Reimagining a Walkable, Sustainable Prishtina
Kosovo | Reimagining a Walkable, Sustainable Prishtina - Nature’s Allies | 2024
Përshëndetje!
We are Nature’s Allies, a youth-led movement committed to reducing air pollution and making Prishtina a more walkable, people-friendly city. In 2024, we launched the Kryeqyteti Pa Makina (The Capital Without Cars) Campaign to encourage fewer short car trips, promote public transport, and highlight the benefits of walking, biking, and carpooling. Our mission? To reimagine Prishtina as a cleaner, healthier city where streets belong to people, not just cars.
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12 to 17 years old
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The Right-Sized Problem
Prishtina faces severe air pollution, high traffic congestion, and limited pedestrian-friendly infrastructure. Many short trips are taken by car, contributing to harmful emissions and reducing green spaces. Without action, our city will continue to prioritize vehicles over people, leading to rising health risks and declining air quality.
What did we do?
Through public art, direct advocacy, and large-scale awareness campaigns, we engaged thousands of residents and our Mayor to promote sustainable transport.
Offline Impact
🎨 Interactive Public Mural – “1000 Reasons to Walk” – Installed in Prishtina’s main square, inviting citizens to write their reasons for walking and promoting the idea of a car-free city center.
🎈 Pollution Awareness Balloon Stunt – Placed balloons in the busiest parking lot, showing how just 0.5 seconds of an engine running fills five balloons with harmful gases.
🚦 Street Signs with Air Pollution Facts – Installed signs with alarming data on air pollution in six of Prishtina’s busiest streets, making pollution visible to everyday commuters.
🏛️ Meeting with the Mayor of Prishtina – Engaged the municipality directly, securing commitments for public transport reform and pedestrian-friendly infrastructure.
Online & Media Impact
📱 Social Media & Digital Engagement – Reached 252,766 people through Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X, with interactive videos and awareness posts.
📢 National Media Coverage – Featured on:
📡 Television programs (morning & evening news)
🎙️ Radio interviews
📰 Online articles & press releases
📺 Watch Our Impact in Action:
🔗 TV Feature: Air Pollution in Kosovo
🔗 Interactive Mural Coverage
🔗 Public Transport Reform Announcement
Campaign Impact
290,000+ people engaged offline through murals, road signs, and advocacy events.
252,766 people reached online through digital campaigns.
3,317 media mentions across Kosovo, bringing national attention to the campaign.
Secured Mayor’s commitment to pedestrian-friendly policies & public transport reform.
One of the biggest milestones of the campaign was securing concrete commitments from the Mayor of Prishtina. He pledged to:
Introduce a unified ticketing system for public & private buses starting January 1, 2025.
Require all new bus contracts to include eco-friendly vehicles by September 2025.
Develop more walkable city spaces, including the transformation of George Bush Square into a sustainable green area.
"I never thought we, as children, could make such a big impact. Seeing people add their own reasons to the mural made me realize how much our campaign inspired others"
- Enea, 15-year-old Shifter
What’s Next?
We are committed to continuing our fight for a cleaner, more walkable Prishtina by:
📌 Expanding street sign installations to more high-traffic areas.
📌 Advocating for further pedestrian-friendly urban planning initiatives.
📌 Engaging more youth in environmental activism and sustainable transport advocacy.
Follow our journey:
📍 Website: Kryeqyteti Pa Makina
