As an implementing partner in the USAID-funded Democratic and Effective Municipalities Initiative (DEMI) program in Kosovo, ICMA has arranged a CityLinks partnership between the city of Gjilan and the city of Golden, Colorado (Michael Bestor, city manager). On July 12, Golden public works director Dan Hartman, Gjilan mayor Qemajl Mustafa, and representatives from ICMA and the DEMI program signed a letter of agreement to formalize the arrangement.

During an infrastructure planning process, Gjilan has identified downtown traffic congestion and scarcity of parking as top priorities that need to be addressed to preserve “livability” in the city center. Recent economic growth has brought increased vehicular traffic, which in turn has endangered pedestrians. One response by the city has been to add parking spaces, but a shortage persists, and many drivers park on the sidewalks.

 

 

To begin addressing Gjilan’s needs, DEMI project staff, municipal services staff, and members of the infrastructure planning committee submitted a request for expert advice on the following:

- Planning and designing improved streets and intersections for traffic flow and safety

- Devising a conceptual plan for urban transportation

- Making improvements in off-street and on-street parking and parking regulations.

The city of Golden has made significant progress controlling growth and providing infrastructure for livability. The city will share its expertise and experience on a pro-bono basis. Hartman, together with ICMA senior governance advisor Alan Edmond (a former city manager), performed a field analysis and conducted workshops to discuss initial findings and recommendations about the scope of work to be carried out over the course of the partnership.

In the next step, Hartman and Edmond will create a work plan, which will involve exchanges of experts over the next year. They will work with local officials to develop action plans that will be incorporated into local budgets for concrete improvements to infrastructure and to local policies.

Golden will provide plans for intersections, recommend parking solutions, and provide recommendations for bus transportation. Golden will also engage technical specialists such as traffic engineers and transportation managers to perform detailed analyses and design work, including software that simulates traffic flows.

At the signing ceremony, the Gjilan mayor spoke highly about the cooperation that has characterized the DEMI program, complimenting chief of party Ginka Kapitanova and USAID. He also noted, “We have an opportunity to learn a lot from Golden’s experience.”

Golden experts will visit Gjilan again in September or October, and Gjilan officials will visit Golden within the same time period.