Be careful, only play on the sidewalk!

2026-05-06 11:33:00, Opinione Grigels Muçollari

I chose not to speak out immediately after the event in Durrës. Not that a day or two would make that tragedy go away. But rather than becoming part of the massive, strong, loud, and undoubtedly justified reaction, I spent a lot of time thinking, analyzing, and asking myself questions, as a citizen, as a parent, as a committed person.
But today I have the obligation not to remain silent about an issue that requires a deep reflection of society because this is not an event that should be passed over. It is not an accident. It is a consequence.

The consequence of a governance model that has built cities without thinking about the people who live there. That has placed concrete over life, construction over well-being, quick profit over security. That has turned every public space into a potential for enrichment and every meter of land into an economic interest. Often criminal.

Let's talk about the big truth that everyone talks about but that we don't react to properly.
In the big cities of Albania today, parks are few, if not non-existent, safe spaces for the little ones or the elderly have disappeared, cities are just an expression of concrete and cars, they have no human features.
In this situation, some of us have chosen to keep our children locked up at home, under the influence of computers or phones. Another kind of danger. There are many others who allow them to play with full right in small spaces without cars under their building or apartment. But still, we don't have fun, but torture in a very narrow and limited area, again with the alarm not to cross that perimeter. And amidst this reality, a terrible sentence has become normal: "be careful, play only on the sidewalk".

Well, this expression should have been a scream, but apparently it has become normal.
Normality that I must reiterate:
CHILDREN are kept inside because they have nowhere to play outside. And when they go out, DANGER is part of the game.
Well, this is the result. A direct result of a government that has chosen its priority: CONCRETE. While public spaces, safety,. quality of life – have been left behind.
I'm sorry to say but such events are not unexpected. They are predicted. They are the product of a model that has never had the citizen at the center.

Unquestionably, the main responsibility lies with this model and those who run it. But there is also another responsibility: that of a society that has learned to accept this reality, tolerate it, allow it and ultimately vote for it.
Meanwhile, we should catch by the rags anyone who promotes and benefits from this model and throw it as far away as possible from our children who simply want to have space, to play undisturbed, without risk.
This should be a stopping point. We cannot continue with the same model and expect a different result.
We cannot build cities without space for children and then be surprised when tragedies occur.
Our reactions as part of a justified revolt for the loss of the lives of two children must be both determined and sustainable so that these events do not happen again. This reality must change with the contribution of everyone. It is not impossible, not even a dream, the day when our children turn to us: I'm going to the park or the field!