In a significant stride towards sustainable municipal development, the City of Tirana, in partnership with the Council of Europe, has organised a pivotal process to consult on the Sustainable Development Strategy of the Municipality of Tirana (SDSMT) for 2023-2027. A milestone of the process was the consultation day held on November 24, 2023, at the Tirana European Youth Capital 2022 offices, where the city's participatory approach to strategy development became real.

The day-long consultation provided a platform for over 40 diverse stakeholders from within the Tirana municipality. These stakeholders, identified and engaged following the methodology of the Council of Europe Civil Participation in Decision Making Toolkit, contributed their unique perspectives and insights to the municipal priorities.

After the welcome of the Deputy Mayor, Keti Luarasi, the draft strategic objectives of the municipality as basis for the consultation were presented to the stakeholders, followed by an introduction to the participatory methodologies upon which the day's discussions were organised.

During the consultation session, independent facilitators led discussions within focus groups, each centring on one of the strategic goals of the Municipality of Tirana. These discussions delved into the alignment of the strategic objectives with the broader vision of the municipality, the challenges and viability of these objectives, and ways to enhance stakeholder engagement and community involvement.

The plenary session at the end of the day allowed for a comprehensive exchange of ideas and feedback from the participants to the municipality. The event concluded with Keti Luarasi summarizing the next steps in this ambitious journey.

With this process, Tirana municipality has set a new standard for urban development strategies within Albania and confirmed its commitment to inclusive participatory planning and to crafting a future that is both sustainable and reflective of its community's needs.