The dysfunction of the principle of equality in the use of public spaces and the lack of involvement of citizens in urban planning due to the lack of local political will turns out to be one of the main problems in the cities of Kosovo. EC Ma Ndryshe for years has been advocating in different ways to promote urban planning with citizen participation to local authorities in Kosovo and calls for the inclusion of different categories of the community in the urban planning process to be a priority in the next governing mandate in governing objectives.

Public spaces are connecting nodes between man and the city, therefore they must be designed so that they can be used by all categories of society and at the same time serve the public good. A good public space does not apply exemptions either to the elderly, or to people with special needs, or to parents with strollers or children. So, a public space must offer equality in access and use between different groups of the community, and this equality is achieved by including the needs of these categories in the planning process.

In the research carried out by EC Ma Ndryshe entitled "How inclusive are our cities?" the data found show that the principle of citizen involvement in planning processes and the inclusion of their needs by local institutions is at a worrying level. 75% of the respondents declare that there is not enough greenery in their city; 72% claim that public transport in their city is not well organized or does not exist at all; 75% say that there is a lack of public spaces and 85% of respondents declare that on a daily basis they notice discrimination against marginalized groups as a result of improper urban planning. On the other hand, what is even more disturbing are the findings that show that only 10% of the respondents have ever been invited to any spatial planning process in their municipality and that 90% claim that their requests, suggestions or remarks are not are taken into account.

Excluding the needs of a certain category of society from urban planning means a direct violation of human rights. The reason why it is essential to ask the different categories of the community before making an institutional decision, especially when it has to do with public space, is because it is precisely the citizens who will face those interventions on a daily basis. Urban planning with citizen participation is a process that promotes well-being, makes life within urban areas more active and brings benefits to each category of the community both in social, economic and cultural aspects. Local governments should keep in mind that the application of this approach where citizens are heard and their needs are included in planning means stability, durability , well-being and development.

Community involvement in planning processes increases the legitimacy of policy-making and decision-making and also increases citizens' trust in local institutions. On the other hand, the application of this principle also brings great benefits to the community of residents because the active involvement of citizens in urban planning results in projects that specifically offer solutions to their daily problems in relation to public space. Through this approach, the sustainability of the interventions is ensured since it is the community itself that is considered as the creator and implementer of the changes. In this way, it is possible for public spaces to provide sustainability, security, and be welcoming and fulfilling to the needs of different community groups such as people with special needs, parents with wheelchairs, women, young people, the elderly, businesses and other groups included.

Additionally, EC called for the local governments during their mandate to take into account the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations and in this case join the world trend to fulfill the 11th Goal that aims to create Durable Cities and Communities. Within this objective, it is intended to improve urban planning and management precisely through citizen participation and inclusiveness.

Public participation in planning and decision-making is closely related to the genuine functioning of local democracy, therefore EC appeals through this call to local governments that in the new mandate they do not allow the cities of Kosovo to be even further exclusionary to special categories of the community and to apply the principle of inclusiveness in planning and decision-making so that public spaces do not become a factor in the violation of human rights for certain groups of society.