TIRANA, July 7 (ATA) – Prime Minister Edi Rama has voiced support for a national campaign aimed at reclaiming public spaces, urging local businesses to remove barriers from sidewalks and improve urban aesthetics in line with Albania’s growing tourism ambitions.
“There is nothing wrong with having tables and service areas on parts of the sidewalk, just like in Paris, London or New York,” Rama wrote on social media a day ago. “But sidewalks belong to people, not barricades – as we’ve seen on Lungomare.”
“It’s time to free the sidewalks and upgrade both the service and appearance to a level worthy of Tourist Albania,” he said.
Referring to the coastal promenade in the southern city of Vlora, the Prime Minister called it a model of waterfront urban design for a seaside tourist city. He said the next step is turning Lungomare into a standard for outdoor service design.
“Business owners and managers must remove all barricades themselves and cooperate with the Vlora municipality and the National Territorial Development Agency on the new design – support for which we’re happy to provide,” Rama said.
Authorities have announced that, in the coming weeks, municipal governments will prioritize clearing public spaces in urban areas that have been occupied or obstructed by private operators.
Officials have called on businesses to voluntarily remove makeshift barriers—ranging from tables and refrigerators on sidewalks to walls and makeshift “customs gates” built around residential blocks—or face fines and potential criminal proceedings.
/u.sh/
