We have started our field programme in Skopje with such a busy schedule. After leaving the hotel around 08:35 for our visit to the Embassy of Sweden, we started walking through the city. Along the way, I was trying to observe and catch up with everything which was just within my range of vision. Being in a different country just makes you keen on learning everything related to the place. You feel like you are automatically motivated to learn more and more. Especially, if you are in a country which was home to your ancestors, it is inevitable not to stay motivated. The excitement of rediscovery of the history… I was curious to hear about Macedonia and know how Swedish Embassy and Sida (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency) have been dealing with development cooperation with Macedonia.

We were welcomed by Mr. Sven Nylander who is working as a Counselor and Deputy Head of Mission at the Swedish Embassy. He gave a brief introduction about their cooperative form of work and how and in which areas they have been supporting Macedonia in their transition period in order to reduce poverty and help them to be in line with EU requirements (Macedonia has gained its official candidacy status in 2005). The concept of transition has a very strong exposition in representing the time period that Macedonia is facing today. Since the importance of the transition period and the efforts as to be in line with EU standards were also mentioned a couple of times by the staff members of the Swedish Embassy, especially after the crisis in Kosovo in 1999, Macedonia have been receiving Swedish support primarily focused on humanitarian aid via non‐governmental organizations and various projects. As it was told, Macedonia has had difficulties with the refugee movement and they eventually have needed to be supported in several areas; the priority was given to the areas in Sustainable economic development through agriculture, Human rights and social cohesion and Environment pillar of sustainable development. Within the sustainable development which is a big challenge for Macedonia, Mr. Daniel Asplund from Sida during his presentation, stated that there is a limited awareness on the issue and a need for strategic focus. Sida was consulted accordingly. He also pointed out the fact that Balkan countries have suffered from mismanagement. Conflicts that they have faced made the administrative structure even worse. It was referred to that there is 37% of unemployment rate in Macedonia today. Significant improvement in health and education sector was mentioned as the main necessities. Tourism stands as a potential but again needs structured and strategic planning.
In regards to sustainable development Ms. Biljana Dzartova‐ Petrovska talked about Sida´s support to Macedonia and additionally about a strategic environment policy assessment now taken place in Macedonia and pending for comments in order to be implemented. She mentioned that Sida has made an agreement with two cities in the world, one of which is Skopje and the other one is a city in India but she could not remember which city it was. Within this scope, the main aim is to be strategic sustainability review as to identify problem areas for interventions. When we had a break, my team mate Merja and I got a chance to speak a little bit with Ms. Biljana about our research in the role of cultural heritage in planning. However she said that in the sustainability assessment program of Macedonia cultural heritage is not included. She said the right place to visit would be the ministry of Culture. Then we spoke a bit to Mr. Daniel whether he could help us with our task. He gave us a name Mr. Per Arne Ströberg, Secretary General, Cultural Heritage without Borders.
After our visiting to the embassy, we started waiting outside for Mr. Vladimir Petrovski who is working at the Planning Department at the City of Skopje. We met him in front of the embassy and had a walking tour around city, we have been to the Kale and mainly guided in the city centre.

I had a lunch at mother Teresa Restaurant with Aina, Ing‐Gerd and Merja. Weather was quite nice and we were sitting outside. While we were having our lunch, a couple of gypsy kids started to come to our table and beg for food and money. It was of course a very bad feeling to see such small kids begging around with almost bare food and very dirty clothes. You feel like you are not in a position of avoiding them but on the other hand you are not in a position of helping them. What could we do? When waiters see what is happening, they just step in and run them out. At some point, one of them came to our table and tried to give a bread to Merja in order to have her fill the bread with leftovers and she did. Then he started to eat it immediately. A bitter experience for all of us. He was really very hungry. After we left the place, the kids just surrounded Ing‐Gerd, and then we heard a young mother shouting at us saying that one of the kids just took something out from Ing‐Gerd´s purse… She managed to take it back after all…When we walked further; we saw some tents at the central park. Most probably just put by other gypsies in the area. It was strange to see that their position was just accepted as it is. They were gypsies and obviously it was their way of living, and that is it…(soon I learned from a Macedonian friend that those people living in the tents in the park across the Parlament are not gypsies; they are people who got laid off years ago in the big wave of shutting down ex-state companies, so living there is kind of their protest).
After this unpleasant experience we headed to The Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, Faculty of Architecture. The dean of the faculty Mr. Vlatko Korobar welcomed us in a conference room and made an opening speech. Then we headed to a big lecture hall and had our presentations of Swedish system of government and planning system in Sweden. When we all finished with our presentations, Ms. Lidija Trpenoska‐Simonovic, Spatial Planning Agency, took the floor and told us about Spatial and Urban Planning system in Macedonia. Following her presentation, Prof. Korobar told about the two tier government and municipalities which form the city of Skopje.
Again this important status of Macedonia as being a transition country that obviously has a greater influence on the development of the country was emphasized by him. He continued with mentioning the special position of Yugoslavia and lively situation of planning or to put it correctly; how planning situation had became so alive when some special UN fund and other funds were made available after the earth quake for threshold analysis and urban development.

Around 18:30 Mr. U. Sean Vance, architect professor from the North Carolina State University, and director of The Center for Universal Design, had an interesting presentation on Universal design that has its roots in design solutions focused on accessibility issues, such as creating small ramps in sidewalks for wheelchairs authorized by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Today has been such a day with full of activities but very fruitful in the mean time.