Kosovo Architecture Festival _ Re-imagining Prishtina: Urban Interventions for Resilience and Play

This year the Foundation decided to invite 3 creative fellows (collectives) with a diverse background. Jean-François Gauthier is a landscape architect and founder of SYLVA Landscape Architecture & Urban Forestry. In this year's KAF edition, Jean-François Gauthier leads the Pristina Habitat Corridors Workshop—a hands-on, multidisciplinary exploration of how urban streets can become ecological green corridors. Through mapping, walking, sketching, and planting, participants will experiment with design approaches that center trees, biodiversity, and community well-being.

The second fellow selected by KAF is Dea Buza, an architect and urban designer from Kosovo and co-founder of Apparat Collective, is leading a workshop titled "Play, Connect, Resilience: Redefining Public Spaces in Prishtina". Drawing from her experience in landscape urbanism and community-focused design, the workshop aims to transform neglected urban areas into multifunctional, ecologically resilient, and playful public spaces.

The third collective of LINA fellows are the Ukrainian architect and researcher Iryna Miroshnykova and curator Maria Noschenko leading the Hide and Seek three day workshop exploring fortifications as spatial, political, and emotional constructs. Through discussions, a magazine launch, and a city walk in Prishtina, participants will examine how defensive architecture shapes urban narratives and collective memory.

WORKSHOP: "Re-imagining Prishtina: Urban Interventions for Resilience and Play"

apparat collective x dHAP / AUT

if you do not have a public space, how can you protect?

Transforming Prishtina's urban spaces into a network of adaptive, multifunctional landscapes where ecology, resilience, and play converge to enhance community well-being and environmental health.

Lecturer & Researcher at department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture / Agricultural University of Tirana Co-founder of Apparat Collective Architect/Urban Designer

Brief

Prishtina's urban landscape requires a paradigm shift toward sustainable, multifunctional spaces that address environmental challenges and foster community engagement. This project proposes an experimental approach grounded in landscape urbanism, combining ecology, play, and resilience to redefine underutilized spaces. By integrating green-blue infrastructure with playful, inclusive designs, the initiative seeks to create adaptive urban landscapes that align with the city's evolving needs.

Central to this approach is the recognition of landscape as a framework for urban design, emphasizing ecological processes, connectivity, and adaptability. The project aims to reimagine Prishtina's fragmented urban fabric by transforming neglected spaces into dynamic, multi-purpose landscapes that blend natural systems with human activity. Through participatory workshops and temporary prototyping, this initiative will generate actionable designs, foster community ownership, and develop a scalable vision for the city's future.

By weaving landscape urbanism principles into Prishtina's development, this project envisions a city where resilient green-blue infrastructure, vibrant public spaces, and ecological health are seamlessly interconnected, fostering a sustainable and joyful urban environment.

Conceptual Framework — Landscape Urbanism Principles

Ecological Processes as Design Drivers: Leverage natural systems like water flow, vegetation growth, and biodiversity as foundational design elements.

Connectivity and Networks: Create a green-blue urban network linking parks, corridors, and plazas to foster ecological and social connectivity.

Flexibility and Adaptation: Design spaces that adapt to seasonal, climatic, and community needs, ensuring long-term relevance.

Multifunctionality: Combine ecological functions with recreational, cultural, and social uses, maximizing the utility of limited urban land.

Goals:

Reimagine Public Spaces: Transform underutilized or neglected spaces into multifunctional landscapes that integrate green-blue systems and public activity.

Promote Resilience: Address climate challenges through adaptive design strategies such as permeable surfaces, rain gardens, and urban forests.

Foster Playful Engagement: Incorporate interactive and playful elements to encourage community participation and enhance social cohesion.

Key Activities:

A. Participatory Workshops: a. Collaborative mapping to identify potential intervention sites. b. Ideation sessions to design multifunctional, ecologically driven spaces.

B. Green-Blue Integration: a. Develop designs incorporating rainwater harvesting, bioswales, and floodable landscapes. b. Prioritize native vegetation and habitat creation for biodiversity.

C. Playful Design Elements: a. Install modular play spaces, sensory gardens, and interactive water features. b. Design spaces that promote physical activity, creativity, and intergenerational play.

Deliverables

1. Analysis: Analysis of potential areas for intervention.
2. Vision Map: A city-wide landscape plan showcasing an interconnected green-blue network.
3. Policy Recommendations: Guidelines for embedding landscape urbanism principles into Prishtina's urban planning framework.

Design Examples: Integrating Landscape Urbanism Principles

Here are some actionable design examples for Prishtina that merge green-blue infrastructure with playful, multifunctional spaces:

A. Floodable Playgrounds and Urban Parks Purpose: Combine stormwater management with recreation. Features:

• A central rain garden designed to collect and filter stormwater, surrounded by elevated walkways and seating areas.
• Play equipment (e.g., swings, climbing frames) placed on higher ground, remaining usable during light flooding.
• Seasonal plants that thrive in wet-dry cycles to enhance aesthetics and biodiversity.

B. Green-Blue Corridors Purpose: Connect fragmented green spaces and improve walkability. Features:

• Linear parks with bioswales along main streets to manage runoff and reduce urban heat islands.
• Paths with shaded canopies for walking, biking, and gathering.
• Integrated outdoor fitness zones and nature-inspired playgrounds for all age groups.

C. Pop-Up Urban Gardens with Water Features Purpose: Temporary spaces that test long-term interventions. Features:

• Movable planters with edible gardens to engage the community in urban farming.
• Interactive water misters for children during summer, powered by rainwater harvesting.
• Solar-powered lighting and benches to create vibrant nighttime spaces.

Policy Recommendations: Bridging Design and Implementation

To ensure lasting impact, the project will produce a policy framework that:

• Promotes Green-Blue Standards: Mandates integration of bioswales, permeable surfaces, and native landscaping in new developments.
• Incentivizes Temporary Use of Vacant Land: Encourages property owners to lease unused lots for pop-up public spaces.
• Engages Local Communities: Establishes participatory design as a standard in urban planning processes.