aspects of the sustainable urban mobility, and assess their particular contribution, relevance and/or impact at different stages of the SUMP development process. The information collected belongs to the domain of public official data which connects identified institutions and stakeholders – groups and individuals – to the work performed within the SUMSEEC II project and for which their official email, title, and organisational affiliation will be used.


To ensure a balanced representation from different stakeholder groups at the visioning workshop, the following quotas were followed while sending out invitations to representatives: 30% public institutions, 30% civil society organisations, 20% academia, 20% public and private companies (such as international donor organisations who had an observing status, transport companies, Chamber of Commerce and Industry Tirana, cycling companies etc.). From this, 47 participants attended the visioning workshop, not including the SUMP Coordination Team and speakers. The following chart visualises the attendance by percentage of stakeholder group:

Workshop participants by stakeholder group.

Gender equality is a key principle for the development and implementation of a SUMP. This means that all genders shall be given the same opportunities, rights and responsibilities in the field of transportation. At the visioning workshop, a participation of 34% women was achieved. (In total, out of 47 participants, 16 were female.) For a complete attendance list, please refer to the annex.

Workshop participants by gender.


2.2 Workshop Facilitators Rezart Xhelo

With several years of experience in North America, in the last fourteen years Rezart has worked in the Western Balkans, assisting governments and civil society to adopt elements of good governance in line with international normative standards. Rezart has managed a number of international development programmes in Albania with focus on environment, good governance, and human rights. Through his work with a number of international organisations, he provided extensive advice to governments and activists of civil society with the development of responsive programmes, laws and policies with focus on social equality and human rights. Since 2006 he has trained, facilitated, and guided a number of strategic plans for government and non-government officials and he has built a lot of experience. He is currently a freelance trainer and facilitator.

Vida Ogorelec

After a first degree in Architecture from the University of Ljubljana, Vida completed a Master of Fine Arts Degree at the Academy of Art College in San Francisco. On her return to Slovenia, she became Public Relations Manager for the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning in Ljubljana. Having been introduced to environmental activism in San Francisco, Vida then left the Ministry in 1995 to establish Umanotera, the Slovenian Foundation for Sustainable Development, which rapidly became the most active and influential environmental NGO in Slovenia. She also developed skills in facilitation, became a certified facilitator in 2002. She is currently self-employed as a consultant, facilitator, and trainer.

2.3 Methodology To foster wide acceptance and a common ownership of the vision among stakeholders and citizens, several participatory activities are being implemented in its development (such stakeholder workshops, focus groups with workers from the transportation sector, surveys with diverse groups of end-users of the transportation system, and various on- and offline communication modes including the distribution of short video clips through social media).

For a detailed workshop structure, please refer to the agenda in the annex. Overall, the workshop was expected to provide information about the SUMP process and lead to the following outputs:

● A jointly developed draft vision statement;

● Values and key principles for the SUMP;

● Key strategic topics for the SUMP;

● An initial analysis of the barriers and opportunities of key strategic topics.

To start off the event, participants were warmly welcomed by the Mayor of the City of Tirana, Erion Veliaj, as well as by Enton Punavija (Director of the Department of Transport, Municipality of Tirana), Ismail Beka (Project Manager, GIZ Albania), and Anna Loffing (Urban Planner with SEE


Change Net; expert of the German Center for International Migration and Development; CIM). The key messages of the speakers are documented in the prologue of this report.

On behalf of Julia Nagel (GIZ), Anna Loffing provided an overview of the SUMP development process and the institutional framework (see presentation slides in the annex). The SUMP covers the urban area of the City of Tirana and will be finalised approximately in April 2020. The following chart visualises the steering structure of the SUMP Tirana. Based on inputs from the SUMP Working Group and the wider stakeholder group, the Steering Committee is the decision-making body for the SUMP.

Steering Structure SUMP Tirana (Source: Julia Nagel, GIZ).

The participants were seated at intentionally mixed tables with approximately seven people each to encourage a dynamic exchange in small groups (six tables). Introductions among each other and a check-in who arrived by car/bus/taxi/bike/walking served as an “ice-breaker” and lowered the barrier to connect with each other throughout the day. In a short group exercise, the following expectations regarding the workshop were expressed by the participants:

● Analysis of the current situation: ○ Analysis and evaluation of the current situation. ○ Identification of major problems and proposal for realistic solutions.

● Vision: ○ To get to know how the vision for SUMP will be developed. ○ Define a clear vision which is agreed upon between all interested actors. ○ Scenarios for the vision.


● Planning for the SUMP: ○ Development of an urban strategy that should be citizen-oriented and based on

participatory and inclusive design. ○ Connection with other cities. ○ Connection with plans and documents on the regional level. ○ Next steps for SUMP realisation and implementation. ○ Facilitation for the use of public transportation for all.

● Stakeholder engagement: ○ Overall involvement. ○ Role of each actor involved in the process.

● Monitoring of the process: ○ Transparency during SUMP implementation.

● Education: ○ Education and youth involvement. ○ Development of a road safety project for youth.

The workshop followed the “Vision First” approach, which starts with the development of a positive vision for the City. Metaphorically speaking, the developed vision serves as a “compass”, as an orientation for navigating the further SUMP development. Later on, the decision for or against specific targets and measures will be based on the results from this first step. In this context, visioning is designed as a gradual process: Participants don't need to fully know/understand in advance what exactly they will be doing and how it fits into the bigger picture. (This process produces different outcomes from an approach that starts with an analysis of opportunities and barriers and then conducts the visioning later on. Psychologically, this might set some boundaries for the visioning discussion, which could hinder the desired outcome.)

Thinking in a planning horizon of 10-15 years might be an unfamiliar task for some workshop participants. To stimulate their fantasy, the back-casting methodology was applied: The facilitator invited the participants to close their eyes, sit back and imagine joining a trip with a time machine. To illustrate the passing of time in Tirana, he told a story about a child that grows up and about a pomegranate tree which grows and starts to spend shade and fruits. Finally, this imaginary “time travel” led to the year 2030 and the facilitator described the scenario of the residents of Tirana being very happy with the successful implementation of the SUMP: “Today is September 30th, 2030 and Tirana receives a prestigious award in Copenhagen for being an outstanding example for sustainable urban mobility. You are wearing your best clothes, maybe you are sipping champagne, and you are smiling because you are proud of Tirana’s success. Journalists want to interview you about how the implementation of the ambitious SUMP has been a success story for Tirana.” The workshop participants then were invited to fill out a worksheet with a series of “interview questions” (still from the perspective of looking back from 2030, document see annex).

● What are the successes and achievements in urban mobility in Tirana that you are most proud of?

● What are the benefits of implementing a comprehensive mobility plan in terms of quality of life, economy, health, spatial planning, etc.? For whom are these most important?


● How would you describe the organisation of the process when designing and implementing a comprehensive mobility plan? Who has participated in it?

● When looking back at the last ten years of work, what were the most important approaches and measures that have contributed to sustainable mobility in Tirana?

● What are the guiding values and key principles that have contributed to the success of mobility policies in Tirana?

To provide further clarification on the SUMP process, the facilitators outlined the following five key strategic questions:

1) Where do we want to be? (This relates to the vision and objectives. Are we following the right direction?)

2) Why are we doing this? (This relates to the values. What is most important for us regarding mobility in Tirana?)

3) Where are we? (This relates to the analysis of the current situation and its strengths and weaknesses (“reality check”)).

4) How will we get there? (This relates to the measures and actions, which will be developed after the visioning workshop.)

5) How do we know that we achieved our vision? (This relates to smart goals, indicators, and transparency in the process.)

The facilitators also provided examples of vision statements in other places, such as Hongkong, Budapest, and Santa Cruz. Equipped with this knowledge, the workshop participants then changed their role one more time and imagined the scenario of being in the editorial room from EURO News in the position of editors. They were asked to review the questionnaire responses and select the key messages that best describe Tirana’s success (first individually, then in small groups, and finally presenting the headlines to everyone in the room). With assistance from the facilitators, these key messages were clustered, commonalities identified, and finally prioritised through another participatory exercise with dots. Based on these results, a draft vision statement for sustainable mobility in Tirana was formulated (see chapter 3.1).

In a similar way, participants collectively identified values and key principels for the SUMP (see chapter 3.2). Finally, the participating stakeholders dedicated the last part of the workshop to a discussion of six key strategic areas that were identified during the visioning exercise. In small groups they moved around the room from one thematic poster to the next to complete a short SWOT analysis for each topic, commenting on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats for each area (see 3.3).


3. Results 3.1 Draft SUMP Vision for Tirana in 2030

Through a gradual, facilitated process over a day – going from individuals, to small groups, and finally to a collective vision – all 47 participants have agreed on the following draft vision statement for Tirana in 2030:

“Tirana smart, në përgjigje të nevojave të kumunitetit, si një qytet i jetueshëm, i pastër, i shëndetshëm, atraktiv, ofron lëvizshmëri innovative e multimodale, dhe mbulim të gjerë, të mundësueshme, të përballueshme dhe të barabartë për të gjithë.”

In order to clarify the language of the vision statement without changing its meaning and to allow an accurate translation into English, the following minor linguistic adjustments are suggested:

ALB: "Tirana inteligjente, në përgjigje të nevojave të qytetarëve si një qytet i jetueshëm, i pastër, i shëndetshëm, tërheqës, që ofron lëvizshmëri novatore, në forma të larmishme dhe mbulim të gjerë, të mundshëm, të përballueshëm dhe të barabartë për të gjithë".

EN: "A smart Tirana, responding to community needs as a livable, clean, healthy, attractive city, offering innovative, multi-modal and wide-ranging mobility, available, affordable and equal for everyone."

The process of arriving at this draft vision statement for Tirana has been well documented, for instance through individual worksheets, small group discussion cards, and ~50 selected statements that have been narrowed down through the process of prioritisation.

In the discussion, workshop participants highlighted the importance to consider the following aspects in the SUMP development:

a) The need for a clean, livable, healthy, and attractive city, which is closely related with measures to be undertaken for improving air quality, the health of citizens, the environment, and improved energy-efficiency;

b) The need for education and awareness-raising activities, which provide information to citizens in different ways and foster a change of mentality (also in regards to responsible behaviour while driving, using public transport, cycling, or walking). Especially the education of young people was seen as important.

c) The need for a special emphasis on inclusion, equity, accessibility, and affordability issues to increase mobility of vulnerable groups (“Tirana for all”).


It was expressed clearly that this discussion goes far beyond transport planning. Rather this is about a city where residents enjoy going out and spending time in green spaces without the need for a car, deeply connected with their neighborhood and their community.

Participants expressed the need for a well-connected, effective, environmentally-friendly, and multimodal transport system which focuses on pedestrians, strengthens public transportation and cycling, and also provides solutions to the needs of businesses. Further analysis is needed on providing solutions in case of emergencies, such as allowing the free movement of ambulances and fire trucks.

Participating stakeholders also brought up the slogan of “Smart Tirana”, which calls for the implementation of innovative projects – whether this is related to apps with travel information, shared mobility solutions, or using digital tools to provide transparency to the public about monitoring results.

3.2 Values In a gradual process, the workshop participants collectively identified the values that should guide the SUMP development and implementation. Most important for the participating stakeholders were:

● Community cohesion and social equity; ● Health; ● Safety and security; ● Harmony with the environment; ● Innovation and resilience.

Elaborating on this, the following aspects were mentioned as well:

● Clean city; ● Equality in the right to movement; ● Enforceability of transport laws; ● Efficiency, practicability; ● Safeguarding of public investments; ● Civic awareness; ● Coexistence among communities (religious or otherwise), sense of family and hospitality,

“humanism” of the city; ● Historical and cultural values; ● Aesthetical values.

3.3 Analysis of Key Strategic Topics for the SUMP Based on the previous workshop phase, six key strategic topics were identified for the SUMP:

● Mobility for all/ Equity/ Accessibility; ● Informed citizens/ Education/ Awareness; ● Multimodal interconnectivity; ● “Smart Tirana”/ Innovations;


● Logistics/ freight; ● Liveable, healthy, clean city.

In a participatory exercise (as described in 2.3), the participants discussed each key strategic topic following the methodology of a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats analysis). This approach is often used at the start of a strategic planning process. The tool contributes to establishing a basis for rational and transparent goal-setting. The input gathered in this exercise from the participating stakeholders will inform the SUMP development and complement additional qualitative and quantitative data from studies, reports, interviews, focus groups, and other sources.

The tables below document the statements of various workshop participants and do not necessarily reflect a consensus among the group or the opinion of the SUMP Coordination Group.

1. MOBILITY FOR ALL/ EQUITY/ ACCESSIBILITY

Strengths Weaknesses

• “The tendency to expand public transport”

• “Harmony and democracy” • “Equality in moving = Possibility to

move”

• “Investment of subsidies” • “Quality of infrastructure” • “Absence of long-term politics” • “Unequal extension of public

transport grid” • “Absence of infrastructure” • “Information about reconstruction in

city is lacking” • “There are no standards”

Opportunities Threats

• “Requirements from EU directives” • “Young population open for new

changes” • “Plans and projects for the future” • “Opportunity to be involved in all

aspects of life”

• “Road safety” • “Absence of pedestrian sidewalks” • “Civil emergency encounter traffic”

(that is, emergency vehicles get stuck in traffic)

• “Absence of dedicated lanes”


2. INFORMED CITIZENS/ EDUCATION/ AWARENESS


• “We get familiar with the information” • “Self-learning through technology” • “To be informed is a legal obligation” • “The program for citizens education

should include the road traffic rules” • “Aware citizens”

• “We don’t deepen our understanding on the information we receive”

• “Lack of capacities (human and financial ones)”

• “The institutions should do more (interconnection of the institutions)”

• “Lack of information” • “Lack of trust for the institutions” • “Implementation requires time”


• “The youth are more open towards innovation”

• “The education of the youngest through dedicated curricula”

• “Demographic growth” • “SUMP process should be

accompanied with information for public”

• “Misinformation” • “Absence of financing tools for

dedicated programs”


3. MULTIMODAL INTERCONNECTIVITY


• “Flat terrain” • “Alternative choices” • “Air quality” • “Accessibility” • “Political will”

• “No connected roads” • “Economical time” • “Lack of public spaces” • “Problem with properties” • “Absence of multimodal stations”


• “Reduction of travel time” • “Discipline” • “Reduction of traffic” • “Benefit from different sectors” • “Good references in other countries” • “Reduction of costs” • “Territorial assets of the municipality

that can be used as HUBs”

• “Extension in time” • “Awareness (for the acceptance)” • “Recognition of the property”


4. “SMART TIRANA”/ INNOVATIONS


• “Electric cars (taxi)” • “Tirana parking app” • “Mobike system” • “My Tirana app” • “Speed in information-sharing helps in

planning”

• “Lack of information (public transportation)”

• “Lack of information boards (timetable, route)

• “There is not a data centre” • “Weak IT culture”


• “Interconnection with information with city and beyond”

• “Concentrated administration of public transportation”

• “International funds for innovative projects”

• “A wider and consolidated database with information that can be processed”

• “Little access from public (not everyone has opportunity to)”

• “No available funds” • “Specific age groups are excluded” • “Lack of electrical energy to run in

continuity”


5. LOGISTICS/ FREIGHT


• “Private sector” • “Logistical associations” • “Logistical stations” • “Time and cost savings”

• “There is no guideline” • “There are no rules” • “There are no studies” • “There is no information” • “There is no monitoring” • “There is not an adequate

infrastructure (this is an obstacle)” • “There is pollution and noise”


• “Geographical position” • “Rail network Tirana Durres Rinas” • “Faster movement of the free

market” • “Better management”

• “It generates traffic” • “Road safety” • “Flood” • “There are no alternative interurban

roads”


6. LIVEABLE, HEALTHY, CLEAN CITY


• “Geographical position” • “Flat city” • “Less illnesses” • “Sound life” • “Cheap electricity”

• “Absence of green areas” • “Construction without long-term

planning” • “Depreciation of road vehicles” • “Absence of alternative

transportation • “Mentality” • “Sedentary life”


• “Tourism” • “Small scale, city” • “Placement of the bins inserted under

the ground”

• “Augmented traffic” • “Incorrect placement of bins in the

city plus dirt cars” • “Increased number of cars users” • “Lack of quality of diesels”


4. Evaluation A satisfaction survey completed by 25 participants at the end of the workshop revealed that the majority (80%) was satisfied with the event and especially valued the creative and relaxed atmosphere created by the facilitators. The following charts visualise the satisfaction of participants with different aspects of the workshop:


Among the aspects that participants liked most about the workshop were:

● Professionalism; ● Overall concept/dynamic/way the workshop was managed; ● Facilitators created collaborative atmosphere for interactive exchange of information, ideas,

and experiences; ● Active participation from everyone in the group work; collaboration between the groups; ● Opinion- and information-sharing from various stakeholders and directorates; getting to

know experts from different sectors; ● The tool of “interviews” to define the vision; ● Concretisation of objectives, values, and principles; ● SWOT analysis.


Participants brought up the following aspects that should be changed in their opinion:

● A stronger representation from diverse sectors; broader participation of young people, elderly people, people with special needs, marginalised groups, businesses;

● Go faster through the agenda; ● Explanation of strategic planning; ● Have a more practical, concrete, technical, data-based workshop; ● Analytical basis for the vision (statistical overview of the transportation problems in Tirana,

scenarios, quantitative analysis); ● Work on specific documents/proposals rather than developing the strategy for the SUMP

with the participants; ● More time for the SWOT analysis to come up with more interesting results; ● Presence of experts who understand the next steps that need to be followed; ● Stronger emphasis on the need for public education for law implementation, traffic rules,

and laws for environmental protection; ● Including a role play game to break down the problem and help participants understand the

perspectives, obstacles, and opportunities for each involved actor (citizens, governments, businesses, donors, etc.);

● Better notification in advance to be more prepared for the workshop.


5. Media Coverage

1. SOT News (7.10.2019):

““Sfida më e madhe për një kryetar bashkie", Veliaj jep lajmin e mirë: Transporti alternativ zgjidhje për ndotjen; Jemi në pritje të autobusëve elektrikë”; URL: https://sot.com.al/aktualitet/sfida-me-e-madhe-nje-kryetar-bashkie-veliaj-jep-lajmin-e-mire-transporti-alternativ?fbclid=IwAR0aT0bCwRrmuQmOgpwTqswnK_Y5hPD_fcrc039H_afyg5J-8axq7vXeUNc

2. ATA - Albanian communication agency (7.10.2019):

“Veliaj: Transporti alternativ zgjidhje për ndotjen, në pritje të autobusëve elektrikë”; URL: http://ata.gov.al/2019/10/07/veliaj-transporti-alternativ-zgjidhje-per-ndotjen-ne-pritje-te-autobuseve-elektrike/?fbclid=IwAR0jdjs-tKyUDvcmttqPrB0jhcfHM-D5C42rhDJIG8tazWc0FlK1YJDS_rQ

3. Albanian Daily News (7.10.2019):

“Alternative Transport as solution against pollution”; URL:

https://www.albaniandailynews.com/index.php?idm=36157&mod=2&fbclid=IwAR3WRb0iC3jZBI-rE-AnJAfoDrP5F6w2FLJQ0iHVdQg9QoQ1FPcV-KifoG8

4. Municipality of Tirana (7.10.2019):

“Ekspertët diskutojnë mbi vizionin e Lëvizshmërisë Urbane në Tiranë”; URL: https://tirana.al/artikull/ekspertet-diskutojne-mbi-vizionin-e-levizshmerise-urbane-ne-tirane?fbclid=IwAR0ma7cd4QTisWstid8IHKVu95P0Jh5YRIEy5Qlu62gt-On449fdsWtf28c

5. Top Channel (7.10.2019):

“Veliaj: Transporti alternativ zgjidhje për ndotjen; Jemi në pritje të autobusëve elektrikë”; URL: http://top-channel.tv/2019/10/07/veliaj-transporti-alternativ-zgjidhje-per-ndotjen-jemi-ne-pritje-te-autobuseve-elektrike/

6. Panorama (7.10.2019):

“Ekspertët diskutojnë mbi vizionin e Lëvizshmërisë Urbane në Tiranë”; URL:

http://www.panorama.com.al/ekspertet-diskutojne-mbi-vizionin-e-levizshmerise-urbane-ne-tirane/

7. Gazeta Shqiptare (7.10.2019):

“"Autobusët elektrikë”/Ekspertët flasin mbi Lëvizshmërisë Urbane në Tiranë”; URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfyhwToX0K4

8. Bota Sot (7.10.2019):

“Veliaj: Transporti alternativ zgjidhje për ndotjen, jemi në pritje të autobusëve elektrikë”; URL:


https://www.botasot.info/tirana-shqiperia/1167114/veliaj-transporti-alternativ-zgjidhje-per-ndotjen-jemi-ne-pritje-te-autobuseve-elektrike/

9. RTV Klan (7.10.2019):

“Ulja e perdorimit te makinave”; URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RpWYght4-4

10. Tirana Post (7.10.2019):

“Expert discuss Vision of Urban Mobility in Tirana: Alternative transport solution for pollution”; URL: http://www.tiranapost.al/en/experts-discuss-vision-of-urban-mobility-in-tirana-alternative-transport-solutions-for-pollution/

11. Balkan Green Energy News (10.10.2019):

“Air pollution and crowded buses – Tirana takes steps towards a solution”; URL:https://balkangreenenergynews.com/air-pollution-and-crowded-buses-tirana-takes-steps-towards-a-solution/

12. STUP – Sustainable Urban Transport Project (14.10.2019):

“Air pollution and crowded buses – Tirana takes steps towards a solution”; URL:https://www.sutp.org/en/news-reader/air-pollution-and-crowded-buses-tirana-takes-steps-towards-a-solution-16365.html


6. Conclusions

As outlined in this report, the interactive nature of the workshop and a broad participation of stakeholders from various fields of expertise led to the successful development of a commonly agreed upon draft vision, which will be guiding for Tirana’s first Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP): "A smart Tirana, responding to community needs as a livable, clean, healthy, attractive city, offering innovative, multi-modal and wide-ranging mobility, available, affordable and equal for everyone."

Every following step of the SUMP development and implementation will have to be measured against this vision and its alignment with the identified values and key principles. In particular, the next steps will entail a more in-depth analysis of the current state of mobility in Tirana, the development and prioritisation of specific targets and the identification of a set of appropriate measures. The technical consultant team TRT plays a key role in this process.

After reaching an agreement on the responsibilities and the provision of resources, the final SUMP strategy will then be adopted by the City of Tirana, approximately in April 2020. This important step is just the beginning – now it comes to the crucial phase of the implementation of the plan to create Tirana that embodies the described vision no later than 2030 with significant milestones prior to that.

This process will be accompanied by further participatory measures to ensure the involvement of stakeholders as well as citizens from diverse backgrounds. Although one single event like this visioning workshop cannot always achieve an ideal representation of all affected groups, the use of various instruments such as further stakeholder workshops, focus groups, surveys, communication through social media, etc. will create opportunities for different ways of involvement. The public will be able to hold the decision-makers accountable for taking their input into consideration and can expect a transparent reporting on why or why not certain aspects have been incorporated into the SUMP. The planning authorities in charge have the chance to set a best practice example with the SUMP and to prove that it will be well integrated into their policies and the implemented measures will lead to a real improvement of the living conditions in Tirana.


Annex Glossary

Accessibility Measure of how easy a person can participate in an activity, reach a service, understand information, or use a place or facility (including transit vehicles and transit stops). “Universal design” is a way of designing for use by anyone without barriers, regardless of ability. For instance, this can mean that a tram is designed to be easily boarded by someone using a wheelchair or it can mean that information about the estimated arrival time of a bus is available as audio announcement to accommodate riders with low vision or who are blind.

The term accessibility has the following different dimensions: Transport dimension (options for transport); land use dimension (quality and spatial distribution of activity locations); the individual dimension based on the (different) needs, capabilities, and perceptions of (different) individuals; and the temporal dimension, as activities/opportunities are often available at particular times. Economic accessibility (or affordability) is a measure of people's ability to pay for services without financial hardship.

Backcasting Planning method that starts with defining a desirable future and then identifies steps to attain those conditions: If we want to attain a certain goal, what actions must be taken to get there?

Bike-sharing Service in which bicycles are made available for shared use to individuals on a short-term basis, often for a price or fee.

GHG (greenhouse gases)

Gases that contribute to the greenhouse effect by absorbing infrared radiation and trapping heat in the atmosphere. Greenhouse gas emissions from transport activities include carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide.

Inclusive mobility

This concept is closely related to accessibility (see above). Inclusive mobility enables all citizens to participate in society and thus refers to the social dimension of transport. If not granted, there is a risk of social exclusion and inequality.

Mobike A fully stationless bike-sharing service available in Tirana since 2018.


Mobility Potential for movement and the ability to get from one place to another using one or more modes of transport to meet daily needs. Mobility focuses on the satisfaction of needs, while transport (including vehicles, infrastructure and traffic rules) is the instrument, which is required for the concrete realisation of mobility.

Modal split (also called mode split, mode-share, or modal share)

Share of people using a particular mode of transport (including cycling and walking) within the overall transport usage of an urban area. Can be calculated for passenger and freight (logistics) transport based on different units, such as number of trips, volume, weight, passenger-km or tonne-km. Typically displayed as a percentage value for each mode.

My Tirana (Tirana Ime) App

Smartphone application that provides access to the services of the City of Tirana, such as transportation information, payment for parking, and more.

Non-motorised transportation (also called active transportation)

Includes walking and bicycling, as well as wheelchair travel and small-wheeled transport (such as skates, skateboards, etc.) Provides both transportation and recreation.

Ways to promote non-motorised transportation include, but are not limited to, the construction of sidewalks and bike lanes, bike-sharing programmes, and pedestrian-oriented development.

Public transportation

(Formal and/or informal) group transport systems for passengers available for use by the general public along (mostly) designated routes; such as city buses, trolleybuses, trams, passenger trains, and more.

Rapid transit (or mass rapid transit, MRT)

High-speed and high-capacity urban passenger transport, such as an elevated railway system or bus rapid transit. For instance, bus rapid transit typically uses dedicated lanes with stations aligned to the centre of the road, off-board fare collection, and fast and frequent operations.

Stakeholder A stakeholder is any individual, group, or organisation affected by, or able to affect, a proposed project and its implementation. This includes the general public, as well as businesses, public authorities, experts, and special interest groups.


SUMP Strategic plan designed to satisfy the mobility needs of people and businesses in cities and their surroundings for a better quality of life. It builds on existing planning practices and takes due consideration of integration, participation, and evaluation principles.

SWOT analysis Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats analysis: A framework for identifying and analysing the internal and external factors that can have an impact on the viability of a project, product, place, or person.

Transport system

Combination of vehicles, infrastructure, and operations that enables of humans, animals, and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, land (rail or road), water, and others.

Vision In the context of SUMP, a vision is a qualitative description of a desired urban mobility future that serves to guide the development of targets and the selection of suitable measures throughout the SUMP preparation process.

Vulnerable populations

There are a range of measures that can indicate a vulnerable population. In the context of this report, the term refers to people who face unproportional mobility barriers compared to the general population, for instance based on their age, income, (dis)abilities, spoken language, access to a private vehicle, and other factors.

For further definitions related to sustainable urban mobility, please refer to the SUMP Glossary under www.eltis.org/glossary.

Agenda

Time Topic Responsible/Speaker

09.00 – 09.30 Arrival and Registration of Participants SEE Change Net


09.30 – 09.45 Opening and Welcome Erion Veliaj (Mayor of Tirana)

Enton Punavija (Director of the Department of Transport, Municipality of Tirana)

Ismail Beka (GIZ)

Anna Loffing (SEE Change Net/CIM)

09.45 – 10.00 Tirana SUMP Development Process Anna Loffing (on behalf of Julia Nagel, GIZ)

10.00-10.10 Tour de Table: Introduction of Participants Participatory exercise, guided by facilitators Rezart Xhelo & Vida Ogorelec

10.10-10.25 Expectations from Participants Regarding the Workshop

Participatory exercise, guided by facilitators

10.25-10.35 Introduction to the Workshop: Agenda & Ground Rules

Presented through facilitators

10.35-11.00 Visioning: Tirana as a Success Story of Sustainable Urban Mobility (Part I)


11.00-11.20 Coffee Break

11.20-11.30 Importance of Vision for Definition of Strategic Objectives and Measures of the SUMP


11.30-12.20 Visioning: Tirana as a Success Story of Sustainable Urban Mobility (Part II)


12.20-13:00 Values of Sustainable Urban Mobility in Tirana


13.00-14:00 Lunch


14:00-14:15 Presentation of Draft Vision Statements and Values


14.15-15:15 Analysis of Key Strategic Topics Participatory exercise, guided by facilitators

15:15-15:30 Closing Remarks SEE Change Net

List of Participants

Nr. Name/Surname Institution Title

1 Ismail Beka GIZ Project Manger

2 Ana Rankovic SEE Change Net Programme Management

3 Elida Mataj Institute of Public Health Environmental specialist

4 Eglantina Zere

Tirana Municipality/Tirana Parking (Public Transport in Tirana Municipality)

General Director of Tirana Parking

5 Tirana Municipality



8 Marsida Lenja Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy Head of Office for Transport Licencing

9 Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy

10 Fatmir Hoxha Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy Head of Sector Enginering Design

11 Edmond Alite TRT Trasporti e Territorio Srl


12 Zhaneta Shehi GIZ Office Manager

13 Aida Gjecaj Feel Albania and Thethi Guise CEO

14 Enri Kocuri URI (Urban Research Institute) Planner


16

Tirana Municipality/Tirana Parking (Public Transport in Tirana Municipality) Directorate of Human Resources and Public Services

17 Kreshnik Bajraktari Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy Head of Traffic Control Center

18 Matilda Xhafa Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy Head of Public Transport

19 Ndrek Ismajli Paraplegic association Head

20 Edmond Mandasa Epoka University Head of Department

21 Rixhmi Qoshja Alba Trans Operation Manager


23 Jonida Fezgo Tirana Municipality

24 Arber Habilaj Tirana Municipality

General Directorate of Territorial Planning and Development

25 Genti Kromidha Institute for Nature Conservation in Albania Director

26 Miriam Ndini Epoka University Prof Ass

27 Edian Mege Tirana Municipality

General Directorate of Territorial Planning and Development


28 Blind association



31 URI (Urban Research Institute)

32 Ecomovement

33 Ermelinda Mahmutaj

Environmental center for Development Education and Networking Executive director

34 Petri Klosi National Territorial Planning Agency Deputy director

35 Nihat Dragoti Institute for Nature Conservation in Albania

36 Besjana Qosja University Polis

37 Tresi Trebicka Tirana Municipality Responsible of sector

38 Mikel Kodheli Tirana Municipality

Specialist General Directorate of Territorial Development

39 Lira Hakani

Environmental center for Development Education and Networking Coordinator

40 NGO

41 Liljana Hoxha Institute of Public Health Chimister

42 Lisena Gjebrea Inspector

43 Nertili Lugji Milieukontakt Al Environmental expert


44 Mihallaq Qirjo REC (Resource environmental center) Director

45 Iva Tavarxhiu Tirana Municipality Specialist

46 Kostandin Fani Shega Trans

47 Devis Agaraj Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy

48 Association of Road Security



51 Polis University

52 Julia Nagel GIZ Project Director ORF-EE

53 Merita Meksi GIZ CCAWB

54 Vesna Latić SEECN Communication Assocciate

55 Garret Patrick Kelly SEECN Principal

56 Rezart Xhelo Facilitator

57 Vida Ogorelec Facilitator

56 Anna Loffing SEE Change Net; CIM Urban Planner for Sustainable Mobility


Presentations Tirana SUMP Development Process


Workshop Facilitation


Photo Documentation of Workshop Results


Selected Event Pictures


EuroNews Worksheet

Tirana, 30 September 2030

SUCCESS STORY

The City of Tirana recognised as an outstanding example of sustainable urban mobility


Foto: Rezart Xhelo

Copenhagen, 30 September 2030. – After a decade of dedicated work in creating and implementing sustainable mobility the City of Tirana earned a prestigious award for Sustainable Urban Mobility (SUM), the OscarUM, for its achievements. It is now recognised as best practice example. Within the annual conference on "Sustainable Urban Mobility Planning" in Copenhagen, the OscarUM, will be awarded by the European Commissioner for Transport Brigit Astrid Mikkelsen to representatives of the City of Tirana.

The central topic of the conference will be "Urban mobility and quality of life" and it will attract numerous urban mobility experts and practitioners from all over Europe. With its good practice Tirana demonstrates how the well planned, ambitious and intelligent mobility measures can solve the acute problems of [congestion, key problems in Tirana]. In this way Tirana has given an important contribution to the EU policy making in the area of urban mobility.

What are the successes and achievements of the urban mobility in the City of Tirana that you are most proud of?


What are the main benefits and advantages of (implementing) the comprehensive mobility plan? Who are the main beneficiaries? Consider aspects such as quality of life, economic development, health, spatial planning?

How can you describe the organisational structure and the relationships in designing and implementing the mobility plan? Who was involved?

When looking back at the decade of work, what in your view were the most important approaches and measures that contributed to the success of sustainable mobility in the City of Tirana?

What values and principles were the guiding force of action that contributed to the success of the mobility policy in the City of Tirana?

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