The United Nations has designated the first Monday in October every year as World Habitat Day (WHD), to reflect on the state of human settlements and the basic right to adequate shelter for all. It is also intended to remind the world of its collective responsibility for the future of the human habitat.
The theme of the occasion decreed by the United Nations to reflect on the state of human settlements around the world, this year is A safe city is a just city.

This year’s theme poses a huge challenge both to city and national governments and has been chosen to raise awareness and encourage reflection on the mounting threats to urban safety and social justice, particularly urban crime and violence, forced eviction and insecurity of tenure, as well as natural and human-made disasters.

The transition period in which Kosovo cities are going through, ever since the war ended, came with big challenges in urban development. We are witnessing day by day activities of crime and violence even in the city centres; we see informal settlements becoming a common sight on the city outskirts which in some cases lack the access to infrastructure and other public services and security of tenure; we see houses being built in flooding areas; we see young people prowling in the streets which gives an indication of a rate of unemployment. All of these causes lead to deprivation and desperation and are root cause of anti-social behaviour (crime, prostitution, drug abuse etc). But cities are also the best places to ensure crime prevention and reducing insecurity. Thus the urban planning and development has a crucial role in ensuring a safe and a just city.

By setting up a strategic urban planning approach and involving key stakeholders and public at large in the development of municipal spatial and urban plans, the UN-HABITAT’s Municipal Spatial Planning Support Programme (MuSPP) inKosovo, with the support of the Swedish Government/Sida is promoting Urban planning that embraces crime prevention, disaster reduction and ensures better liveable and safe living areas.

In the occasion of celebration of the World Habitat Day, UN-HABITAT in Kosovo is organising a range of activities as to reflect to the awareness rising on the importance of safety in the city. The activities include:

·         Gjilan/Gnjilane: Public debate on topic “A safe city is a just city” in which representatives of municipality of Gjilan/Gnjilane, KFOR, Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning, OSCE, representatives of Kosovo Police Service will discuss on the safety in the city. The debate will also offer possibility to 70 children and their teachers to participate in the discussion and express their concerns on school safety through different means of expression like drawing, poems, acting etc. The debate will take place in the Municipal Assembly Hall on 1^st of October 2007 starting at 10:30 till 12:45.

 ·         Prizren: An event will be organised to mark World Habitat Day with disabled citizens and pupils by giving them an opportunity to express their ideas on how they perceive current obstacles and challenges in the living environment and how they see the future developments in their city in regards to safety issues. The event will take place in the Handikos building in Prizren with the start at 11:00- 13:55.

 ·         Gjakova/Djakovica: Municipality and UN-HABITAT will mark World Habitat Day through discussion and opinion poll on safety public spaces with a focus on Gjakova/Djakovica City Park and its potential multiple functions for various social and age groups. Citizens, including youth and school children will meet with municipal officials at 10:00 in the City ark to voice their opinion on how they would like to use this public space. This will be followed by a debate held at restaurant Scorpion from 11:15.

 ·         Peja/Pec: A consultation meeting of Mobility Stakeholder Group will be held for WHD 2007 at the Chief Executive Office starting at 13:00-14:15. The meeting will serve to discuss issues of Railway station and plans for developing Mobility Center in Peja/Pec and the latest proposal for City-Bus Network. This activity is related to the inauguration of the railway line Pristina – Peja/Pec therefore in the morning on 1st of October, Peja/Pec Chief Executive Officer associated with a number of municipal officials will depart from Pristina to Peja/Pec by train. The train will leave at 10:00.

 These events are open to the public therefore media are cordially invited to join.