Civic Campaign to Solve Infrastructure Problems in Tbilisi’s Vashlijvari Neighborhood
In recent years, the population of Tbilisi’s Vashlijvari district has outgrown its transportation infrastructure, resulting in many residents being unable to use the system efficiently. A lack of pedestrian crossings, as well as overcrowded and inconsistent bus services and poorly maintained sidewalks have led to a reduced quality of life for locals. Civic activist Marina Meskhi, along with the Vashlijvari neighborhood community, has launched a creative civic campaign with the support of the USAID Civil Society Engagement Program to highlight these issues and advocate for their resolution.
After city hall officials did not respond to an invitation to visit Vashlijvari district and inspect its infrastructure, the activists created a figure of the city’s mayor and took him on a bus from City Hall to the Vashlijvari neighborhood during rush hour. The purpose of this activity was to demonstrate the problems that the residents of Vashlijvari face every day in getting around their neighborhood and traveling to other parts of the city. Videos of this performance went viral on social media, and Radio Liberty created a documentary around the issue.
The civic activists will continue to work to bring attention to the issue through several planned events in the coming months.
