Schoolyard improvements have been selected as a priority by Rahovec/Orahovac Municipality through the municipal participatory planning process. Clear terms and objectives for sustainable schoolyards have been established, and a competition for all the schools in the municipality has been carried out. Two schools were selected as winners, the secondary school "Xhelal Hajda-Toni" in the city centre, and the primary school in the big village of Xerxe, "Hamez Thaci". They are awarded by getting their schoolyard proposals implemented, after careful detailed design and a number of other considerations.  Both CIPs (Capital Investment Projects) will be financed on a co-shared basis 50/50 by the Municipality of Rahovec/Orahovac and UN-Habitat's Municipal Spatial Planning Support Programme (MuSPP), funded by the Swedish Development Corporation.

As part of the CIP process in Rahovec/Orahovac, a second public presentation of the two schoolyards was held on the 30^th of May 2013 for all relevant stakeholders in the Cultural House of Rahovec. This event was organized jointly by UN-Habitat/MuSPP and the Municipality of Rahovec/Orahovac. Present at this event was the Vice Mayor of Rahovec/Orahovac Mr. Tara, representatives of the Directorate of Urbanism, Education, and Public Works, representatives from UN-Habitat/MuSPP, and teachers and pupils from the two schools, in total about 70 participants.

In his opening speech the vice Mayor expressed his gratitude towards UN-Habitat/MuSPP and its staff for their work and commitment in these projects, and also for the Swedish funding. He noted that these projects are very important for the municipality because investment in the schoolyards will enhance the quality of learning, and many future generations will benefit from it. The Director of the Education and Youth Department, Mrs. Hoxha, also emphasized the importance of these projects for the quality of the learning in the schools and she commended the pupils, teachers, municipal officers and UN-Habitat/ MuSPP staff for the commitment shown in the initial phase. She remained very confident that this energy will continue throughout the implementation of these projects.

UN-Habitat/MuSPP representative Mr. Engstrom emphasized that the processes in projects like these are as important as the final products, fostering creativity, cooperation and ownership. He pointed out environmental and sustainability aspects such as design and selection of materials, maintenance and implementation in phases. After the presentation, showing the latest draft drawings, all relevant stakeholders will be welcome to express their views and concerns.

The event continued with presentation of the two schoolyard projects by an official from the Public Works Department, showing in detail the entire process of the projects from their initial stages to the present drawings, displaying technical drawings and also 3D visualizations. After the presentation, stakeholder representatives expressed their concerns and recommendations. The projects will be further developed by the joint working group, taking these remarks and all other aspects under consideration. The determining factors will be functionality, sustainability, environmental impact and costing. The process of finalising the project drawings, cost calculations, formal approval by UN-Habitat and procurement procedures indicates that the construction period will start in the spring of 2014.