Anna Jonkmans
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Is a lick of new paint all that’s needed to change our cities for the better? It certainly worked for Tirana.
Can the use of cheerful colors in the city influence crime, safety and social cohesion in the city? In Tirana, the capital of Albania, the colorful painting of private and public buildings had a very positive influence. Mayor Edi Rama faced a huge challenge when he was elected: the city was in very bad shape. Four years later (in 2004) he won the World Mayor award for the successful results in the city. Rama, a painter himself, brought liveliness back to Tirana, which made residents feel safer, started paying taxes again and stopped throwing rubbish on the streets.
Designer Ingrid Fetell Lee explores the phenomenon of "joy" and finds evidence that small moments of daily joy can change our urban existence.
Image credits
Icon image: The colourful apartment buildings of Tirana by David Dufresne via Flickr