The area around Skopje's Kale fortress is getting a new urban plan that envisions parks, sports facilities, cycling paths, and pedestrian connections instead of hotel complexes.

The Council of the Municipality of Centar adopted detailed urban plans for the Kale and SRC Kale city quarter and the French Cemetery, Tetovska Charshija and Park 2 quarter. This is the first detailed urban planning documentation for the Kale area, intended to regulate access, movement, and land use.

The most visible change is prioritizing public interest over aggressive construction development. The plan includes a sports facility on state-owned land near the quay spanning 9,295 square meters, park greenery, public amenities, and parking. Private land below the Kale retains options for hotels but with reduced height restrictions.

The plan envisions new cycling paths on Samolova and Lazar Lichenoski streets, connected to the Vardar riverside path, wider pedestrian paths, and new trees. Open-air exhibitions are also enabled, treating the Kale not just as a construction site but as a cultural-historical monument.