Rivieralab2016 welcomepack

UNIVERSITY

organized by Observatory of Mediterranean Basin / POLIS Universiteti & nITro Saggio in the frame of TAW2016 / Tirana Architecture Weeks 2016

RIVIERA 2.0

RivieraLab WELCOME PACK organized by

OMB / POLIS University & nITroSaggio Group

Qeparo 2016

RIVIERALAB / enhancing the Albanian Riviera through Art, Architecture and Landscape Qeparo / 19th - 25th September 2016 organized by POLIS University & nITro Saggio group / SicilyLab in the frame of TAW2016 / Tirana Architecture Weeks © POLIS University IKZH / Research and Development Institute OMB / Observatory for Mediterranean Basin Critics / Prof PhD Besnik Aliaj, Prof PhD Antonino Saggio,

Doc Sotir Dhamo Tutors / PhD* Enrico Porfido, MSc Eranda Janku Advisors / Prof PhD Vezir Muharremaj, Prof PhD Sherif Lushaj,

PhD Godiva Rembeci, PhD* Elona Karafili, PhD* Endrit Marku Participants / PhD* Matteo Baldissarra, PhD* Gabriele Stancato (La Sapienza, Roma), PhD* Michele Porsia (UniMol, Universita degli Studi del Molise), PhD* Artan Kacani, Msc Julia Janku, Msc Amanda Terpo, Sadmira Malaj, Mikel Tepelena, Efijeni Kokedhima, Xhoana Kristo, Ardita Sylaj

UNIVERSITY

Dear participants, Welcome to the International Workshop “RIVIERALAB / enhancing the Albanian Riviera through Art, Architecture and Landscape�, organized in the frame of TAW2016 Tirana Architecture Weeks by Polis University.

These days will be subdivided in three steps. In the first days (from 19th to 21st) you will be quickly introduced to the Albanian context in terms of general territorial knowledge. Then you will be asked to attend the workshop working session for the following days (22nd to 25th), which will end in a presentation on the 26th, during the opening of Tirana Architecture Weeks.

Please find attached the program and the daily calendar. We recommend you to bring your own laptop, camera and excursion shoes and comfortable clothes for the site visit planned.

Workshop materials, maps and additional bibliography can be downloaded at https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B6OL81ILb48feEJ5TGYyR2pXYm8 For any question, do not hesitate to contact us Enrico Porfido / whatsapp +39 333 4307102 / phone +355 69 332 9675 Eranda Janku / phone +355 69 609 3444

Eranda Janku and Enrico Porfido Researchers, POLIS University, Tirana

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2

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introduction

background

territorial knowledge

1.1 RIVIERALAB / enhancing the Albanian Riviera through Art, Architecture and Landscape [p.8] Prof PhD Besnik Aliaj Rector / POLIS University Tirana Albania

2.1 Sustainable tourism development in Albania in times of liquid modernity [p.14] Peter Niented, Enrico Porfido and Aida Ciro POLIS University / Tirana Albania

3.1 A trip through the Albanian Riviera / step by step [p.72]

1.2 RIVIERALAB / calendar [p.10] Msc Eranda Janku PhD researcher Enrico Porfido POLIS University / Tirana Albania

2.2 Albania2030 [p.26] Msc Eranda Janku POLIS University / Tirana Albania 2.3 Learning from La Riviera [p.38] PhD researcher Laura Pedata POLIS University / Tirana Albania

Msc Eranda Janku PhD researcher Enrico Porfido POLIS University / Tirana Albania

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additional info 4.1 Welcome in Polis [p.88]

2.4 Re-Active Riviera [p.52] metropolis / sealine POLIS University / Tirana Albania

contents

1.1 RIVIERALAB / enhancing the Albanian Riviera through Art, Architecture and Landscape Besnik Aliaj 1.2 RIVIERALAB / calendar

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introduction

RIVIERALAB / enhancing the Albanian Riviera through Art, Architecture and Landscape Strategies for improving life quality and boosting socio-economic growth in south Albania Prof PhD Besnik Aliaj Rector / POLIS University

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Intro RivieraLab is the result of five years’ experience and collaboration between Polis University and nITroSaggio group.

Following the model and methodology of SicilyLab, the OMB - Observatory of Mediterranean Basin – a new Polis University unit involved in the applied research field – invites keen and enthusiastic architects, urban planners, designers and artists to join this innovative workshop in the south Albanian Riviera.

Background SicilyLab is a place dedicated to architecture events that behave as a “pupo siciliano”, the movements of which follow a precise plot made of a few fixed points in order to create different stories each time.

Sicily Lab deals with different architectural project scales and their relation to both the territorial macro-scale and the urban micro-scale of intervention. Original in theme and methodology, Sicily Lab works on proposals and ideas to present to Sicilian administrations, foundations and authorities and alternative education organizations. Sicily Lab is born from an idea of Antonino Saggio, Professor of LaSapienza Rome, in 2006.

Drawing inspiration from previous experiences, Polis University and the OMB explore a new way of investigating the Albanian landscape. In the framework of the applied research activities, the workshop is an opportunity to improve each participant’s skills in terms of both design approach and research method.

This workshop is an additional contribution

to the broader field of investigation related to coast domain in the Albanian landscape. The Riviera, as a study subject, can be seen as a natural system that links two different panorama typologies: mountains, which constitute the central and the higher part of the nation, and sea.

For five years, the staff and students of nITroSaggio group and Polis University have been closely collaborating, using science as tool for European integration and Mediterranean cooperation.

Every year, up to 10-15 Albanian and Italian researchers have been undertaking experimental and innovative approaches to enhance Sicilian potentialities and to adapt to the needs of local communities and authorities under the leadership of Professors Antonino Saggio, Besnik Aliaj, Sotir Dhamo, Antonino Di Raimo and Ledian Bregasi.

For the first time this year, this methodology will be applied in the Albanian territory.

During this first RivieraLab workshop, professors and researchers will use the Sicilian experience and lesson to enhance potentialities in Albania.

Territorial context The Riviera is one of the richest natural areas in Albania with an enormous touristic potential. Due to its decades of isolation, the territory has preserved its natural features. With its bilingual – Albanian and Greek - character, it reinforces a socioeconomic and territorial patter which is a symbol of life in the Mediterranean basins.

Natural and cultural heritage, people and

hospitality, traditions and songs, costumes and food are all elements that contribute to make it unique. According to the WTTC – World Travel and Tourism Council – the number of foreigner tourists will increase from 3.2mn in 2015 to 5mn in 2025. This great opportunity arrives at an opportune moment, but it is also a threat for the sustainability and authenticity of Riviera.

Challenge Disclosing territorial potential without destroying it is a challenging task in Albania. The objective of the workshop is to use art, architecture and landscape to enhance the territo ry and valorise its potential. Through the creation of touristic itineraries, the strategy proposed will trace and catalogue the beautiful characters of the south Albanian Riviera and its touristic potential aiming to territorial promotion and heritage valorisation.

The main goal is to regenerate the existing heritage and valorise it, also in terms of welcoming “the other”. Abandoned villages are a great resource and if revitalized, they can become hotspots in this new sustainable touristic network.

This strategy will avoid the construction of useless infra/structures.

In the whole Riviera the sand, sun and sea touristic model is the most widespread, but with a re-organization of the touristic activities and calendar the region can use tourism as motor for economic growth.

The workshop area extends form Gijpe beach to Piqenas. Qeparo village is the Riviera Lab headquarters, due to its strategic position in the middle of the Riviera coastline.

The workshop uses a challenging multidisciplinary approach, with various kinds of expertise. Architects, urban planners, artists and designers will experience the territorial potential in terms of heritage and their personal perception.

Participants will be asked to develop a strategy for the territorial development and then focus on selected areas, according to the potential themes identified and following the methodology used in the case study of Fiumara dell'Arte – subject of the last Sicily Lab held in Gioiosa Marea in 2015. An initial mapping phase of the territorial heritage is followed by touristic potential analysis and the creation of itineraries differently characterized. The final step is to activate this strategy through acupunctural artistic interventions and landmarks to advertise and promote the territory.

Methodology The workshop is organized in three phases: territorial knowledge, strategic vision and acupunctural interventions.

Territorial Knowledge / during the first three days, researchers will explore the Albanian Riviera and define its potentialities. On the 19th, after the introductory lectures, participants will start the road trip to Qeparo, stopping on the way for studying the focal points. The following day is focused on the exploration of the southern area, from Qeparo to the UNESCO site of Butrinti. Those two road trip days will provide a general overview of the area. The third day is focused on the two Qeparo villages – the old and the new one - and the surroundings.

Strategic Vision / experiences, perceptions and data collected will be translated in sensible maps and they represent the starting point for the strategic vision. Two days will be dedicated to this phase that ends with an intermediate presentation.

The strategy involves the whole area and it works as a regional catalyst.

Acupunctural Interventions / Participants will select intervention areas according to the strategy developed, preferably in the Qeparo surroundings. Interventions include documented performances, artistic and provocative actions, digital communication projects, etc.

Introductory lectures will help the participants in better understanding and adapting to the Albanian context. It is important to read the brochure containing the welcome material before the beginning of the workshop.

Expected results and Outcomes Final expected results are: • public presentation of the strategic vision and interventions during Tirana Architecture Week; • pamphlet with the workshop results (with maps, strategic vision and intervention graphic material and additional personal contribution); • report about the strategy developed, motivations and possible follow up.

All material should be delivered to the coordinator before the end of the workshop.

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RIVIERALAB / caledar 10

day

place

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Polis (9.00)

Welcome and Workshop introduction - Ph

Polis

Riviera competition lecture - PhD* Endrit

Polis

Learning from La Riviera - PhD* Laura Pe

Tirana-Qeparo (start 11.00, lunch in 20

Vlora)

Road trip with planned stops, arrive in Qe

Qeparo (Hotel)

Albania 2013 and Saranda Vision - Msc E

Qeparo-Saranda-

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Butrinti

Road trip with Butrinti Unesco site visit an

Qeparo (Hotel)

SicilyLab experience and methodology - P

Qeparo (Hotel)

Touristic strategies of Adriatic-Ionian Mac

Qeparo

Qeparo visit - guided tour (morning)

Qeparo (Hotel)

Touristic territorial planning strategies - P

Qeparo (Hotel)

Working session (noon)

Qeparo (Hotel)

Working session (morning and noon)

Qeparo (Hotel)

CRIT - Prof PhD Besnik Aliaj and Prof PhD

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Qeparo (Hotel)

Working session in team (morning and no

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Qeparo (Hotel)

Working session in team (morning and no

25

Qeparo (Hotel)

Free time in the morning

Qeparo - Tirana

Trip back to Tirana

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26

Polis

Presentation of workshop outcomes duri

activity

hD* Enrico Porfido Marku

edata

eparo for dinner

Eranda Janku

nd stop in Saranda

PhD* Gabriele Stancato and PhD* Matteo Baldissarra

cro Region - PhD* Enrico Porfido

PhD* Michele Porsia

D Antonino Saggio

oon)

oon)

ing the TAW

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2.1 Sustainable tourism development in Albania in times of liquid modernity Peter Niented, Enrico Porfido, Aida Ciro 2.2 Albania2030 Eranda Janku 2.3 Learning from La Riviera Laura Pedata 2.4 Re-active Riviera Endrit Marku

2 background

Sustainable tourism development in Albania in times of liquid modernity Peter Niented, Enrico Porfido, Aida Ciro

published in the frame of the workshop "Enhancing sustainable tourism in the Adriatic-Ionian Region through co-creation' - Macerata 15th-16th September 2016

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The objective of this paper is to discuss sustainable tourism and liquid modernity and link the two concepts to the Albanian context. This is a somewhat long shot: ideas about fluid travellers and tourists are new to the country and sustainable tourism is still rather undeveloped. But discussing these two concepts is timely, before uncoordinated and unsustainable tourism gains more ground. In this paper we first discourse the concept of liquid modernity and its application to tourism. Then attention turns to sustainable tourism; a short discussion of the concept is given and a definition chosen. This will be kept brief, given the current stage of Albanian tourism development. In the third section, Albanian tourism policy and practices are briefly reviewed.. Finally, we will argue that despite some unfavourable conditions, there are opportunities for sustainable tourism in current liquid times, if ‘small and sustainable’ will be a prominent guideline for Albanian tourism development.

Introduction Fluids travel easily. They 'flow', 'spill', 'run out', 'splash', 'pour over', 'leak', 'flood', 'spray', 'drip', 'seep', 'ooze'; unlike solids, they are not easily stopped - they pass around some obstacles, dissolve some others and bore or soak their way through others still.

(Bauman, 2000, 2) In international media, Albania receives positive reviews of its tourism potential, stressing its natural resources and cultural heritage. But there is still a big gap between potential and manifestation, Albania is still a rather unknown destination. Neighbouring countries like Greece, Croatia and Montenegro, attract more visitors. So far, next to domestic tourism, most visitors have come from Kosovo and other neighbouring Balkan countries, the number of tourists from outside the region is limited (WTTC, 2015).

The Albanian government has given high priority to the development of the growing tourism sector, to create business and employment (Kruja, 2012; Risi, n.d.; Gorica et al., 2012; Brokaj, 2014). A question that has hardly been addressed is: what kind of tourism should be aimed at and how

can tourism be organized. The concept of sustainable tourism is frequently mentioned, but it is still a fuzzy notion in Albania and not given contents.

In this paper we aim to bridge the concepts of liquid modernity and present day ‘fluid’ tourists and the development of sustainable tourism on the one hand, and Albania’s reality on the other. There is a substantial gap in between: sustainable tourism is still rather undeveloped and ideas about fluid travellers and tourists are new to the country. The argument in this paper is that in current times with increased information sources and travellers’ control, a new reality has emerged with fluidity in tourism streams. This new reality does not fit any more with the conventional tourism industry. In this new reality opportunities emerge for smaller scale sustainable tourism initiatives, if these initiatives are designed to attract targeted visitors, are managed well, digital channels are used well and government facilitates the growth of sustainable tourism with policy implementation. This is the point we want

to elucidate in this paper.

The paper is in four sections. In the first, the concept of liquid modernity and the development of liquid tourism are discoursed. Then attention turns to the concept of sustainable tourism. In the third section, we take a closer look at Albania – its policy and its practice, and the implications of sustainable tourism in current times of liquid modernity. We will argue in the fourth section that there are opportunities, if ‘small and sustainable’ will be a prominent guideline for tourism development.

Liquid modernity, liquid tourism Sociologist Zygmunt Baumann (2000) introduced the concept of liquid modernity, referring to the development of human relationships and love.1 Liquid modernity is the condition of constant mobility and change in relationships, identities, and global economics within contemporary society. Instead of referring to modernity and postmodernity, Bauman writes of a transition from solid modernity to a more liquid form of social life. Liquidity means that the known stability disintegrates; it refers to the overall proliferation of flexibility in society and its concurrent uncertainties. In liquid modernity, everything has become unstable, precarious and uncertain.

Baumann’s thinking can be applied to tourism - and other social and economic sectors too. A new tourist generation has developed during the last twenty years, with new demands and different ways to organize trips. Contemporary tourists explore autonomously the market. With all information online, the individual can

follow-up his or her own demand and have more control because ‘(s)he knows / determines what (s)he wants’. This poses new challenges for tourism, with higher uncertainties and both risks and opportunities. Questions emerge like: how can tourism offerings react to the development of liquid demand and know what tourists want; - how can potential visitors be reached in conditions of many options and offers and enormous amounts of information; - how can the sustainability concept be connected to this process? Liquid modernity applied to tourism implies understanding the high degree of flexibility and transparency in the market of tourism. Since there are many tourism products available on the market, it is more difficult to forecast choices (Gnasso and Iabichino, 2005).

Tourism has evolved enormously. Between the two World Wars, tourism became accessible to more people. With increased welfare, new railways and highways improving mobility, and paid holidays for employees, possibilities to go on vacation were created and gradually a tourism industry emerged. Mass tourism emerged.

In the 1970’s South European countries became favourite tourism destinations.

The development of tourism destinations was often a rapid and poorly controlled development process. Countries created new tourism cities, such as Port Grimaud and the Mission Racine in France, Benidorm and Binibeca in Spain, the Costa Smeralda and Riviera Romagnola in Italy. However, since about two decades, tourism demand for the sun, sand and sea model has stagnated. The sun, sand and sea model

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is not over, but many alternatives have emerged. There is much more diversity in tourism destinations and higher quality of tourism offerings is demanded. Since the start of the present millennium, WTO and other agencies reports started to list new and growing tourism sectors. Mexican National Tourism Agency states that the fastest growing segments worldwide include: - resorts and integrated circuits, short vacation as a way of rest, - tourism focused on the environment and culture, covering two or more elements of the environment: nature, outdoor recreation, fitness, history and coexistence with indigenous cultures (Redes Consuldores, 2000). In Europe, short city holidays have increased much in popularity, also due to the offers of low-fare airlines.

According to Piè (2013) there are two main causes for changing tourism demands.

The first is the increase of older people in the countries with higher purchasing power per capita, stressing the potential of tourism for seniors. The second cause lies in the changes in the development of tourism preferences, to more personal experiences and inspiring destinations.

This has led to a diversity of tourism offerings, ranging from ecotourism to cultural and language tourism. The contemporary tourist wants to explore and be in touch with local cultures and people. People are looking for authentic experiences and many niche markets arise: ecological, underwater, sports, language, adventure, backpacking, and gastronomic tourism are just few examples. These types differ, but experiencing something different and authentic is common.

The liquid tourist Who is the tourist today? According to Dell’Ara (2010), the contemporary tourist represents the fourth generation. After the 2nd World War, the first tourist generation was easy to satisfy. Their needs were related to the idea of going on holidays, destinations and quality standards were a secondary theme. Today this holiday ‘blurred thirst’ that characterized tourists from the 1950’s and 1960’s has disappeared. After the 1960’s, tourists became more demanding, looking for more comfort. Mass tourism exploded and tourism became part of a bigger phenomenon: tourism of standards. In 1967 the famous Club Med opened the first holiday village, starting the all-inclusive concept that still works today. This second generation tourists was looking for comfortable and relaxing holidays, and no risks. At the beginning of 1990’s, tourist profiles changed considerably. Canestrini (2010) defines this third generation as the permeable tourist, who allows the spirit of the place to permeate as much as problems and surprises and who does not just take pictures, but takes time talking with people. The third generation is quite differentiated. Now, supported by internet, the fourth generation transforms permeable tourism into liquid tourism.

Liquid tourists wants to go their own way, and look for more authentic experiences then the third generation. The liquid feature is related to adaptability, from the selected destinations to holiday behaviour. Main features for the rise of the fourth generation are the easy access

Fig1 / Viaggio ergo sum by Duccio Canestrini source / Newton magazine, september 2010

to information and the possibility that the tourist himself plans a trip. Cheaper transportation and especially the internet revolution enabled the independence of travellers. Tourists and travellers have now access to all information about touristic destinations, services and travel. They have become autonomous in booking and organizing trips themselves.

Travel agencies see their conventional offers decline and change sales channels to internet (Jiménez, 2013).

New networks in tourism have emerged.

Travelers can directly and with ease rent a room from home owners abroad and establish social relations. New networks in tourism destinations develop, when tourism service providers join hands and create new flexible offers. In the travel chain, integrated offers from door to door have been developed. Referring to the specific case of backpackers, Richards and Wilson (2004, 3) conclude that backpackers – who have functioned as scouts for new destinations, are found in every corner of the globe, from remote villages in the Hindu Kush to the centres of London and Paris. And as Shackley (2006) suggests, budget airlines have brought a wide range of destinations (including smaller cities) online and developed tourism industries in places which people had hardly heart of but were prepared to visit if low cost flights were available. Low cost carriers such as Ryanair, Flybe and EasyJet have a substantial share of the European market.

To conclude, since space and time are less

of an obstacle and destinations not bound to tourism packages, tourism has become ‘liquid’, with autonomous behaviour of travellers and tourists.

Tools and information The indispensable tool for modern tourism is obviously the internet for gathering information, for buying and selling, for sharing experiences and meeting new people and co-travellers. Tourists may be independent from tourism agents, but now they themselves have to find their way in the huge amount of information available, information that is scattered and not always trustworthy. The so-called internet democracy (rights to privacy and freedom of opinion and association online) will be tested in the current era of internet commercialization. Independent tourists can be defined as do-it-yourself travellers: digitally confident, independent individuals who use a range of devices and tools to plan, manage and book travel online (Fitzpatrick, 2015).

According to a Google travel study (2015), 65% of ‘leisure tourists’ do research online before deciding where to go. Social networks and video/photos sites are the top online resource for inspiration (83%).

The following step is planning. Both in case of leisure and business travel, internet is the main travel planning resource with 78% and 80%, against 13% and 30% for travel agents. Leisure tourists compare offers on-line and this affects travel brand loyalty. Figure 1 give pertinent data.

1 / Baumann wrote other books to further elaborate the concept of liquid modernity. See Bordoni (2016) for a recent critique of the concept of liquid modernity.

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Fig2 / Travelers and information sources source / Google (2015)

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Data emerging from users analysis shows the three most visited travel website in different categories. For general tourism, Tripadvisor.com is the most used search engine. Second rank for the Indian railways, followed by Expeditia. com. The most clicked airlines website is Ryanair.com, followed by Southwest.com and Aa.com, as Figure 2 shows. The first two companies are the largest low-fare airlines.

Interesting data emerge from the accommodation category, where Booking. com is in the lead on internet. This platform was established in 1996 and now it is the world largest booking website, counting 967.418 active proprieties in 224 countries and territories. The second place is for Airbnb, followed by Hotels.com – the oldest booking platform. These data are critical to understand how the tourism market is evolving.

Until 10-15 years ago, the first booking platforms allowed only tourism services providers to comment and present their products to the market. This was a one sided way to manage tourism (destination) marketing. With the introduction of feedback options and sharing platforms, clients now leave comments on the services used and this influences the choices of next travellers, and puts pressure on the providers. Due to the enormous use of digital platforms of the sharing economy with easy entry, ordinary citizens have opened their doors to tourists with the help of Airbnb.com, and earn money. In this case the feedback is two-sided: tourists give feedback on the accommodation and services, while the

host provide remarks on the behaviour of the visitors. One step further goes coachsurfing.com, where tourists do not pay for their accommodation but aim at making friends. Established in 2004, it is still a small network (around 4 million surfers) and can be seen as a new expression of a liquid tourism trend based on authentic experiences and human contact. Having discussed liquid tourism, attention now may turn to sustainable tourism.

Sustainable tourism Sustainable tourism has been defined in many ways, including elements of planning, environment, man-made heritage, ecology, social equity and participation, economic sustainability and longer term future. Buckley (2012) reviewed over 5.000 publications on social and environmental impacts, responses and indicators. He concluded that there is a considerable gap between what researchers show, and what the tourism industry does. Aall (2014) reviewed the concept of sustainable tourism and distinguished environment-sensitive tourism (reducing environmental impacts) and environment-depended tourism, utilizing the environment as a resource basis for tourism and presented the following typology.

Liu (2003) states that the concept of sustainability has its origins in the environmentalism that grew to prominence in the 1970s, and in his critique of the concept, he claims that six issues are often overlooked in research: the role of tourism demand, the nature of

Fig3 / Travel websites users data, from January to May 2016 source / similarweb.com, elaborated by the authors

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Fig4 / Feedback system in travel platform source / authors)

tourism resources, the imperative of intragenerational equity, the role of tourism in promoting sociocultural progress, the measurement of sustainability, and forms of sustainable development. Sustainable tourism can also be understood from a business perspective, as Brokaj (2015) does in his Albanian case study. Gössling et al. (2016) discuss an economic perspective under the title ‘optimizing or maximizing growth?’, and call that the challenge for sustainable tourism.

Tourism has, almost by definition, implications for sustainable development.

“Even with a more aware tourism industry or more environmentally friendly types of tourism activity there will be thresholds

beyond which the negative impacts will easily outweigh the net economic benefits” (Fletcher et al., 2013, 230).

Bramwell (2004, 16) suggest that it must also be noted that ‘alternative’ tourism can be just as problematic as mass tourism, as sometimes it generates intense environmental and social pressures.

Tourism development may also have positive sustainability impacts; investments in cultural heritage for example, can increase the carrying capacity of a destination - how much tourism an area van handle in a sustainable manner.

Carrying capacity is not an objective figure or indicator and it is a dynamic concept. The carrying capacity is influenced by various

Tab1 / A typology of concepts applied to the relationship between environment and tourism source / Aall, 2014, 2565

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factors, among which the following.

Society; international cities have a high carrying capacity, a mountain village a low one; Environment; more fragile and unique environments have a low carrying capacity, cities and destinations with more tourism infrastructure have a higher capacity; Cultural; risk of over-commercialisation of an authentic culture; Economic structure, for example risks of resort based destinations resulting in mono-cultures; Tourists; how tolerant and respectful tourists are with regards to the ecological and socio-cultural systems.

The assessment of the carrying capacity of a destination is also determined by one’s viewpoint: an environmentalist may have a very protective attitude while a hotel owner or government may have very liberal ideas.

The discussion of the concept and practice of sustainable tourism is multifaceted.

We have mentioned only a few aspects and studies by way of illustration. In the current stage of tourism development in Albania, discussing in-depth the concept of sustainable (or simply: green) tourism is not a first priority – raising awareness and getting started is – and then the sustainability definition discussion will be initiated. For this paper, we use the UN World Tourism Organization Network definition: "Tourism that takes full account of its current and future economic, social and environmental impacts, addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment and host communities." (cf.

EU, 2006; European Parliament, 2015).

There are many examples of the negative repercussions of ‘unsustainable’ tourism in the Mediterranean area: Italy, Greece, Spain, Turkey and Portugal teach important lessons. Tourism industries in these countries have become more aware of the needs to act in an environmentally and socially responsible way (MirasRodríguez et al., 2015). Indeed, many of the established tourism regions reconsider earlier tourism policies; they appreciate that tourism has to be sustainable and that they have to adapt to new demands and new ways in which tourists organize their trips.

Albania and sustainable tourism The Albanian government recognizes the importance of tourism as an economic growth sector. It wants to develop tourism in its broadest sense and to extend the tourism season to span across all four seasons by introducing alternative forms of tourism, such as: sightseeing, cultural, culinary, sportive, historical, religious, adventurous, etc. This would lift the development pressure off the coastal area, and shift the focus towards more inland destinations (cf. Risi, n.d., Vladi, 2014).

The Government’s tourism ambitions are articulated in a few strategic documents and laws, as follows.

- The General National Territorial Plan for Albania, 2015-2030: defining a structure for spatial development, based on regions, corridors, polycentric development opportunities, protected environmental and natural landscape areas, economic development zones for sectors, and overall spatial concept/scenario for sustainable

development and resilience, including tourism development.

- National Draft-Strategy for Tourism 2014-2020: This strategic document articulates the Government of Albania’s ambitions and support vis-à-vis tourism development as an important sector of economic development integrated with deep cultural features, intersectoral, interregional and a high level of social development.

- The National Action Plan for Implementation of the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) 2012- 2015 foresees: a) increased competitiveness of the economy to ensure the equal participation of Albania in the European market; b) Objectives of the Albanian Government for economic and socially sustainable development, for significant economic growth, and for employment.

- The Law no. 107/2014 “On Planning and Territorial Development”: More specifically: a) provide sustainable territorial development through the rational use of land and natural resources; b) assess the current and future potential for development of the territory in the national and local level, based on the balance of natural, economic and human needs and public and private interests, etc.

Despite the provisions and references to sustainable tourism in the abovementioned documents, and a small number of initiatives undertaken by the government to initiate a discussion on sustainable tourism development in Albania, the Albanian government and the tourism sector have limited notions of sustainable tourism development.

Tourism in policy and research has so far focused on the virtues of the tourism product in general (cf. Vangeli, 2011). There are a few best practices on small scale sustainable tourism, but there is no step undertaken to move from best practice to sustainable tourism policy. There may be much evidence of unsustainable tourism in the Mediterranean region, but this is unfortunately not enough for governments to focus on sustainable tourism. It is all too recent an example as to what massive demand and supply can do when a city is unprepared to cope: the Durres coast. When the - for Albanian conditions - massive tourist flow mainly from Kosovo gravitated towards Durres, the city has been ‘depleted’ of resources, and for the past 2-3 years also depleted of tourists altogether. In Durres the private sector has been in the lead, and local government did not take responsibility of serving the public interests (cf. Keqi, 2015).

There is a serious lack of knowledge and experience regarding alternative ways to develop tourism. Questions about the drawbacks of larger scale tourism, monoculture, and negative impacts on sustainable development, and insufficiently posed in Albania.

Indeed, Albania is at the very beginning of sustainable tourism development.

The term ‘sustainable tourism’ is often used, but not well understood. This entails a risk: local governments (and national government too) are eager to get investors and can easily ‘forget’ about sustainability when investors come with a tourism project. It requires a committed government to say ‘no’ to certain development proposals. A recent signal was reported by Balkaninsight (2016) in the article ‘Albania goes to Russia’ for acquisition of tourism investments. It is a question to what extent sustainable development would figure on the agenda in such cases, for the tourism industry investors have their own ideas.

Mainly top-down sustainable tourism development related initiatives and strategic objectives have yet to be understood and embraced at a local and grassroots level, by both the public and private sector, and the communities.

As Shaw and Williams (2009) explain, one of the core drivers of sustainable tourism development is: recognizing the contribution that people and communities, customs and lifestyles make to the tourist experience, and accepting that they must have an equitable share in the economic benefits of tourism, both of which capture the local aspect to sustainable (tourism) development.

Current conditions for sustainable tourism in Albania are rather unfavourable (cf. Risi, n.d.). We mention a few points.

- Lack of effective policies favouring sustainable tourism - High priorities for short term economic development, low priorities for environment - Weak local governments - Limited culture of working together in partnerships in destinations / regions Albanian culture is on individual values (profit, own development) and public values are rather weak - Limited international collaboration on tourism.

From a perspective of sustainable tourism, it is – ironically - positive that tourism development goes slow. It means that there is more time available for raising awareness about sustainability. There is a

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pressing need for more initiatives regarding sustainable tourism development, before (big Russian or other) investors come in who do not pay adequate attention to the negative externalities on the environment and socio-cultural conditions and who are allowed to do so by local government. Big investments in tourism have to be carefully guided (or halted) and this is perhaps the most difficult task for government. Various local level regulations are needed, local and regional collaboration is necessary and destination management has to be developed (cf. Porfido, 2016).

In solid modernity thinking, it is believed that many conditions in Albania hamper tourism, especially infrastructure. This opinion is based on conditions of easy travel and modern resorts. But it is an error to believe only adventurers can cope with imperfect infrastructure. Tourism in Asian and South American countries flourishes in conditions of imperfect infrastructure. In solid modernity thinking, tourism policies are based on forecasting tourism trends that quantify and qualify expected tourism demand, and management of the supply points (the destinations). But, in current days of liquid modernity, such forecasts have limited significance; many factors affect tourism demand and behaviour is liquid. Generic ‘grand models’ of tourism consumer behaviour have limited use (Fletcher et al., 2013). Much depends on the actions that Albania itself will take.

Developing sustainable tourism in times of liquid modernity Current times of liquid modernity offer opportunities for sustainable (green) tourism in Albania. Our thesis is along the following lines. The starting point is that sustainability and authentic new experience of visiting Albania should be key elements of tourism offerings, as the basic selling point of Albanian tourism products.

Above, we mentioned unfavourable conditions for tourism development. Yet, current times also provide opportunities, summarized in table 2.

In the Albanian context, we can easily imagine a variety of sustainable tourism products: - hiking and biking; - agritourism; - underwater tourism; - photo tourism; - nature tourism (bird spotting etc.); cultural heritage tours, etc. This signifies a series of smaller scale and specialized tourism offers, based on genuine Albanian resources. Thinking in these terms of small and sustainable offers is needed in tourism policies. The future of sustainable development is in small scale development, tourism products based on own resources,

tailored towards specified segments of the market. Quality and sustainability to go hand in hand. For a small country like Albania, the international market for sustainable tourism is huge. But the actors miss awareness of the potential of small scale sustainable tourism, and the distance between offerings and potential demand is big. Some of the steps that need to be taken, include the following.

The most important actions for Albanian government are the development of a vision of sustainable tourism, including defensive regulation to avoid market lead, seasonal, environmentally damaging tourism, and work on Albania’s reputation as a novel destination for sustainable tourism. The Albanian government has shown that its executing capacities in tourism are limited and not much can be expected from local governments in the development of sustainable tourism. Given the limited capacities of the government sector, the key to promoting sustainable development is with the private sectors and with supporting donor organizations.

Small private initiatives have important advantages compared to 10 years ago: the new tourist operates in liquid modernity.

This means that anyone with a tourism product can enter the market, put a room on Airbnb.com so to speak. But much more is needed of course. IT development (for example, a platform for Albanian sustainable experiences and ‘green’ accommodation) and marketing for the small scale tourism sector is important.

Donors undertake projects such as the mountain tourism project (GIZ) and private sector development (USAID and SIDA).

They support practices that picture a future for sustainable tourism. Donors may further promote their expertise.

Internet offers opportunities for smaller suppliers with adequate internet skills, if tourism offers are well articulated and well connected to attract the target groups. It is important to keep in mind that the current generation of tourists and travellers consist not of only young people, but includes the attractive tourism segment of baby boomers and vital seniors - who have time and money. Intermediaries, like green tourism companies (organizers, platforms, etc.) in Albania and outside Albania, and niche marketers on internet, are required to support suppliers of accommodation and tourism services.

The most important role for universities is twofold. First, to develop much more practical knowledge about the market, the tourism segments, appropriate marketing, and practical tourism partnership

Tab2 / Sustainable tourism in current times source / the authors

models. Secondly, to develop and deliver training on sustainable tourism and partnerships for various actors such as the (local) government, the suppliers and intermediaries.

Small scale specialized tourism offers will demand proper product development for identified segments of the market.

The role of the creative sectors in sustainable tourism development will gain importance. The creative sector consists of (small) firms that have their origin in individual creativity, skill and talent and which have a potential for wealth and job creation. Activities that constitute the creative industries include advertising, architecture, arts and crafts, broadcasting, design and fashion, film, games, music, performing arts, publishing and printing, and software and computer services (Nientied and Karafili, 2016). In Albania the creative sectors are still linked too much to the realm of arts and not to business and tourism. The potential contribution of the creative sector to enhance tourism value is underestimated. The creative sectors are especially important in the following manners.

- IT, marketing and product development: tourists use internet intensively. Tourism offers that are not well presented on internet have a serious disadvantage.

Tourism offers should look attractive and should be visible and discoverable.

Marketing through social media is a skill that the creative sector manages much better than small firms; from suppliers of accommodation and other tourism services, such marketing skills cannot be expected.

- Partnerships. Creativity is not just needed for product development and web based applications. It is also needed for developing local and regional partnerships.

Albania has been characterized as a low trust society (FIAA, 2015; Xheneti and Bartlett, 2012). Low trust hampers the required collaboration for tourism development, and creative solutions have to be developed to tackle this issue.

- Innovation. Established tourism organizations tend to follow established business models. The creative sectors can establish international connections for open innovation and can work for the international market. The creative sector can function as a catalyst for innovation and is a rather easy entry point to stimulate innovation since R&D investments needed in the sector are relatively modest – a computer, a good idea, a relevant national and international network and focus on business development are starting points.

Innovation in tourism is innovation in the services economy, the nature of innovation is quite distinct from the industrial economy. Companies are dependent on one another and collaboration between firms (partnerships) is required.

Concluding remark Tourism has changed a lot during the last decades; it has grown enormously, has taken different shapes, with traveller much more in the lead than before. Internet has been a tech push factor, lower costs of flights play a role and tourists have new demands. The demand for sustainable tourism products worldwide increases and as a small country.

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Albania does not have a reply to these developments as yet. Its organization capacity to develop sustainable tourism is limited; sustainable tourism as a term is applied, but it has limited substance.

Yet, current times with fluid tourism also provide opportunities, as was outlined in section 4. Indeed, Albania can benefit from sustainable tourism development.

One of the first actions to be taken now is bringing key actors together who are expected to work on sustainable tourism: public authorities, tourism industries, tourism representatives, local partnerships and groups, knowledge and creative sectors, donor organizations, opinion groups. A jointly developed understanding of the meaning of sustainable tourism in Albania and how this fits in current times has to be a starting point. Then new practices can be initiated.

Bramwell, B. ed. (2004) Coastal Mass Tourism - Diversification and Sustainable Development in Southern Europe. Channel View Publications.

Buckely, R. (2012) Sustainable tourism, research and reality. Annals of Tourism Research, 39(2), 528-546.

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Balkaninsight (2016) Albania goes to Russia.

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Bordoni, C. (2016) Interregnum: Beyond Liquid Modernity. Transcript Verlag.

Brokaj, R. (2014) Local government’s role in the sustainable tourism development of a destination. European Scientific Journal 10(1), 103-117.

Canestrini, D. (2010) Viaggio Ergo Sum. Newton, 09/2010 N°6, 82-83.s Dall'Ara, G. (2010) Manuale dell'albergo diffuso.

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Gorica, K., D. Kripa and E. Zenelaj (2012) The role of local government in sustainable development. OEconomica 8(2), 139-155.

Gössling, S., A. Ring, L. Dwyer, A. Andersson and C. Hall (2016) Optimizing or maximizing growth? A challenge for sustainable tourism.

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Turismo Liquido. Barcelona, Instituto Hábitat, Turismo, Territorio (HTT), Iniciativa Digital Politècnica, 203.

Porfido, E. (2016, in press) Tourism for Landscape / the new Seman National Natural Reserve. Tourism and protected areas as possible combination for territorial development, protection and valorisation. In: When a river flows into the sea: the central role of Albania in the Adriatic-Ionian region. Botime Pegi.

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Risi Albania (n.d., 2015) Market System Analysis Tourism sector in Albania and business constraints to growth. Tirana. http:// risialbania.al/wp-content/uploads/TourismSector-Market-System-Analysis.pdf Richards, G., and N. Wilson (2004) The global nomad: Backpacker travel in theory and practise. Channel View Publications.

Shackley, M. (2006) Atlas of travel and tourism development. Elsevier.

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Tourism Management 30(3) 325–335.

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Albania2030 Manifesto Eranda Janku / POLIS University

published in 'Albania 2030 Manifesto - A national spatial development vision' (2014) Botime Pegi

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One of the biggest challenges of our country still remains the consideration of urban planning as a management tool for controlling the development, in order to achieve territorial, social and economic cohesions. The transition from a centrally planned economy, where everything was controlled by the government, towards decentralization and market economy caused many consequences, among which uncontrolled and fragmented urban development, loss of agricultural land due to urbanization, concentration of population and dense urbanization in the major cities, abandonment of western lowland and eastern parts of the country etc. This research work tries to build against the vacuum that is created in Albania by the lack of tradition of national spatial development policies and plans, on the conditions of market economy and freedom. Previous elements of national visioning have not been sustainable in the long run, due to the fact that they have been imposed by authoritarian means and not understood as a real need of the country and society, facing growing competition among nations at global scale, and the need for creative solution, facing economic recession and waste of national resources.

Therefore this work is a modest practical and theoretical contribution for Albania with a hope that could be useful also for the Albanian authorities, while undertaking action at such level.

In return the Albanian case of national spatial visioning might serve as an interesting learning laboratory for the new science of spatial planning in Europe and beyond.

Urban Development Models 1945-1990 From the beginning of the ‘90s Albania was one of the most centralized planned economies, where government practically owned everything and controlled all forms of territorial developments. Two main criteria characterized the urban development and the whole process and structure of urbanization in the country: the combination of concentration and centrality (Aliaj, 2003, “Making Cities Work”). The main planning instrument during this period was the so-called “Regulatory Plan” for living urban areas, which was very rigid and did nothing more than showing where and what was the use of each building, with very poor appliance of architectural standards. Even though an official national spatial plan was still not to be mentioned, the interventions and policies taken by the authorities of the time were somehow the first steps toward

a national spatial planning conception.

Although, this was done on the basis of top-down principles and centralizing objectives. This was represented by the government’s aims on the economy of the country, which were directly related with territorial impact and development.

The government’s top aims were to setup and prioritize the development of new industries. Based on this economic policy, the main principle for taking the decisions in relation with the industrial allocation, were by setting up these industries nearby raw-material and thermo-energy sources, as well as near the consumption centers, which in most of the cases was followed with the foundation of new industrial cities.

On this context the main priorities of the government of the time were to ensure the harmonious development of industry and agriculture, in favor of the general progress of the countryside, and the support of the

REPRESENTS A HIGH DEGREE OF THE CENTRAL POLITICAL CONTROL TO THE LOCAL ECONOMY EXPOSURE, TOWARDS THE WORLD MARKET RELATIONS.

CONCENTRATION

THE PRINCIPLE OF SELF-RELIANCE THE SIZE SMALLNESS OF THE COUNTRY THE RELATIVELY UNDERDEVELOPED STATE OF INDUSTRY THE EXPOSURE LIMITATION TO THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF THE WORLD SYSTEM

REPRESENTS A CENTRALIZED SYSTEM OF RESOURCE REDISTRIBUTION.

CENTRALITY

THE RESOURCE REDISTRIBUTION WAS ORIENTED TOWARDS POLITICAL GOALS AND NOT ALONG MARKET-LINES OF THE SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF SOCIAL WELFARE AND THE FORCED ACCUMULATION OF HEAVY INDUSTRY THE AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION INCREASE WAS ADMINISTERED BY THE STATE INSTEAD OF PRIVATE LANDLORDS OF THE PROFOUND STATE CONTROL OVER SPACE THE WELFARE WAS DISTRIBUTED IN TERMS OF CLASS, GENDER AND REGION THE ORIENTATION OF RESOURCES EMANATING FROM THE INDUSTRIALIZATION PROCESS WERE NOT IN LINE WITH PRIVATE MASS-CONSUMPTION, BUT THROUGH THE GROWTH OF PUBLIC COLLECTIVE CONSUMPTION, SUCH AS PUBLIC HEALTH, SCHOOLING, TRANSPORT ETC.

Fig1 / Urban Development models 1945-1990 source / Eranda Janku

intensification of agricultural production.

Related to this last intervention, the government aimed to use it as a barrier for preventing urbanization. Authorities neither wanted, neither could afford quick urbanization and its consequences. But this accumulated and exploded after the ‘80s. Meanwhile before this period the government aimed to improve the living conditions in less-favored agricultural areas, and to concentrate the resources in well-suited regions of high productivity, in order to keep the population there and occupied with the agricultural activities.

But during the ‘80s the sustainability of such centralized spatial planning system collapsed totally.

Transition of Planing System 1991-2014 Albania: Transition of Planing System 1991-2014 From the beginning of the ‘90s Albania became a more open and a democratic country, so on the following years the Albanian Parliament approved two planning laws, namely “Laws of Urbanism”, No. 7693 (1993) and No. 8405 (1998), which changed many times on the later years. Both these laws presented the general regulations for the development, location and architecture of the structures, based on the land use. Even though the second law made some new changes and improvements compared to the first one, it still didn’t succeed on recognizing the recent changes of the territory: the informal developments and the ownership transference, from the state to the private sector, otherwise known as the “privatization process”. Therefore, yet,

failing to set national spatial planning and development objectives. However it must be specified that until 2006 territorial planning in Albania was mainly based on the tradition of the so called “Urbanism”, with culture of “blueprint” authoritarian planning, mainly with physical objectives.

In 2006 the government decided to reform legislation and move towards more abstract rules and principles of decision making related with spatial planning, regional planning and national policies, influenced by two main forces: (i) the bottom up pressure coming from the local initiatives, mainly represented by CoPlan, Institute for Habitat Development, a local NGO inspired by the Dutch Planning Schools; (ii) and political influence of the international partners/donors in Albania, mainly represented by the development assistance programs like World Bank, UNDP and USAID, and the Dutch and Austrian Technical Assistance in Albania.

The 2006 Legalization Reform, for the first time articulated the term “Spatial Planning”, but despite the recognition of such need, no Spatial Plan was drafted indeed. Instead, a policy document was drafted, but never turned into a legal document and a spatial plan.

Furthermore, capacity building programs did not associate the initiative, in order to prepare the un-experienced local/regional governments, which were not yet able and trained to cope with the new spatial concepts (Toto, 2012).

However, despite the new reform law, which was approved by the parliament, in 2007 a law for the formalization and integration of the informal settlements in

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Albania was approved, also associated by a process of self-declaration of the informal constructions. In addition, a national aerial survey, and the respective GIS applications developed into a national system, including a national registry of planning initiatives and development permits. In 2009 the parliament approved the new “Territorial Planning” law, which was a framework law for emerging spatial planning concepts and development processes, but it was still very detailed on some other aspects, and its implementation was totally depended by the relevant bylaws and specific regulations, which were yet not fully completed. It’s also important to recognize that the present Territorial Planning Law is a legal instrument, which brought new spatial development concepts and practices in comparison to the previous laws. These new concepts amongst other include the introduction of new compulsory development instruments such as the detailed local instrument/ plan (Albanian: PDV/ IDV); in order to avoid the plot based development and allow for the transference of development rights; etc. Few changes were made to this law for electoral purposes during 2013, but there still remain the same concepts for territorial planning law for Albania (Toto, 2010). On 2014 the new government has initiated the reform for the administrative and territorial reorganization of the country, which started with proposals to consolidate existing local governments and reorganize regions. So far the government has been on favor of the proposal with the 35-47 LGU and there is still no decision made regarding the reorganization of the country in regions, although several proposals have been taken in consideration. However it is very important to mention the three main priorities that the government has: (1) drafting the National Plan of Albania; (2) drafting the Integrated Coastal Zones, (3) drafting the Durrana Plan.

As a conclusion, after the changes of early ‘90s till now-days, Albania practically shifted to another extreme. It has been one of the most liberal economies of the former Eastern Europe, with practically no spatial planning policies and no control of authorities over the territory. Despite several attempts to reform the planning legislation, almost nothing has been working on the ground level, especially at national scale. In spite of efforts made over the last decades, territorial development and administration still remain misunderstood by professionals and mishandled by politicians. (Aliaj, Dhamo, Shutina, 2010). The planning

system will continue to go into further changes, because of regular political changes and economic recession.

Therefore its instability will remain a main issue for the coming years, until a balance is reached from inertial pressures of transitional developments. However the big urbanization and construction boom, as well as consequences of informality are becoming at ease, thanks to the relatively small size of the country and “completion” of urbanization as well.

Planning Problems and Consequences During the last 20 years the so considered traditional “urbanism”, in the sense of strict application of the principles of “codes and distances”, has become more a kind of “administrative alibi” for the corruptive over-exploitation and densification of land, rather than an urban management tool.

People have taken matters into their own hands, undertaking extreme individualistic solutions, and aiming to avoid inflated prices and often corrupt procedures of public administration (Aliaj, Dhamo, Shutina,2010). So in the overall, this led to chaotic initiatives and informality, which spread all over the country. Practically 90% of businesses and 80% of properties are considered to have at least certain degree of informality (Albanian Government, ILD Peru/UNDP, 2007). This resulted in serious environmental concerns, development of an arbitrary property system, over-densification of the main living centers, and loss of agricultural land. Therefore, efforts of spatial planning, especially at the urban scale have been failing, among others, because of the lack of planning instruments and lack of national/regional visioning, as well as confusion among different ministries over such competency. Such a radical process of changes has been promoting further urbanization and displacements/changes of economic structures, while threatening irreplaceable spatial and natural potentials of the country.

New Territorial Realities and Challenges On these conditions, Albania met with a new reality over its territory at the brink of EU accession. According to the latest INSTAT, Population and Housing Census of 2011, peripheral regions in the north and south of Albania have been nearly abandoned, while the central and western ones, although have been more dynamic on the urban growth perspective, they still have not kept apace with population growth. Whereas the population has tripled in the capital region, and developed land has doubled without proper physical

and social infrastructure, thereby creating a problematic urban model (Aliaj, Dhamo, Shutina, 2010). This in return harms future development of the country, especially high expectations on tourism, agriculture and energy developments (Aliaj, 2008).

On top of that, more than 2 decades after the social-political changes of early ‘90-s, Albanian administration has not been able yet to develop and approve a spatial vision at the national scale, not mentioning the total lack of professional capacities on the way this vision must develop and be visually represented. This consequently harms economic growth and prosperity and is worsened by the failure of authorities in establishing a stable property registration system, and fair property restitution inherited by the past. Authorities need to also learn how to formulate understandable policies and translate them properly into policy and cartographic representations, in order to ease their implementation and easily address them to their aimed institutions and audience. So far no one has been contributing to these aspects, so it’s crucial to work on both directions: the instruments of visioning and techniques of visualizing.

This includes the use of statistical basis, with a constructive “dose of creativity”, in order to synthesize and reach to aimed trend-scenarios and proposals regarding the national economic, environmental and spatial development.

In conclusion, despite the fact that Albania has entered a radical and quick process of change, and that there has been a combination of a set of inherited problems, it must be emphasized that the lack of national spatial development policies and plans has been seriously harming the sustainable growth of the country. This is a result of both, lack of understanding at political/ decision-making levels, as well as poor professional capacities at specialized institutions. Therefore the sustainability of future growth and the solution of the accumulated problems need now a qualitative jump at strategic level. The drafting and implementation of a national spatial development plan is considered as the next strategic step to be undertaken by Albania, to adapt to the standards of the EU family.

Research Proposal & Aims National governments in some countries, take the lead in creating a proactive and integrative spatial planning system that can encourage investment and facilitate more sustainable development (Alterman, 2001; European Commission, 1997). Indeed it is a common fact for

most of the Southeastern European countries (including Albania) that lack of such initiative, results nowadays in sufferings from chaotic growth and informal developments manifested in sprawl of urbanization. Inspired by the Albanian context and its need for future sustainable development, this thesis project aims to help on drafting a series of national spatial concepts, which will be used to formulate an overall national spatial development vision for the territorial development. Since there is a lack of understanding of planning policies regarding the poor communication and poor cartographic language, which also affects their implementation, the product of this research paper will be followed also by some guidelines on how to make a proper and understandable translation, through the presentation of a set of recommendations and principles, the introduction of a spatial development vision and the visualization all of these documents with respective cartographic material.

Methodology So far, there has been no research work done to address or support the creation of a spatial development vision for Albania, so it was quite essential to first start the work with the observation of other cases, where spatial development policies have been implemented. In order to collect this information, the work was based on two types of research methods: - Field study (interviews, group discussions, meetings, conferences, etc. also considered as primary data); - Reading and reviewing of local/ international reports and literature (secondary data); - The revision of the specialized literature on the applied spatial policies in the EU countries and other cases, which are leading on this aspect, gave input on learning how spatial planning works, and how to apply it on our context. At this point, evidencing the progress of such debate on the national scale, by interviewing keystakeholders, professionals and decision makers was very crucial. An integral part of this phase was also the participation in conferences, workshops and meetings organized in Albania on this subject, or related issues, on the framework of EU integration of the country, and national spatial development policy related.

The reading and reviewing of local/ international reports and literature, was particularly important for identifying the international efforts made on this subject.

Regarding the Albanian situation related

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MAP #3

EMPLOYMENT BY SECTOR Private agriculture

BOGË

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THETH

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SHKODËR

7.02 %

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1328.97 lek/p.c

TIRANË

8992.65 lek/p.c

TIRANË

2125.35 lek

ELBASANI

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MACEDONIA PËRRENJAS

ELBASAN

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18.18 %

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KAMZË VORË

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65 + years old

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4083.51 lek

LEZHË

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KRUJË FUSHË-KRUJË

LEVAN

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6.11 %

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0-14 years old

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POPULATION DISTRIBUTION BY A Plain / Mainly Plait Low / Medium Mountains High Mountains AGE GROUPS

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OWN INCOME P.C Lowest Own Income p.c (lek) Highest Own Income p.c (lek)

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AIRPORT

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FIER

2373 lek

FIER

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BERAT

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+ 800m

4787.69 lek SAGIADA

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501-800m

KONISPOL

301-500m

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Map1 / Social, Economic and Territorial Development Profiles of Albania source / Eranda Janku

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with this topic, despite the published written materials, there were also two main local sources that provided the necessary information: (i) Statistical instruments - from the official data since the 1990’s; especially the 2001 and 2011 population and buildings censuses; (ii) Maps and areal images before the ‘90s and up to date, especially the maps of during late ‘80-s of the ‘National Institute of Military Topography’; and the national areal survey of 2007 during legalization process undertaken by ALUIZNI (albinfo.al).

A National Spatial Development Vision for Albania Developing a national spatial vision and formulating spatial concepts in a context like Albania, on which no previous attempts have been made, and planning has not been working, makes it challenging. It’s very important to take into the account the fact that during the period of centralized economy, territorial policies aimed mainly at agricultural purposes, while anti-urban policies were regular practices in the country. On top of such tradition, during the last 2 decades Albania was also pushed by the international partners towards an assistance, which aimed the use of agricultural potentials and natural resources (like energy and mining).

Practically at this moment are considered only development issues of agriculture, forestry and tourism, but they have not been fully addressed and considered, as a complete set of potentials. Let alone they were never seen interrelated with the urbanization process. At this point,

MAP #1

POPULATION DENSITY (inh./km2 Lowest Density

Private non-agriculture

SEA PORT

PODGORICA

Population Distribution Direction

MAP #2

CENTRAL STATION BIG STATIONS PASSENGER SUMMER ONLY STOP FREIGHT ONLY

the national spatial development vision should address specifically such issues, formulating policies and related spatial concepts for protecting and using them properly, in order to provide territorial, social, economic and sustainable development. At this point working on the basis of “ecological planning” concepts, which offer practical blueprint for a new, healthier relationship between the built environment and nature, is quite essential (Ian McHarg, 1969). On the other hand, having put to practice the comparative planning theory (Faludi, 1973) it’s very important and helpful.

Issues to address on a national scale In order to establish a national spatial vision one might address several critical issues: - The need to establish a good system of statistical database, based on the same indicators, which can allow professionals and decision makers to make research and on that basis to take the right decisions to address existing problems; - In order to establish a long term spatial system is necessary to establish also good geographical information systems, which allows drawing different graphical outcomes, which are helping better management of territorial and spatial potentials.

- The national planning legislation and procedures must encourage and enforce the design and implementation of national visions, which serve as an instrument for central, regional and local governments for good spatial governance.

- Therefore the planning practice needs also to have a school and tradition on

PLAVA

MORPHOLOGICAL TYPES: RADIAL PODGORICA

ANNULAR

VERMOSH

GJAKOVA

TROPOJA

THETHI

MORPHOLOGICAL TYPES:

GUCINJA

TROPOJA

THETHI

KOPLIK

KOPLIK BAJRAM CURRI

SHKODRA

BAJRAM CURRI

KRUMA

SHKODRA

PRIZRENI

KRUMA

ULCINJ PUKA

BUSHATI

KUKËSI

PUKA

BUSHATI

VELIPOJA

KUKËSI

VELIPOJA

LEZHA

LEZHA RRËSHEN

RRËSHEN

RUBIK

RUBIK

PESHKOPI

DIBRA

PESHKOPI

MILOT

MILOT

BURREL

BURREL

KRUJA

KRUJA

BULQIZA

DURRËSI

BULQIZA

DURRËSI

TIRANA

TIRANA

STRUGA

LIBRAZHDI

LIBRAZHDI

KAVAJA PEQIN

QUKËS

OGRID

KAVAJA

LIN

PEQIN

ELBASANI POGRADECI

LUSHNJA

BARI

LIN

QUKËS

BITOLA

ELBASANI

BARI

POGRADECI

LUSHNJA

CERRIK

CERRIK

GRAMSH

FIERI

KUÇOVA

GRAMSH

FIERI

MOGLICA

BERATI

KUÇOVA

KORÇA

MALLAKASTRA

VOSKOPOJA

POLIÇANI

MOGLICA

BERATI

KORÇA

BILISHT MALLAKASTRA

VOSKOPOJA

POLIÇANI

BILISHT

ÇOROVODA

TEPELENA

VLORA

TEPELENA

ERSEKA

KËLCYRA

ÇOROVODA

VLORA

LESKOVIK

GJIROKASTRA

ANNULAR

LINEAR

ERSEKA

KËLCYRA

PËRMETI

DHËRMI

PËRMETI DHËRMI

LESKOVIK

GJIROKASTRA

HIMARA

KONITSA

HIMARA LIBOHOVA

SARANDA

LIBOHOVA

DELVINA

SARANDA DELVINA

IOANNINA

KONISPOL

KONISPOL

CORFU IGOUMENITSA

Map2 / Connectivity before ‘90s; Connectivity according to Albania 2030 Vision source / Eranda Janku

how to draft, design a national spatial plan, on basis of well accepted technical and graphical tools. This is important because professionals at national scale and decision makers must establish a common language and understanding of such instrument.

- Last but not least the spatial plan at national scale must be associated with sub plans of spatial - importance for the country, which treat in details sectorial issues like: national trunk infrastructure plans, land use plans, environmental and sustainable development plans, social economic development plans etc.

However it does not mean that the importance of spatial national plan can overshadow the importance of planning at other levels of planning (regional and local), because a - combination and complementation of planning tools at three levels, can be the only solution for a long term sustainable development and positive social economic growth.

Context analysis In order to start setting up a set of principles and then visioning, is very important to understand the context in Albania, regarding the social-economicand territorial components. The research work took in consideration several main indicators for each interest field, and for each group of analysis there was made a synthesis with conclusions (more detailed information on part 1 of the annexes).

The Social Development - The population density is higher on the central parts of the country, mainly in the metropolitan area; - Based on the altitude, the population

distribution increases from the low plain areas (0-300m) towards the low and medium mountainous (301-800), and the high mountains of over 800m; - The urban population is higher mainly on the central and southern parts of the country; - According to the age groups, the group of 15-64 years old dominates in the whole country, but however the higher rate of 0-14 years is more accurate on the northern regions, while the higher rate of 15-64 years on the central parts, and the last group of over 64 years old has a higher rate on the southern regions.

The Economic Development - The population of the south-west and the metropolitan area works mainly on the non-agricultural activities; - These areas have also the highest rates of own income; - Meanwhile the highest rate of investments p.c is mainly on the northeast and south-east areas (which are poorer, but with touristic, landscape and cross border cooperation potentials); - Unemployment is higher on the northwest (agricultural and touristic values), and lower on then northeast areas.

The Territorial Development - Sea ports play a crucial role on the import/export of goods and also on the touristic flows; - From these focal points the main national roads distribute the flows (of goods or/ and people) towards the other parts of the country, where the metropolitan area, the seaside west and south and the mountainous north and south are the most famous ones; the central inlands

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TROPOJA

THETHI KOPLIK

BAJRAM CURRI

SHKODRA

KRUMA

ALPS REGION

IC AT RI AD

PUKA

BUSHATI

KUKËSI

“ALBANIAN MOUNTAINS” ENERGY REGION

GATE TO MONTENEGRO & KOSOVO

RO

VELIPOJA

E UT

LEZHA RRËSHEN RUBIK

ARBRI REGION

PESHKOPI MILOT

“ALBANIAN HISTORY & TRADITION”

BURREL KRUJA BULQIZA

DURRËSI

TIRANA

CORRIDOR VIII

LIBRAZHDI KAVAJA PEQIN

POGRADECI

“ALBANIAN GRANARY” OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY AGRICULTURAL REGION

GRAMSH KUÇOVA

(VEGETABLES, GRAINS)

MOGLICA

BERATI

KORÇA VOSKOPOJA

POLIÇANI

BILISHT

ÇOROVODA

TEPELENA

VLORA

ERSEKA

KËLCYRA PËRMETI

DHËRMI

LESKOVIK

GJIROKASTRA HIMARA

LIBOHOVA

SARANDA

CORRIDOR VIII

MYZEQEJA REGION

ELBASANI

CERRIK

MALLAKASTRA

“INTERNATIONAL HUB” ECONOMIC DRIVE MAIN PUBLIC SERVICES GATE TO ITALY

LIN

QUKËS

LUSHNJA

FIERI

MINING REGION ENERGY REGION GATE TO MACEDONIA

METROPOLITAN REGION

VOSKOPOJA REGION

CUSTOM

“WEST-EAST GATE” GATE TO MACEDONIA & GREECE LAKE & MOUNTAINS TOURISM AGRICULTURAL REGION

IONIAN REGION

(FRUIT FARMING)

“ALBANIAN RIVIERA” SEA TOURISM AGRICULTURAL REGION, FARMING UNESCO SITES GATE TO GREECE & ITALY

AD

RIA TIC

RO

UT

E

DELVINA

KONISPOL

Map3 / Agriculture, Mountains and Growth Poles source / Eranda Janku

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of the country are more abandoned, less developed and not well integrated with the rest of the country; - The railway system could play a crucial role on connecting the less developed areas, but this infrastructural system is outdated and old, and does not play its role properly; - The cross border areas are very important, because of the activity they generate and the opportunities they present for both parts of the territory, Albanian and/or not.

Set of Principles The formulation of a spatial vision for Albania needs to be supported by a set of principles, which build on existing potentials and ensure sustainable development. These principles will be then explained and translated through a series of spatial concepts.

1. Regionalism Based on the foundation of regions of different importance within a country, which consists on the creation and implementation of institutions that express a particular identity and shape collective action within a geographic region, and also as a political ideology that focuses on the interests of a particular region or group of regions, whether traditional or formal.

2. Polycentrism and Growth Poles: - Polycentrism, based on the theory of Palmiro Togliatti refers to the organization of a region around several political, social or financial centers. A county is said to be polycentric if its population is distributed

almost evenly among several centers in different parts of the county.

- The central idea of the growth poles theory is that economic development, or growth, is not uniform over an entire region, but instead takes place around a specific pole, or cluster (Rodrigue, Comtois, Slack, 2013).

3. Development Corridors and Free Economic Areas: Development Corridors provide connections between different nodes or hubs of urbanized and economic agents along a defined geography, and they work as a system, or in terms of the network effects, that they include.

- Free Economic Areas refers to designate areas, well equipped with infrastructure and services, in - which companies are taxed very lightly, or not at all in order to encourage economic activity.

4. Sustainable Development through the consideration of Natural Potentials and Green Corridors - Sustainable Development stands for a good balance between the three components economy- environmentsociety, and promotes the preservation of natural and cultural heritage on long terms.

- On the other hand green corridors represent areas of habitat, which connect wildlife populations separated as a result of urban development and human activities.

- On this last principle is very important to also consider the ecological component

HIDROGRAPHY NATIONAL BORDER MAIN INFRASTRUCTURE MAIN CORRIDORS (PANEUROPIEAN CORRIDORS) MAIN ROADS GREEN CORRIDOR MAIN CITIES/ TOWNS

CUSTOMS

AIRPORT CUSTOMS

CROSS-BORDER

UNESCO SITE

UNESCO SITE

CUSTOMS

MAIN PORTS ENERGETIC CORRIDORS TAP CORRIDOR DRINI RIVER CORRIDOR PRIORITY AREAS PROTECTED AREAS NETWORK (EXTENSION & CONSOLIDATION)

URBAN CONCENTRATIONS GREEN CORRIDORS STRATEGIC TOURISTIC INFRASTRUCTURE TERRITORIAL DYNAMICS INTERNATIONAL HUB NATIONAL-REGIONAL NETWORK REGIONAL GATEWAY

CUSTOMS

FREE ECONOMIC AREAS COMPLEMENTARY URBAN CENTERS

33 CUSTOMS

UNESCO SITE

CUSTOMS

UNESCO SITE

CUSTOMS

UNESCO SITE

Map4 / Albania vision source / Eranda Janku

that stands for those planning concepts, which will ensure a healthier relationship between the built environment and nature (McHarg, 1969).

Albania 2030, a Spatial Vision for the Country Albania 2030 describes the development policies for the coming 15 years, based on the growth scenario of the four main economic pillars: tourism, agriculture, energy and mining. This is achieved by taking in consideration several

spatial instruments, including: - Controlling the growth of urban centers against sprawl and informality, by consolidating urbanized areas, metropolitan regions and complementary urban centers; - Identification of industrial and economic priority areas to support employment and economic growth; - Increasing the regional competitiveness of the country by strengthening the international hub, national and regional

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networks and regional gateways; - Identification and completion of national and regional importance infrastructure of roads, sea ports, airports and energy; - Identification of 6 main regions of the country which are specialized based on their social-economic resources; - Identification and strengthening of polycentric and cross border regions, growth poles and free economic areas, aiming to establish a new economic model which is based on a better regional balance and corrects the effects of radical urbanization, disparities and segregation; - A special focus on environmental issues and sustainable development by identifying projects of hotspots rehabilitation, protection of forestry and green space, extension and consolidation of “green Albania�; - Recognition and cultivation of the big potentials of the country as regarding landscaping, historical and natural routes, eco-tourism etc.; - Achieving national development goals by considering with special importance the neighboring Albanian speaking territories as well as coordinating with western Balkans and Adriatic sea region, not forgetting the process of EU integration; - Improving the social-economic efficiency and effectiveness by providing integrated and equal access between the center and periphery based on a ring radial system. Therefore achieving an important objective, transforming Albania from an isolated economy, on a regional and European actor of economy.

Conclusions and Recommendations Conclusions This research has been dealing with spatial planning and its role to boost social- economic growth of the country. The problem is that Albania so far has not been able to develop a document that has the full meaning and role of a national spatial development plan. On the other hand EU, which is the political objective of Albania, has not imposed a law on territorial issues and a directive, because this is considered an exclusive function of the national authorities of each country. But EU has introduced its own perspective (ESDP) on this subject and has established a network like ESPON, which is trying to use the statistical data produced by each country and by the EU institutions to analyze, research and draw conclusions that help policy making and decision makers take the appropriate decision for the best use of national territory and resources in accordance to national and European interests. At the end a spatial

development plan must be an instrument for better governance and better quality of life for people and communities.

- As a first conclusion we can say that nowadays, when European integration is a national priority for Albania, spatial development also becomes a priority issue. And when we talk about spatial planning we mean a key instrument for establishing long-term, sustainable frameworks for social, territorial and economic development, both within and between countries (UNECE, 2008).

- A second conclusion is that spatial planning although highly praised, it’s relatively a new science and very few countries implemented it in the real meaning that it has.

- A third conclusion is understating what are the visualization techniques and graphical instruments of representation to prepare the cartographic data of the national spatial plan. Since many countries have features of national spatial planning policies, but there is no common ground for the their translation into cartographic documents for the broader public, building a common reference system of visualization manners is quite essential.

- The fourth conclusion is that in order to develop a national spatial development vision for the country is necessary to refer to several scientific arguments.

Throughout the context analysis and case studies four main principles were considered as crucial for the national spatial visioning. Each principle was then explained through a series of analysis and spatial concepts. The four main principles list as below: Regionalism - There was made an adaptation of the proposal of Co-plan 2014 for the re-organization of the country on 6 regions. This concept supports the efficiency and the effectiveness of the economic growth of the country, considers environmental sensibilities by considering the concept of river basins, and brings central government near local communities and authorities without extra costs in terms of infrastructure and services. The further analyses of this research work have evidenced the cultural historic identities and economic specializations of each of these regions, as an instrument for promoting regional development balance, for fighting regional disparities and promoting balance.

Polycentrism and Growth Poles - On this aspect there were identified 6 main growth poles, which have two patterns of polycentric development each. Within the

country they are interrelated on a radial system because of the existing patterns of infrastructure and services, with the exception of Tirana, which is interrelated on an annular system. The second pattern of polycentric interrelations has to do with the cross border perspective and in this case all the growth poles interrelate on an annular system, again with the exception of Tirana, which has a radial interrelation with the European and global markets.

Development Corridors and Free Economic Areas - The development corridors are strongly related with the infrastructural and services corridors.

Most of the Albanian economic corridors are located on the western plain of the country and few of them in the peripheral growth poles. There were identified the economic specializations of each corridor, promoting the concept of clustering areas and recommending strengthening of such specialization, in order to avoid competition and promote complementarity.

The economic corridors are strongly related to the free economic areas, airports and seaports. Therefore there were identified 5 types of development corridors, 7 free economic areas,3 strategic airports and 4 sea ports, trying to explore also the geo strategic position of the country.

Natural Potentials and Green Corridors. Albania is rich on natural potentials. There were outlined several green, historic and landscaping corridors, which can promote a national identity, environmental education and boosting of tourism industry. These corridors are part of a networking strategy that was added to the existing agricultural land and protected areas. On the first step is planned an increase of the existing surface of protected and green areas, and then the consolidation of this network through several linking green corridors. This goes in line not only with the conservation needs, but also with the rehabilitation of the environmental hotspots in the country, which are mainly concentrated on the western plain of the country. This green framework corrects also the negative impact on environment, because of rapid infrastructure development.

Recommendations Albania should move from the inherited spatial framework of centralized economy that was promoting self-isolation culture towards a new society, which is open and competitive towards regional and global markets. Therefore from an enclosed 8-shaped concept of the main national infrastructure, the spatial development vision on this research paper promotes

shifting towards a ring radial system, starting from the capital region towards peripheral growth poles and cross border areas of interests. All infrastructure and services should be oriented towards such concept, where radials improve national and international connectivity, and rings increase national economic efficiency and courage prosperity of the Albanian speaking territories in the neighboring countries. Another recommendation is the enforcement of the creation of 6 regions with clear social economic patterns and specialized identities. Therefore the Metropolitan Region and Voskopoja Region will be focused on the regional and international strategic infrastructure and services, the remaining regions will focus on the main economic activities like agriculture, mining and energy. The final recommendation is that Albania 2030 spatial vision for the country must foresee a development perspective for at least 15 coming years, and it should promote a sustainable economy, based on the four economic pillars.

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Faludi, A. (2010): “Cohesion, Coherence, and Cooperation: European Spatial Planning Coming of Age?” Faludi, A. (2010): “The Performance of Spatial Planning, Planning Practice & Research”.

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Fig / Butrinti national park source / Eranda

Learning from "La Riviera" Landscape perception as a decoder to analyze and interpret the landscape experience of the motor tourist MSc Laura Pedata / Full time lecturer / POLIS University

published in 'Albanian Riviera / An alternative model of Progress and Development for a Next Generation Albania.' (2016) Botime Pegi

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Judging from the entries to the International Urban Design competition dedicated to the Albanian Southern Coast-Strip launched by Atelier Albania in October 2014, the most common trend among most teams was the desire to preserve the landscape of the entire Riviera and the interventions set forth in the proposals were very discreet, almost imperceptible. The only tangible sign expressing a conscious will to manage, through planning and design actions, the improvement of the urban condition in the old settlements and stimulate the economy for the entire region, was the proposal to introduce “land art” elements, new street furniture and road signage.

Similarly, the results and the general opinion of the jury and experts showed a commitment to non-intervention. In short, no matter despite the political pressure to boost the economy through the development and strengthening of tourism along the Albanian Riviera and the related need to improve infrastructures and services, most planners, designers, architects and landscape designers that took part in the competition and presented a proposal, took a stand in favor of minimum impact-intervention.

Among others, the zero-impact attitude adopted by the winning project for lot 2 (Burea Bas Smets – Vadim Vosters – Transsolar – Erik de Waele – Son Engineerin & Construction) stands out for its focus on landscape preservation. The chosen strategy to guarantee tourism throughout the year is to “reinforce the cultural landscape” by transforming the

Albanian Southern Riviera into a DRIVER’S experience: like in the nostalgic French Riviera or, even better, in the spooky Mullholland drive in Los Angeles (a product of the Hollywood movie industry, made popular worldwide by the cryptic David Lynch movie in 2001) the landscape is not accessible but it is reserved solely for gaze and contemplation (MARINI 2008 p. 309).

Through popular precedents such as the French Riviera, the Pacific Coast Highway 1 and Mulholland Drive, and using as inspiration and interpretation tools the movies that transformed them into iconic experiences and established them as touristic attractions, this article intends to reflect upon the Riviera as a touristic landscape experience and on the use of landscape perception as a decoder to analyze and interpret the landscape experience of the motor tourist.

The START line The INTERNATIONAL URBAN DESIGN COMPETITION for the Southern Coast Strip and Surrounding Settlements – RIVIERA in Albania1, is one of the most relevant initiatives of the last decade in Albania, as it attempted to address the need to generate new economy in the region and reinforce and preserve the natural and cultural assets present in the country.

Meeting these sometimes contradictory objectives, and therefore attempting to boost tourism whilst protecting and recovering the natural and cultural assets of the coastal-strip, is always a delicate task and the choice to open a public discussion through an international

Fig1 / Drawings and Renderings from the project “Reactive Riviera”, source / Re-Active Riviera competition panels

competition was certainly a wise strategy.

Given the strong economic pressure imposed by the building industry and, in particular, by the tendency towards the strengthening of tourism, and given the local tendency to operate fast and without the mitigation of planning instruments, the risks at stake are numerous and imminent. According to the competition's brief objectives the priorities for the coastal area involve mainly the urban and economic condition of the villages along the coast and the seaside belt - with its beaches and potential touristic attractions - and the connections between them; the main problems being the progressive abandonment of the villages, the lack of service-equipment, adequate infrastructures, signage for storytelling and orientation. (Fig.2) Given all the above mentioned risks, it came as no surprise that the main strategy among the selected design teams was the desire to operate discretely and always leaving a margin of indeterminacy. The proposals were subtle suggestions that paved the way to an extended and continued discussion. Also the final results, and the general opinion of jury members and experts, showed a commitment to non-intervention.

Within this common attitude it seems worth mentioning the projects for lot 2 (Team 1 - finalist: “Reactive Riviera” -

Metropolis – Sealine - Polis University - Ferrara University; Team 2 - winner: “Albania Riviera Drive” Burea Bas Smets – Vadim Vosters – Transsolar – Erik de Waele – Son Engineerin & Construction), as they had similar intuitions but slightly different approaches to the area. The winning project - “Albania Riviera Drive” consisted mainly in redrawing the existing landscape and proposing few low impact interventions along the coastline - small sea activities, some contemplation and/ or recreational objects scattered along the Riviera Drive - while attempting to preserve the unique landscape conditions and reinforce urban structures and historic polarities.

The “Reactive Riviera” project, on the other hand, was very exhaustive in terms of analysis and deep understanding of the area, and its strategy went beyond the lot and the region itself, taking into consideration the role and the condition of the area within the national and international context. In fact the project wisely considered the Blue European Corridor, its strategic role, and the advantages of its location in the Mediterranean basin. Consequently, accessibility and infrastructural networks2 were key elements of the proposal and a strategy based on specific local conditions, guaranteed a flexible approach that could “react” to the peculiarities of

1 / The completion was promoted in October 2014 by Atelier Albania, mandated by the Ministry of Urban Development and Tourism and the Office of the Prime Minister.

2 / It is important to point out that in the “Reactive Riviera” project the term infrastructure was not referred strictly to new roads and service networks, but rather intended in a broader sense; it was in fact referred to the rehabilitation and restoration of existing walking itineraries and pedestrian accesses to beaches, archaeological sites and Natural reserves.

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environmental characteristics and socioeconomic conditions of each site and respond to the needs and requirements of local communities and municipalities.

The proposed time-scale based strategy offered a comprehensive approach aimed at steering a sustainable and gradual development of the strategic program for the coastal areas, while preserving the natural landscape and the cultural heritage through low impact interventions (Sealine, Metropolis, 2014). (Fig. 1) The above mentioned project shared with the winning team an intuition in terms of ‘observation’ and ‘interpretation’ of the site: firstly in the identification of different transversal sections (within Lot 2 itself), each one forming a system characterized by peculiar natural, morphologic and anthropic conditions. The team led by Burea Bas Smets called them landscape sequences - the entire coast is then perceived as a meeting area in between two parallel linear systems, the coastline and the coastal road, which in section appear as lines separated by a variable rock formation (Bas Smets, 2014).

While the Metropolis-Sealine team defined them as potential transversal networks3 - natural, historic, landscape, cultural, religious or destination corridors that offer different landscape conditions, morphology and relationship between

road and coastline, villages and beaches, which could potentially work as systems contributing to the ecological, financial and social sustainability of the area (Sealine, Metropolis, 2014). (Fig. 3, 4) The DRIVE Given the very high standards of the two entries, what I believe determined the choice of the jury was the poetic reference to the French Riviera and Mulholland Drive at the very beginning of the presentation

by Burea Bas Smets. The reference to the above mentioned scenic roads seems right in principle if we consider that, in order to meet the main objective – which was to preserve the landscape of the entire Riviera but still attract tourists and boost the economy - the strategy adopted by the winning team was to consider the “Riviera Drive” as a linear system connecting all the natural elements of the area and the cultural/manmade landscape5. Moreover this seems to imply that the Albanian Southern Riviera would have to be transformed into a DRIVER’S experience and, naturally, the kind of tourist that ought to be interested in this kind of attraction would be the motor tourist. (Fig. 5, 6) Given the morphology of the coast and the presence of rock formation that acts as a topographic boundary and prevents the road from running close

3 / The strategy adopted by the “Reactive Riviera” project team was to associate to the common words: culture, religion, history and nature, the term landscape; as an attempt to renew and remark the importance of an Albanian Patrimony within a euroMediterranean network.

4 / Characterized by sea, mountains, valleys, caves, canyons, waterfalls and springs.

5 / Characterized by villages, castles, religious buildings and terraced cultivations.

Fig2 / Image of the landscape in Borsh, Albanian Adriatic Riviera source / Metropolis

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Fig3 / Landscape sequences “Albania Riviera Drive” project source / Burea Bas Smets

Note

Fig4 / Potential transversal networks “Reactive Riviera” project source / Re-Active Riviera competition panels

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Fig5 left / Concept poster for the “Albania Riviera Drive” project / source Burea Bas Smets Fig6 right / French Riviera vintage poster / source internet

Fig7 / Modern day Claude Mirror / source internet

Fig8 left / “Bad Gastein”, Painting by Emil Ludwig Löhr, 1876 / source internet Fig8 right / “Frame It”– Ein Ort setzt sich insBild project,Germany / source internet

Fig9 / The sharp curves along Mulholland Drive, Los Angeles, CA source / internet

to the coastline in several portions of the coastal strip, according to the winning team the “Riviera Drive” has the potential to become more than a simple connecting infrastructure, specifically a dynamic sequence that visually connects contrasting environments and offers privileged panoramic views of the landscape. The journey along the “Riviera Drive” then becomes a landscape experience and the main attractions are not the possible destinations, nor are the historic landmarks and towns along the way, but the “DRIVE” itself turns into a touristic attraction. The contemporary motor tourist (driver/rider) is guided by the predetermined constriction of the road trajectory and directed toward privileged panoramic spots, where he can gaze and contemplate6 nature as it unfolds before his/her eyes, but never really feel as part of it. The landscape perceived by the motor tourist appears as a landscape

painting framed by predefined scenic outlooks along the road, and the view from a moving car appears as a landscape-film, a landscape in motion framed by the side window, the wind shield or the rear view mirror of the car7. In this kind of journey "man becomes a passive observer8 - a spectator - and nature a distant and fascinating exteriority" (Jakob, 2009, p.112)9.

If nothing else, Mulholland Drive and the French Riviera Drive might indeed share with the Albanian coastal-strip the potential to become a Twenty-first Century picturesque travelers’10 pilgrimage destination, thanks to its aptitude to offer prepackaged real-life postcards. The Albanian Riviera drive would then become a set of predetermined panoramic spots where we can access virtual vending machines selling readymade landscapeimages. We could identify and reproduce

6 / Translation form Italian text, Marini, 2008 p. 309. In Marini’s book this definition of landscape as gaze and contemplation is used to distinguish between the conception of landscape referred to representation alone, like in paintings, and the more comprehensive meaning which includes in the physical space - and assigns a central importance to - the transformations and the people who operate the latter by living the space day by day.

7 / Through the rear view mirror of the car drivers can perceive at once the landscape they are approaching and the landscape they left behind. On the city seen through the rear view mirror Cfr. “Reyner Banham Loves Los Angeles” (USA – Documentary, Julian Cooper (director), Malcolm Brown (producer) (1972).

8 / The vision from a moving car or bus breaks the frontal logic - framed and still - allowing for a broader view - panoramic and dynamic (Jakob, 2009 p. 119). We are passive observers because even as drivers we only have the illusion of control over visual space. In reality it’s the road that defines the field of movement of the car and therefore the car is imposing its point of view on both the driver and the passengers.

9 / See also (Bianconi, 2008 pp. 36-37).

10 / Landscape paintings were so popular in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century that they gave way to a tourism that attracted rich Europeans toward the countryside looking for landscapes that resembled the picturesque paintings themselves.

11 / Our visual experience of landscapes is anticipated by landscape images diffused around Medias. We confuse images with reality and instead of images portraying reality, life imitates the images and videos of real life accessible by new and old visual media users; we value as authentic what we see through technological means more than what we see through our own eyes. In his book “Il Paesaggio” Michael Jackob argues that in the contemporary society everything exists and is recognized through images.

The world around us is represented through two kinds of landscape-images: the images that we find on magazines, billboards and television that publicize touristic attractions through which we discover and memorize landscapes; and the endless landscapeimages that we produce through photographs and video recordings when we travel. JAKOB, 2009 p.11 and 115-120.

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Fig10 / Mulholland Drive as a metaphor: scene from the movie where the character Rita/Camilla uses a shortcut to reach one of the expensive houses set back and hidden from the road / source internet

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the landscape images we saw online and instantly post them on our favorite social network11, contributing to the creation of the new constructed iconic image for the Albanian Riviera.

Motor tourists would park their car at the scenic overlook rest areas and use their Smartphone photographic apps as modern day Claude mirrors12, to frame the same scenario they saw on their computer while planning their next holiday destination. Or even better, audio guides would accompany them on their journey, alerting them with an acoustic sign when they need to stop13, telling them where to direct their gaze, and instructing them on how to frame the predetermined landscape view appearing before their eyes14. (Fig. 7, 8) DRIVING on the 'EDGE' Mulholland Drive (LA) and the film Mulholland Drive (David Lynch, 2001).

Although the Albanian Riviera in some parts may resemble Mulholland Drive, with its sharp turns and dangerous blind curves, in practical terms it is substantially different. In fact if we take a closer look at the reasons behind the popularity of the reference in question and at its cultural context, it starts losing ground and appears as a superficial comparison. First of all Mulholland Drive is not located along a coast. Although it shares with a coastal road the characteristic of working as a “limit”, it’s not a limit between land and coastline, but rather between the beautiful

homes and sublime nature of the Santa Monica hills, and the valley - a line running along the edge between the real life and the make believe life of the Hollywood movie industry. Moreover in order to stand a comparison with Mulholland Drive, the Albanian Riviera would neet to have a pop culture background that cannot be forcefully injected or imitated: Albanian culture lacks the myth and the movies, which in the case of Mulholland Drive transformed the road itself, and the experience of driving along it, into an attraction15. (Fig. 9) Mulholland Drive is a scenic road that follows the ridgeline of Eastern Santa Monica Mountains and Hollywood hills, connecting two sections of US route 101 and leading to Pacific Coast Highway 1 near Malibu, “taking Angelenos from the city to the ocean”16. Along the winding road the driver can gaze over the panoramic views of the city, the mountains and the ocean. Behind each blind curve the surrounding landscape is revealed to him in all its overwhelming power. There are only but a few safe spots where the driver can stop and contemplate the scenic overlooks (like the outlook offering one of the 1000 views over the Hollywood sign), and the landscape is mostly experienced in motion. But Mulholland drive hasn’t gained its reputation solely for its scenic properties, it withholds meanings that are deeply rooted in its morphology and the culture of the Hollywood movie industry: its Metaphorical geography17 is what transformed it into a driving experience, and David Lynch is the movie director who

Fig11 / Grace Kelly and Cary Grant along the French Riviera in “To Catch a Thief” / source internet Fig12 / French Riviera vintage poster / source internet

consecrated it as a dark and mysterious icon.

Mulholland Drive is in fact a 50-mile long road that winds its way along the spine of the Santa Monica Mountains, offering amazing views of the San Fernando Valley and the Hollywood Hills, where the rich and, sometimes famous - reside18. At the base of the hills are the people trying to climb the ladder of stardom; the road on

the “edge”, seen as a metaphor, represents “the path on the journey to stardom”19.

Thanks to its geography and morphology and to the context, the road serves as a perfect backdrop for Hollywood Movies. It is no surprise then that David Lynch chose to title his masterpiece (Mulholland Drive, 2001) after the road itself, which serves as a metaphor for some of the main “interpretations” behind the storyline.

(Fig. 10)

12 / The Claude mirror (In Italian “Vetro Claude” - from the name of the painter Claude Lorrain) was a tool which inherited his name from the famous Seventeenth Century picturesque landscape painter Claude Lorrain, who painted predominantly central Italy landscape views. His paintings were considered more beautiful than the landscapes they were reproducing. If this mirror was held in the right position it could frame a scenario similar to o paintings by Claude Lorrain. In fact Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century picturesque tourists and painters used to bring along the Claude mirror or Black mirror in order to faithfully reproduce the effect of the paintings they had seen. This tool was a carry on size mirror, with a convex surface tinted grey. If, while giving his/her back to the panoramic view, the observer/tourist looked at the Claude mirror held in front of him, he/she could see the reflection of the landscape, looking better than in reality and resembling the one reproduced in the landscape paintings of the time. The convex shape of the mirror was able to squeeze in the framed field a very wide view, wider than what the human eye could have embraced, and the grayish color of the glass altered the real colors of the landscape, rendering them more pleasing to the eye of the Seventeenth/Eighteenth Century traveler (following the taste and the standards of the picturesque). See also (Bianconi, 2008 pp. 52-53).

13 / Cfr. “Reyner Banham Loves Los Angeles” (USA – Documentary, Julian Cooper (director), Malcolm Brown (producer) (1972).

In his documentary Banham lands at the LAX Airport and rents a car equipped with a recorded tour guide that shows him around Los Angeles. While Banham drives, the recorded voice gives him directions and delivers information about the city; an acoustic sign played by the recorded tape warns him when it is time to stop the car, or simply direct his attention towards something in particular.

14 / Similar to the task of the British Improvers who would accompany the visitor of the 1700-1800 on site giving them a rectangular glass inserted in a frame with a handle to admire the landscape.

15 / Similar to the myth of Historic Rout 66 which keeps attracting every year herds of pagan pilgrims.

16 / Mulholland Drive is actually only one stretch of the entire extension of the road. In fact the western rural portion is called “Mulholland Highway”; a non-paved portion called “Dirt Mulholland”- not open to motor vehicles - follows and runs until few miles west of S 405 San Diego Freeway, where the actual “Mulholland Drive” begins and, after running parallel to US Highway 101 along the Santa Monica Mountains and passing the Hollywood Hills, ends at Cahunga Boulevard, close to Universal Studios. WIKIPEDIA (2015) 17 / From Your guide to understanding this movie: Mulholland Drive – Blog. [Online] Available online from: https://rodsmovierants. wordpress.com/2012/05/19/your-guide-to-understanding-this-movie-mulhol/ [Accessed: September 2015].

18 / Many of the most expensive homes of the world can be found along Mulholland Drive, but since they are set back from the road they are not easily visible from the latter.

19 / In one scene of the film Mulholland Drive by D. Lynch, the character Rita/Camilla uses a shortcut to reach one of the expensive houses set back and hidden from the road, symbolically suggesting that this might speed up her journey to stardom. From, Your guide to understanding this movie: Mulholland Drive, op. cit.

20 / In the film scene in question Grace Kelly is not actually driving along the French Riviera; it is what is commonly known as a blue screen driving shot - also known as a process shot. The scene is a typical special effect of the early days of motion pictures, something called "rear window" projection, wherein due to the difficulty of shooting on a moving car, the moving background was filmed separately, then projected onto a screen behind the actors, who sat in a mockup of a car and acted as normal. Thus the illusion and the thrill of the movie scene might appear ruined to contemporary spectators and the act of steering by Grace Kelly clearly not matching the movement of background - might appear comic.

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Fig1 / picture name and source

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Fig13 / Llogara, Albanian Adriatic Riviera / source Metropolis.

Fig14 / Pacific Coast Highway, California, USA / source internet

Fig15 left / Mulholland Drive street sign from the homonymous movie by David Lynch; Fig15 right / “Mulholland Drive”, opening sequence showing the sharp headlights of the dark limo. source / internet.

Fig16 / “Mulholland Drive: The Road to the Studio” England 1980, David Hockney / source internet

The French Riviera (FR) and the film To Catch a Thief (Alfred Hitchcock, 1955).

The very first reference in the presentation of the lot 2 winning team was an old poster of the French Riviera, with its colorful towns and winding road, the same road that showed a preoccupied – but still composed, dignified and slick – Cary Grant and a fearless and flawless Grace Kelly, virtually speeding on the cliff side, in what today appears as a far too obvious and slightly disappointing a blue screen driving shot20. In the Movie To Catch a Thief (1955) the winding, and potentially dangerous, Riviera Drive presents itself as a backdrop to the Hitchcock thriller masterpiece and confers the feeling of danger to the plot, by providing a strong contrast with the colorful, luscious, expensive and classy life in the small towns clinging to the steep slopes of the French Riviera. (Fig. 11) It would certainly be desirable to transform the Albanian Riviera in a colorful, but classy, touristic destination, but apart from the different culture and historic substance, the French Riviera is successful because along it we encounter several cities rich of attractions and services for the tourists, and not just land art sculptures and small scenic outlooks. As a matter of fact the French Riviera is not about the

“DRIVE” itself, or at least only secondarily; the tourists are mostly attracted by the picturesque towns and the small equipped beaches along the coast. I believe that this highlights the importance of such attractions, infrastructures and services to guarantee economic growth and prosperity for the entire region - as long as these services are developed following an informed and sustainable approach.

(Fig. 12) Pacific Coast Highway 1 (California) and the HBO Crime drama television series True Detective. (Cary Joji Fukunaga, Justin Lin, 2014).

My opinion is that the Albanian Riviera Drive actually shares more similarities with the pacific Coast Highway and the area of the Big Sur, than with Mulholland Drive or the French Riviera Drive First of all in terms of geography and morphology of the coast: just like in the Albanian Riviera, here the road is not always near the coastline due to the steep rock formations that act as topographic boundaries. When the road runs deeper inside the land, the drive crosses Natural parks and springs and offers privileged panoramic points overlooking the natural landscape. In the few instances where the road comes close

21 / Artificial as in Anthropized, modified by men. This includes of course rural landscape and things that seem “naturally” present in our landscape but have an artificial character (water basin of a hydroelectric plant, trees in a forest managed by men, grass in farming land, etc.) (CLÉMENT 2005). For Typological study of landscape see also, BIANCONI 2008, p.22.

22 / “The picturesque found pleasure in roughness and irregularity, and they tried to establish it as a critical category between the “beautiful” and the “sublime”. Picturesque scenes were thus neither serene (like the Beautiful) nor awe-inspiring (like the Sublime), but full of variety, curious details and interesting textures [irregularity, asymmetry, and interesting textures] – medieval ruins [in the natural landscape] were quintessentially Picturesque”. (Oxford Dictionary of Art and Artists – available online at, http://oxfordindex. oup.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199532940.001.0001).

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Fig1 / picture name and source

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Fig17 / Two men walking back to the village along the Albanian Riviera, Borsh source / Metropolis

to the coastline, the beaches and the ocean become accessible. As we drive along PCH 1 we can experience very different environments, where the relationship between natural and artificial21 landscape is still balanced and harmonious. The main difference between the Californian Pacific Coast and the Albanian Southern Riviera is the fact that in some parts the Pacific Coast runs at very high levels above the water and the landscape appears more

dramatic, overwhelming, tending towards the sublime; whilst the Albanian southern coastal-strip seems to be characterized by the alternation of sublime panoramic moments - mountains, canyons and waterfalls - and more subtle picturesque views22 - terraced cultivations, small, sometimes abandoned, villages, ancient ruins of castles and religious buildings, and mimetic bunkers overthrown by wild vegetation. (Fig. 13, 14)

The sublime landscape of the Big Sur in California and the iconic elements of its landscape, like Bixby Creek Bridge - one of the most photographed bridges along the Pacific Coast - keep inspiring movie directors who seek to confer to landscape a leading role in their films. One of the most recent examples can be found in the HBO Crime drama television series True Detective (Cary Joji Fukunaga, Justin Lin, 2014), where several scenes are shot in the sublime and violent nature of uncontaminated landscapes along PCH1.

The plot of the Second series is about a bizarre murder that brings together three law-enforcement officers and a career criminal, each of whom must navigate a web of conspiracy and betrayal in the scorched landscapes of California23. The sublime landscape serves as a backdrop where the characters are introduced and it contributes to the construction of a “psycho-sphere ambiance”24.

The example of PCH1 and the surrounding settlements shows us that, in order to make the area sustainable and attractive to tourists, it’s important to provide facilities.

For example, even when the beaches are not accessible, it’s important to supply alternative activities and structures that adapt and change their offer, guaranteeing the extension of the touristic season to the entire year. In this respect the “Reactive Riviera” project seemed to give a more realistic and convincing answer to the need of improving the urban condition and the use of the touristic areas along the coast, providing concrete answers to the problems and the needs of the Albanian Riviera. Land art objects and iconic images alone cannot activate tourism and boost the economy. While preserving and respecting the natural landscape remains the priority, complementing the evocative contemplation elements with new services and including the existing villages and attractions in sustainable networks, is a promising and farseeing strategy.

CONTRASTED environment It has come to my attention while researching the above mentioned references for the “Riviera Drive” and watching the movies shot in such locations with greater attention, that they all share a common characteristic: they seem to have a “Dark Side” to them. Why?

In the famous picture directed by Alfred Hitchcock, the French Riviera Drive serves as a backdrop to the thriller: the feeling of danger and thrill is conferred by the “speed” of Grace Kelly’s car on the winding road located on the edge of the cliff, along the ridge of the mountains. In the film Mulholland Drive the road appears as a dark and dangerous place and it is only shown during nighttime. The total absence of street lighting enhances the sharp headlights of the dark limo, which only show what is in the very proximity of the car and leaves the rest of the landscape in total darkness. This condition contributes to the mystery of the movie and the feeling of incognito and danger.

(Fig. 15) Similarly PCH 1 is the backdrop for several thriller movies, probably because it appears as a dark and idyllic setting, at the end of the world, where the landscape is often overwhelming and tends towards the sublime: a dangerous road with low visibility where “bad things happen”25.

If we were to seek for an answer to the question why all these drives have a dark feeling to them, it might be traceable in the strong contrast that they establish: in both PCH1 and Mulholland Drive the road setting is in contrast with California culture, the colorful world of the movies industry, the fictitious façade of the Hollywood stars. Likewise we could say that the French Riviera Drive offers a substantial contrast: its unpredictable blind curves against the colorful towns along the coast, full of life and frivolous activities.

Speaking of contrast it is interesting to notice that one of the famous car journey paintings by David Hockney is entitled after the road I refer to as dark and spooky, while the paining in question appears as a glorification of color. In the paining Mulholland Drive: The Road to the Studio, Hockney breaks the confinement of the one-point perspective and represents a sequence of familiar landmarks along the winding road (which is flattened to cover the horizontality of the painting’s layout), with harmonious forms and joyful colors which seem to be informed by the color of Matisse, Seurat and Dufy – while the “vast horizontality of this very large work (it is over twenty feet wide) encourages the viewer to obey the verbal noun of the title:

23 / From Series Information. HBO Website. [Online] Available online from: http://www.hbo.com/true-detective/about/index.html [Accessed: September 2015].

24 / From: Hibberd, James (May 27, 2014) True Detective' season 2 scoop: Trio of leads, California setting – Entertainment Weekly Website. [Online] Available online from: http://www.ew.com/article/2014/05/27/true-detective-season-2-scoop [Accessed: September 2015].

25 / Quoting Jason Payne – Professor at UCLA, school of Architecture and Urban Design (LA)

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Drive” (MELIA 1995, p.141). (Fig. 16) Also Albania is a country full of contrasts and this could become a quality that is preserved and valued. Albanians would then stop blindly imitating neighboring and distant countries, and start creating their own identity instead, offering to the world a whole new experience that cannot be found anywhere else and that has its personal and unique identity.

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The FINISH line The Albanian coastal-strip shares many characteristics with other coastal areas of the Mediterranean, and to some extent, with the California Pacific Coast, but at the same time it retains many peculiarities that make it unique. Therefore the lessons learned elsewhere cannot be directly applied to the Albanian context, but need to be elaborated and adapted to the territory and to its unique landscape conditions. The negative consequences of borrowing planning approaches design strategies and even technologies from near or faraway countries and applying them without any filter, revision and adaptation, appears obvious if we look at cities like Tirana and on how these operations can disrupt the landscape and erase what is left of tradition and cultural heritage.

The future of the Albanian Riviera should be in line with its contrasting and multicultural heritage, even with the clamorous contradictions of its contemporary culture - the country seems “simultaneously 20 years behind and 20 years forward” - where we can find on the same street of the capital city an old man pedaling his improvised vehicle26 to deliver goods and a line of sluggish cows returning to their stables, riding alongside a young and polished entrepreneur speeding with his awkward Mercedes, while talking on his shiny smart phone; or an old bunker annexed to an improvised informal house,

being swallowed by an agglomeration of curtain walled hotels that seem to be about to dive into the sea. (Fig. 17) If Albanians were indeed to draw inspiration from the resourceful American culture, it should not be to mimic their iconic roads, but rather to draw inspiration from their imagination and their capacity to transform a road that takes you nowhere into a mystic experience; to make a museum out of potatoes (“Idaho Potato Museum”, Blackfoot, Idaho), bananas (“International Banana Museum”, Mecca, California) or even toilet seats (“Toilet Seat Art Museum” in Texas). The same inventiveness that made Americans see the moon as the ideal open air museum display case (CATUCCI, 2013, p. 105) and allowed them to come up with the idea of creating Museums on the Moon27. All the traces left on the moon by the astronauts during the lunar missions are not elements that retrace a history, but rather "objects of self-interest, aesthetic objects" (CATUCCI, 2013, p.107). The traces have become fetishes and maybe someday the sites will become yet another theme park where they can sell us memorabilia of the programmed28 trace of men on the moon.

If we were to follow this attitude, the task of a designer approaching the Albanian Riviera and its future development, should not be only a traditional mapping of the area, a simple redrawing of the landscape, the infrastructures and the settlements, but rather an investigation that highlights the hidden - apparently unimportant - peculiarities of the environment: like augmented landscape representations where bunkers become elements of the natural landscape; schizoanalytic29 cartographies of the Riviera, where Time and Space merge and the highlighted temporal contradictions become a characterizing aspect of the Albanian landscape; documentations of the

26 / In Tirana it is very common to find small self-assembled transportation means made with bicycle or scooter spare parts combined with a container to place materials and goods.

27 / The US government attributes a “unique historic and cultural value” to the first and last NASA expedition to the moon (respectively, Apollo 11 and Apollo 17) and this resulted in the prohibition of future visits to these sites in all their parts. In fact to safeguard the human artifacts left on the moon by the astronauts, NASA defined Exclusion Zones around the sites of the moon landings, tracing a perimeter with a 75 m. ray from the lunar modules left on the moon during the expeditions. These areas are not accessible by machines or people. Ref. CATUCCI, 2013, p. 105.

28 / According to Catucci in his book “Imparare dalla Luna” (English translation: “Learning form the Moon”), the entire moon expedition experience was part of a precise documenting strategy, where organized narration was staging the event before it even happened, Ref. (CATUCCI, 2013, p. 107).

29 / Schizoanalysis (schizo- from Greek skhizein meaning 'to split') is a concept created by philosopher Gilles Deleuze and psychoanalyst Félix Guattari and first expounded in their book Anti-Oedipus (1972). In Chaosmosis, Guattari explains that "rather than moving in the direction of reductionist modifications which simplify the complex," schizoanalysis "will work towards its complexification, its processual enrichment, towards the consistency of its virtual lines of bifurcation and differentiation, in short towards its ontological heterogeneity." Guattari 1992. Chaosmosis: An Ethico-Aesthetic Paradigm. Trans. Paul Bains and Julian Pefanis. Bloomington and Indianapolis: Indiana UP, 1995. Trans. of Chaosmose. Paris: Editions Galilee. (P. 61).

30 / See “Every Building on the Sunset Strip”, 1966, Edward Ruscha. Self-published book, offset lithograph, 1966.

31 / Ref. Venturi R., Scott Brown D., Izenour S. (1977) Learning from Las Vegas. Cambridge: MIT Press.

Fig18 / “Every Building on the Sunset Strip”, 1966, Ed Ruscha Self-published book, offset lithograph, © Ed Ruscha / source internet

coastal territory through sequential views printed on one single sheet of foldable paper30; or exercises of isolation and combination of popular culture elements and unconventional mapping that draw inspiration from the ever-referenced research by Robert Venturi31.

(Fig. 18)

MELIA, Paul (1995) David Hockney (Critical Introductions to Art). Manchester: Manchester University Press.

References

SEALINE, METROPOLIS (2014) RIVIERA Lot 2 – Competitors Presentation, Published by Atelier Albania BUREAU. [Online] Available online from: http://www.scribd.com/ doc/249032295/RIVIERA-Lot-2-Competitors [Accessed: August 2015].

ATELIER ALBANIA. INTERNATIONAL URBAN DESIGN COMPETITION Albania, Competition BRIEF # 1 Southern Coast Strip and Surrounding Villages – RIVIERA, Lot 1, 2, 3. [Online] Available online from: http:// competitions.planifikimi.gov.al [Accessed: June 2015].

BAS SMETS, VADIM VOSTERS, TRANSSOLAR, ERIK DE WAELE, SON Engineering & Construction (2014) RIVIERA Lot 2 – Winners Presentation, Published by Atelier Albania BUREAU. [Online] Available online from: http:// www.scribd.com/doc/249032321/RIVIERALot-2-Winners#scribd [Accessed: August 2015].

BIANCONI, F. (2008) Nuovi paesaggi.

Rappresentare seconde nature. Segrate (MI): Morlacchi.

CATUCCI, S. (2013) Imaprare dalla Luna (title translation, “Learning form the Moon).

Macerata: Quotlibet.

CLÉMENT, Gille (2005) Manifesto del Terzo Paesaggio (Manifesto of the Third Landscape).

Macerata: Quodlibet.

JAKOB, M. (2009) Il paesaggio. Bologna: Il Mulino.

MARINI, S. (2008) Architettura Parassita.

Strategie di Riciclaggio per la Citta'. Macerata: Quodlibet.

PANDAKOVIC, D., DAL SASSO, A. (2013) Saper Vedere il Paesaggio, Torino: Città studi.

SCHWARZER, M. (2004) Zoomscape: Architecture in Motion and Media. New York: Princeton Architectural Press.

TURRI, E. (2008) Antropologia del paesaggio.

Venezia: Marsilio.

WELDHEIM, C. (1999) “Aerial Representation and the Recovery of Landscape”. In CORNER, J. (1999) Recovering Landscape. New York: Princeton Architectural Press.

Films and Documentaries Mulholland Drive. (2001) Film. Directed by David Lynch. [AVI] USA: Universal Pictures Distribution.

Reyner Banham Loves Los Angeles. (1972) Documentary Directed by Julian Cooper [AVI] USA: Malcolm Brown Producer.

To Catch a Thief. (1955) Film. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. [AVI] USA: Paramount Pictures Distribution True Detective. (2014) Crime drama television series. Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, Justin Lin [AVI] USA: Anonymous Content, Parliament of Owls, Passenger, Neon Black, Lee Caplin / Picture Entertainment Distribution.

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Re-active Riviera / competition description Sealine / MetroPOLIS

published in 'Albanian Riviera / An alternative model of Progress and Development for a Next Generation Albania.' (2016) Botime Pegi

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design team Metropolis / Prof PhD Besnik Aliaj, PhD Loris Rossi, PhD Antonino Di Raimo, MSc Endrit Marku, MSc Ledian Bregasi, MSc Laura Pedata, MSc Edi Hila, MSc Elvan Dajko consultant team Sealine / Prof PhD Roberto Di Giulio, Prof PhD Luca Emanueli, Prof PhD Antonello Stella, PhD Giacomo Bizzarri, PhD Marco Stefani, PhD Massimo Tondello, MSc Luca Coltro, MSc Carlo Ruyblas Lesi, MSc Gianni Lobosco collaborators / Sonila Brahollari, Gerdi Papa, Emel Petërçi, Dean Hado, Iris Hyka, Ada Lushi, Sonia Joijc, Luca Rossato, Roberto Pasini, Mario Assisi, Egla Luca, Elena Dorato, Saimir Kristo, Lang Thorsten, Joana Dhiamandi, Arta Januzi-Cana, Erida Curraj The Riviera Competition was launched by Atelier Albania, mandated by the Ministry of Urban Development and Tourism and the Office of the Prime Minister, in 2014.

The international design competition was aimed to the improvement of the public space, in the southern coast strip. Such area attracts the majority of the local and international tourists coming to Albania and is a generator for the economy of the whole region especially during the summer. The Reactive Riviera proposal has been developed for such competition by a multidisciplinary team that collect several expertises from Sealine and Metropolis.

In its early elaboration it has also been fed by the theoretical contribution of Polis&UniFe's PhD candidates. This mix allowed to accomplish the competition challenges and in some way to go beyond it proposing a “process” more than a “steady” project.

The definition “Reactive Riviera” comes from a research project by Sealine that focuses on comparison, parallel study and feedback between coastal cities and tourist areas pertaining to the AdriaticIonian Macroregion. It investigates consolidated and emerging realities: contexts at different stages of progress in

relation to the development of a touristic model. The reference point is the Riviera Romagnola coast. As a mature and extreme territory from this point of view, it represents an example in both positive and negative. Starting from it, the aim is to define new solutions and strategies for emerging contexts, the booming ones – most of them placed in the east Adriatic basin. They have different characteristics, but are increasingly subject to similar dynamics. Emerging realities, in tourism trade, are now in the position to plan their growth after an initial unchecked boom period. Within the Adriatic-Ionian Macroregion public and private subjects are increasingly interested in strategies and devices to address this turning point.

Operating here provides the ability to test innovative solutions in less compromised and locked situations. That is the case of Albanian South Coast where the proposal Reactive Riviera has been developed as a first case-study.

Objectives and challenges The proposal is grounded on the belief that Tourism is the most important source for the Riviera segment, identified as Himara Area, to growth safeguarding

tional level, allowing the riviera to become a strategic area throughout the entire year. the touristic vocation of the area will still remain crucial but new and diverse opportunities can be created without further exploiting the invaluable landscape and territory.

NORTH- SOUTH NATIONAL CORRIDOR

KONISPOL

DELVINAKI PARK

IO

FILIATES CHIFLIK

ÇIFLIK

BUTRINT NATIONAL PARK

IOANNINA

IGOUMENITSA

XARRË ÇIFLIG

EGNATIA CORRIDOR

IGUMENITSA

KONISPOL

IOANNINA

FILIATES

Sou

CHIFLIK

IGOUMENITSA

ECONOMIC POTENTIALS (tourism

ECONOMIC POTENTIA PERUCICA

PODGORICA PERUCICA

M

PODGORICA KOMAN VAU DEJËS

FIERZË

M

M

ULËZ

KOMAN VAU DEJËS

SHKOPET

FIERZË

M

ULËZ

LANABREGAS

SHKOPET

VRU

TIRANA

C

OSLO LANABREGAS

M

ELBASAN

BRINDISI (SAN FOCA)

ELBASAN

O

FIER

C

BERAT

O

O BRINDISI (SAN FOCA)

O

FIER VLORA

BARI

TIRANA

C

O

BERAT

O BISTRICA 2 BISTRICA VLORA 1

BARI

O

BISTRICA 2

LECCE

BISTRICA 1

O IGOUMENITSA

LECCE

ECONOMIC POTENTIALS (tourism, agriculture, energy, mining) ECONOMIC POTENTIALS (tourism, agriculture, energy, mining)

NETWORKS, NETWOR 53 H

TOURISM

TOURISM SEA/ SLASH TOURISM SEA/ SLASH TOURISM

PERUCICA

MOUNTAIN TOURISM MOUNTAIN TOURISM

PERUCICA

AGRICULTUREAGRICULTURE AGRICULTURE AGRICULTURE LAND LAND

PODGORICA PODGORICA

M

THERMAL POWER PLANTPOWER PLANT THERMAL

M

ULËZ

ULËZ

LANABREGAS LANABREGAS

C

VRUTOK

VRUTOK

C

QAF-MORINA

ULCINJ MURRIQAN

i

LEZHA

SHËNGJIN

LAÇI

O

FIER

FIER

O

O

VLORA

BARI

F.KRUJA

SHIJAKU

RINAS SHIJAKU

i

DURRËSI GOLEMI

BITOLA

O

KAVAJA

DIVJAKA

TOPOJA

C

BERAT

KORÇA

TOPOJA PATOSI

C

FIERI

KORÇA

THESSALONIKI THESSALONIKI (KIPOI)

O

i

LUSHNJA

ROSKOVECI KUÇOVA KUÇOVA URA BERATI URA VAJGURORE VAJGURORE PATOSI

LEVAN

POLIÇANI

(KIPOI)

i

VLORA

DHËRMI

BISTRICA 2 BISTRICA 1

ÇOROVOD

NARTA

VLORA

BISTRICA 1

i

RROGOZHINA

FIERI

LEVAN

i

VLORA

TIRA

ELBASANI

DIVJAKA

ROSKOVECI

O BERAT

KRUJA RINAS

TIRANA

RROGOZHINA

BITOLA

LAÇI

F.KRUJA VORA

GOLEMI

KAVAJA

M

LEZHA

KRUJA ISHËM

ISHËM VORA

OSLOMEJ OSLOMEJ

BISTRICA 2

LECCE

i i

SHËNGJIN

LUSHNJA

O

IBALLA

MURRIQAN

NARTA

BARI

IBALLA

i

i

i

FIERZA

KOPLIKU

SHKODRA

EXISTING 400 kV POWER400 GRID EXISTING kVSYSTEM POWER GRID SYSTEM PROJECTED 400PROJECTED kV POWER400 GRID kVSYSTEM POWER GRID SYSTEM TAP (TRANS ADRIATIC PIPELINE) TAP (TRANS ADRIATIC PIPELINE)

DURRËSI

SPITALLË

BAJZA

SOLAR ENERGYSOLAR POTENTIAL ENERGY POTENTIAL

MINING MINING M METALS (BITUM, COPPER, IRON-NICKEL) M METALS (BITUM, COPPER, IRON-NICKEL) O OIL AND GAS O FIELDS OIL AND GAS FIELDS C COAL SEAMS C COAL SEAMS

TIRANA

M ELBASAN ELBASAN

BRINDISI BRINDISI (SAN FOCA) (SAN FOCA)

SKOPJE

SHKOPET

TIRANA

ULCINJ

WIND ENERGYWIND POTENTIAL ENERGY POTENTIAL

SKOPJE

i

SHKODRA

GUSINJE VERMOSH

i

SPITALLË HANI I HOTIT

KOPLIKU

HIDRO POWERHIDRO PLANTPOWER PLANT

FIERZË KOMAN KOMAN VAU DEJËS VAU DEJËS

i

BAJZA

ENERGY CAPITAL CITY CAPITAL CITY IMPORTANT CITY IMPORTANT CITY

FIERZË

SHKOPET

PODGORICA HANI I HOTIT

PRISHTINA PRISHTINA ENERGY

M

M

GUSINJE VERMOSH

PODGORICA

TEPELENA DHËRMI

HIMARA

GJIROK

HIMARA BORSH

BORSH

O FINIQ

LECCE

SARANDA ÇUKË

QAFBO

IGOUMENITSA IGOUMENITSA

IGOUMENIT

LEGEND NATIONAL BORDER SEA BORDER NORTH-SOUTH NATIONAL CORRIDOR BYPASS CORRIDOR PROPOSED RIVIERA PANORAMIC CORRIDOR TRANSVERSIAL CONNECTIONS OTHER ROADS PROPOSED CONNECTIONS RIVERS LAKES GREENERY PROPOSED PROTECTED AREAS NATIONAL PARKS FORMER AIRPORT HARBOUR AIRPORT PRIMARY CITY SECONDAR YCITY TERCIARY CITY MAIN VILLAGES IN STUDY AREA PRIMARY SEA CONNECTION SECONDARY SEA CONNECTION PROPOSED SEA CONNECTION STUDYING AREA INTERVENTION AREAS PROPOSED PROGRAM

international urban deSign competition

riviera / Stage 2 / lot 2

0

2

4

10 km

Fig1 / Re-Active Riviera Vision source / Re-Active Riviera competition panels

AUG 07 Shen Stefan Shen 27 Stefan DEC

DEC 27

Palasë Palasë

Pilur Pilur

Llias Llias Dhermi Dhermi

km_50min 56 56 km_50min

km_10min 7,57,5 km_10min

Vuno Vuno

Gjolek Gjolek

54

and improving its environmental and cultural heritage (i.e. mountain and coastal landscapes, villages and local communities, traditions and identities).

This means a low impact development of infrastructures and facilities for both local people and the travellers, cultural heritage and environment. Protection of natural sources requires as well interventions to be planned in the logic of a limited consumption of land beside a strategy to improve accessibility and understanding of natural and cultural sites. In that perspective, Reactive Riviera Project aims to take the opportunity to act in a proactive way. Tourism and Public Aesthetics have the potential to create beneficial effects on the environment by contributing to its valorisation and conservation. They can act as instruments to raise awareness of environmental values and tools to finance protection of natural areas and increase their economic importance.

These have been the main objectives and the ambitious challenges of the Reactive Riviera Project.

Sustainable, ethical and local are the three important keywords that drive the project.

Ideas and proposals focus intersection of environmental, social and economic issues, founding their feasibility on: data survey of environmental conditions, eco balance, potential risks and potential impacts produced (environmental sustainability); assessment of community resilience, local traditions, potential involvement and participation of inhabitants in the changes and growth (social sustainability); compatibility and balance between investors’ expectation and community INTERNATIONAL URBAN DESIGN COMPETITION

RIVIERA / STAGE 2 / LOT 2

Himarë Himarë

8,2km_11min km_11min 8,2

8,2km_13min km_13min 8,2

Porto Palermo

5,5 km

Himarëfhat fhat Himarë

needs, rights and participation (financial sustainability). In order to address these different tasks, the first issue concerns the interpretation of Albanian Riviera in terms of touristic potential. According to the general reference model described by Luca Emanueli in the introduction of the book (Chapter 1.2), the components that determine the tourist attractiveness of an urban system or a territory can be studied and related one each other. The “primary component” includes the reasons for the attractiveness of a destination: the territory resources (historical, landscape, environmental) that justify the visit.

The “secondary component” includes the services to tourists, receptivity and functions designed to satisfy the accessories needs. The “infrastructure component” includes devices that allow tourists to reach the destination and move in the area. The efficiency of the individual components and their relationships determine the success and attractiveness of the territory from the point of view of tourism. The key factor, however, is represented by the relationship that all of the components are able to engage with the “local community”. This relationship field is called “buffer zone”.

Looking at this scheme it is possible to identify strengths and weaknesses of the Albanian Riviera and, at the same time, to clarify the proposal operation field and its challenges. Here the value of the Primary Component is preponderant.

The Albanian Southern coast, seen as a thick and complex territory, shows its huge attractiveness potential in the fields of: natural environment, leisure and

TEAM 2.1

SEALINE + METROPOLIS

Cultural Events Oraganized Services Educative/Training Cross-cuting Activities

OCT 26

m_7min

Queparo

3, 2km_4min

Borsh

7,9km_10min

Piqueras

6,5 km_8min

Qazim Pali

cultural heritage. Beyond that, the role of public aesthetics and the quality of public space via smart design can help not only building a successful economic and financially viable area, but also branding and marketing a totally new international image for Albania, as a world destination.

Reaching this goal working on Infrastructure Component is the main challenge to deal with, first of all in terms of transportation. The project aim is to control and drive the infrastructure development toward a smart and sustainable system: connecting mobility systems and transforming the time of travelling in an amazing experience across the Albanian Riviera Landscape and its Art Works and Heritage Sites integrated along the transportation itineraries. Beside that it is fundamental to work on the energy process efficiency in order to support possible facilities developments through renewable sources and a zero-kilometre approach in the energy supply chain.

This two main challenges have to be matched by a sustainable financial approach based on principles of business ethics driving the business models beyond the proposal. Some models, in this sense, have been investigated, compared with the available ones in the Albanian legislation and applied to the different situations.

INTERNATIONAL URBAN DESIGN COMPETITION

RIVIERA / STAGE 2 / LOT 2

Strategic vision The project strategic vision is formulated in order to emphasize the mutual relationship between the the primary component and the mobility infrastructural one. In this sense it aims at boosting accessibility through an infrastructural network

Lukovë

6,9km_10min

Shën Vasil

15,2 km_16min

Sarandë

Fig2 / Plan in 1:25000 source / Re-Active Riviera competition panels

based on relevant spots and diversescale itineraries (seaborne connections, SEALINE + METROPOLIS pedestrian paths, trails ...). This spots will also support inter-modality between large scale flows and local mobility networks.

Working as Touristic hubs, they are meant to be gates for wider territories: allowing to penetrate other adjacent regions of the country - making the whole tourist package of Albanian and their economic program more sustainable; allowing to discover and access unknown landscape and coastal areas - maximizing social and economic impact of strategic public investments, and promote incremental public-private partnership. The proposed interventions concern specific and diverse spots in the territory addressing all the other components of the touristic model.

Different types of intervention methods have been planned depending both on the areas conditions and on the possible timing that the strategy of the Reactive Riviera Project should be based on. We propose to extend then the intervention in certain natural, historic, landscape, cultural, religious or destination corridors that start but go beyond the area of the competition, in order to boast the economic impact and maximize the social benefit of the public investments for all Albania.

TEAM 2.1

Strategy based on the areas conditions Based on a first “site-specific analysis” of the areas included in the Lot 2, four different typologies of them have been identified according to the level of impact allowed and to the environmental protection to respect: protected zones, regeneration sites, new low-impact

55

REACTIVE RIVIERA

2 palasa Key actions: 1. implementation of road connections between villages and beaches 2. parking system organization - with temporary and seasonal access control 3. dhrale beach - waterfront promenade, pier for touristic and private boat docking, beach facilities and info point 4. definition of protected delta area 5. implementation of extreme sports area

VLORA TOTO VLORA

TO TOLOGARA LOGARA

EXTREME EXTREMESPORTS SPORTSPLATFORM PLATFORM

PALASA-DHERMI

DHRALE BEACH DHRALE BEACH

DRY SPRING DRY SPRING

GREEN INFILL GREEN INFILL

TOPALASA PALASA & & DHERMI DHERMI TO

DHRALEBEACH BEACH DHRALE

VILLAGE-BEACH ROADS VILLAGE-BEACH ROADS

56

PEDESTRIAN PATHS PEDESTRIAN PATHS PARKING ISLANDS PARKING ISLANDS PIERS PIERS

RA

TOJALISKAR JALISKARBEACH BEACH TO

BOAT TRAFFIC

RESTAURANTS

FACTORY

PARAGLIDING

CAMPING GROUND

NATIONAL ROADS PARAGLIDING PARACHUTING CONCERT GROUND FACILITY RESTAURANTS CASTLE BOAT TRAFFIC FACTORY BARS CAMPING RESTAURANTS BOAT TRAFFIC FACTORY CAMPING GROUND NATIONAL ROADS BYPASS NATIONAL ROADS NATIONAL ROADS VILLAGE-BEACH ROADS PARAGLIDING FREE RELIGIOUS BUILDINGS PARACHUTING CONCERT FACILITY CASTLE RESTAURANTS BARSBEACH BOAT TRAFFIC FACTORY HIKING TRAILS CAMPING THEATRE GROUND CONCERT FACILITY CASTLE BARS NATIONAL ROADS BYPASS NATIONAL ROADS BYPASS SERVICE ROADS NATIONAL ROADS VILLAGE-BEACH ROADS VILLAGE-BEACH ROADS PEDESTRIAN PATHS CULTURAL FACILITIES HISTORIC RESIDENCE EQUIPPED BEACH TREKKING TAILS FREE RELIGIOUS BUILDINGS PARACHUTING CONCERT FACILITY CASTLE BARSBEACH HIKING TRAILS THEATRE FREE BEACH RELIGIOUS BUILDINGS THEATRE NATIONAL ROADS BYPASS SERVICE VUNO-JALE STREAM ROADS SERVICE ROADS VILLAGE-BEACH ROADS Key actions: PEDESTRIAN PATHS CULTURAL FACILITIES HISTORIC RESIDENCE FREE EQUIPPED PUBLIC ADMIN. OFFICES HORSE RIDING EQUIPPED BEACH TREKKING TAILS BEACH RELIGIOUS BUILDINGS HIKING TRAILS THEATRE BEACH TRAINING FACILITIES PEDESTRIAN PATHS CULTURAL FACILITIES HISTORIC RESIDENCE NODES EQUIPPED SERVICE 1.ROADS Implementation of road connections between villages and beaches; restricted (service) access to the road STREAM STREAM PIERS along PEDESTRIAN PATHS Dhermi beach CULTURAL FACILITIES HISTORIC RESIDENCE RESEARCH ACTIVITIES FERRY BOAT TRAFFIC OLD WINDMILL FREE EQUIPPED HORSE RIDING PUBLIC ADMIN. OFFICES EQUIPPED BEACH TREKKING TAILS SPORT ACTIVITIES TRAINING FACILITIES NODES FREE EQUIPPED PUBLIC ADMIN. OFFICES TRAINING FACILITIES NODES PARKING STREAM 2. ISLANDS Revitalization of pedestrian historical paths connecting the historical centres and the beach PIERS RESEARCH ACTIVITIES PRIVATE BOAT TRAFFIC FISH FARMING TOURIST ACCOMODATION MARINE SPORTS FERRY BOAT TRAFFIC OLD WINDMILL FREE EQUIPPED PUBLIC ADMIN. OFFICES HORSE RIDING PIERS SPORT ACTIVITIES TRAINING FACILITIES 3. Paving and renewal of the facades in the main of Dhërmi GREEN INFILL NODES RESEARCH ACTIVITIES FERRY BOAT TRAFFIC OLDplaza WINDMILL PARKING ISLANDS 4.

Definition of intermodal PARKING nodes ISLANDS PIERS CITRUS GROVES HARBOR PROTECTED HOTEL DIFFUSO RESEARCH ACTIVITIES PRIVATE BOAT TRAFFIC FISH FARMING SCUBA DIVING TOURIST ACCOMODATION MARINE SPORTS FERRY BOAT TRAFFIC OLD WINDMILL SPORT ACTIVITIES GREEN INFILL 5.AREA Parking system organization and seasonal access control PRIVATE BOAT TRAFFIC FISH FARMING TOURIST ACCOMODATION GREEN INFILL - with temporary PARKING ISLANDS 6.

Dhërmi beach waterfront promenade, new public plaza and belvedere, pier for touristic and private boat PANORIC VIEWS CITRUS GROVES OLIVEFARMING TREE GROVES MOORING BUOYS HARBOR PROTECTED AREA HOTEL DIFFUSO HISTORIC RESORT SCUBA DIVING PRIVATE BOAT TRAFFIC FISH TOURIST ACCOMODATION MARINE SPORTS WATER GREEN INFILL CITRUSSPORTS GROVES HARBOR PROTECTED AREA HOTEL DIFFUSO docking, beach facilities and info point

PALASA-DHERMI

Palase Palase

BIKE PATH VIEWS 7.AREA Definition of protected green areas PANORIC HISTORIC RESORT PROTECTED HOTEL DIFFUSO PANORIC VIEWS

MOORING BUOYS HARBOR HISTORIC RESORT

CITRUS GROVES OLIVE TREE GROVES MOORING BUOYS

SCUBA WATERDIVING SPORTS OLIVE TREE GROVES

BIKE PATH VIEWS PANORIC

MOORING BUOYS

OLIVE TREE GROVES

WATER SPORTS

HISTORIC RESORT BIKE PATH TO LOGARA

BIKE PATH

PALASA

TO DHRALE BEACH

KONDRAQ OLD WINDMILL PERIVOLO BEACH SAINT THEODOR MONASTERY

HISOTRIC RESIDENCE

DHERMI

GREEN INFILL NODES

HERMI

VILLAGE-BEACH ROADS SERVICE ROADS

PEDESTRIAN PATHS activities calendar

DHERMI BEACH

TO VUNO VILLAGE

PARKING ISLANDS PIERS

PARAGLIDING

Fig2b / Palasa and Dhermi thematic clusters source / Re-Active Riviera competition panels

PARACHUTING HIKING TRAILS

TREKKING TAILS

Upper Dhermi Dhermi

TO GJIPE BEACH

PARAGLIDIN

VUN

PARACHUTIN

HIKING TRAI

Key ac 1. Bypa 2. Park HORSE RIDIN 3. Jale 4. Conv SPORT ACTIV

TREKKING TA

MARINE SPO

SCUBA DIVIN

WATER SPOR

VUNO-JALE

HI

HIMARA

Key actions: 1. Bypass around Vuno village to limit nonresident traffic in the centre of the village 2. Parking system organization - with temporary and seasonal access control 3. Jale beach - pier for touristic and private boat docking, beach facilities and info point 4. Conversion of the old water basin into a theatre arena for concerts and plays and annex facilities

Key 1. Re 2. Li 3. D 4. A 5. Re 6. In 7. Re 8. Re

TO DHERMI

VUNO SS PA BY

THEATRE OLD WATER BASIN

TO HIMARA

RMI

e

TO DHERMI BEACH GREEN INFILL

JALË

JALË BEACH

NODES VILLAGE-BEACH ROADS

HISTORIC RESORT

57

BIPASS PEDESTRIAN PATHS PARKING ISLANDS PIERS

PANEL

TO HIMARA BEACH

3

Vuno

HIMARA Jale Key actions: 1. Renovation of waterfront promenade to connect all the beaches 2. Linear pine tree park along the promenade 3. Development of urban park and steps 4. Addition of a pier at the end of the main road 55 22 5. Reconstruction and extension of the harbour, new harbour terminal, lighthouse, mooring buoys minof new facilities around the stadium 6. Introduction 7. Restoration of the pedestrian path to the historic castle of old Himara 8. Reconstruction of the historical square in the old city

Himare

TO VUNO

OLD HIMARA TO JALI BEACH

LIVADH BEACH

HIMARA

GREEN INFILL NODES BIPASS

TO LLAMAN BEACH

PEDESTRIAN PATHS

TO PORTO PALERMO

PARKING ISLANDS PIERS

JUL 20 Panagia

AUG 07

AUG 15

Fig2c / Vuno-Jale and Himara thematic clusters source / Re-Active Riviera competition panels Porto Palermo

Upp Qep

PANEL

4

UKOVE

PIQERAS-LUKOVE Key actions: 1. Improvement of trekking and horse riding trails and biking paths starting from the beach area.

2. Implementation of road connections between villages and beaches; 3. Pier for touristic and private boat docking, free equipped beaches 4. Improvement of pedestrian road along Bunec and Lukove beach TO BORSH

PIQERAS TO BORSH BEACH

SASAJ BUNEC BEACH

PALI

LUKOVA

RISM LUKOVE BEACH

GREEN INFILL VILLAGE-BEACH ROADS PEDESTRIAN PATHS PARKING ISLANDS

58

TO QAZIM PALI TO KAKOME BEACH

PIERS

Shen Vasil PIQERAS-LUKOVE

BORSH-QIPARO Key actions: 1. Improvement of facilities in Qeparo and Borsh beach 2. Borsh central square, Improved accessibility to Borsh castle 3. Revitalization of Old Qeparo village 4. Creation of sports activity area 5. Improved connectivity with the inland by Borsh river valley AGRITOURISM

QEPARO

OLD QEPARO

TO VLORA & TEPELENE

Olive Production Medical Herbs Bicycling Aquatic Sports Park BORSH Water Mobility Hosting Tourism QAZIM PALI Religious Tourism Fortress AGRITOURISM Military Heritage Port Yacht Port

TO PORTO PALERMO

ORTO PALERMO BEACH

BORSH BEACH

VILLAGE-BEACH ROADS PEDESTRIAN PATHS

TO PIQERAS VILLAGE

PARKING ISLANDS PIERS AGRICULTURAL FIELDS TO PIQERAS BEACH

Fig2d / Piqeras-Lukove and Borsh Qiparo thematic clusters source / Re-Active Riviera competition panels Piqeras

Beach activities Agriculture Olive harvesting Loisir Tourism Religous Tourism Cold War Tours Cultural Events Oraganized Services Educative/Training Cross-cuting Activities

Lukova

p

mo Palermo

view of the eco-resort from the path to ali pasha Castle

59

PROJECT TITLE PROJECT TITLE

REACTIVE RIVIERA REACTIVE RIVIERA PORTO PALERMO PORTO PALERMO

BORSH-Q BOR

Key actions: Key actions: 1. Addition of mooring buoys and pier 1. Addition mooring buoys and pier 2. Parking system of organization 2.

Parking system organization 3. Design of an Eco hotel/resort 3. Design of an Eco hotel/resort 4. Design of underground buildings for cultural, training and research facilities.

4. Designofofthe underground buildings for cultural, training and research facilities.

5. Renovation path connecting the port with Alipasha Castle 5. Renovation of the path connecting the port with Alipasha Castle

Key actions: Key ac 1. Improvement 1. Impr 2. Borsh central 2. Borsh 3. Revitalization 3. Revit 4. Creation of sp 4. Creat 5. Improved con 5. Impr

AGRIT UNDERGROUND BUILDINGS UNDERGROUND BUILDINGS

TO HIMARA TO HIMARA

TO PORTO PALERMO TO PORTO PALERMO

TO PORTO PALERMO BEACH

TO PORTO PALERMO BEACH

PORTO PALERMO HARBOR PORTO PALERMO HARBOR

ECO HOTEL

ECO HOTEL

ALI PASHA CASTLE

TO HIMARA BEACH

ALI PASHA CASTLE

TO HIMARA BEACH

VILLAGE GREEN INFILL

PEDEST

VILLAGE-BEACH ROADS GREEN INFILL PEDESTRIAN PATHS VILLAGE-BEACH ROADS

PARKING PIERS

PARKINGPEDESTRIAN ISLANDS PATHS PIERS

PARKING ISLANDS TO PIQERAS BEACH PIERS

Upper Qeparo Upper Qeparo

TO QEPARO

TO PIQERAS BEACH

TO QEPARO

Fig2e / Porto Palermo thematic cluster and view source / Re-Active Riviera competition panels Borsh Borsh

AGRICUL

60

developments and urban areas.

Protected zones The aim is working on connectivity. Regulated accessibility improves the awareness of environmental values meeting the needs of sustainable tourism. This will pay special attention not only to natural and historic areas but also to the environmental hot spots, informal areas or crisis situations that damage the image and qualities of protected zones, along way or adjacent to such destinations.

In the totally safeguarded areas the RR proposes solutions for improving accessibility and understanding of cultural and environmental heritage (i.e. light tourist facilities to improve accessibility to villages, beaches, and cultural sites).

Regeneration sites The aim is working on the efficiency of urban destination stressed by increasing tourism flows. The upgrade of the hosting system has to impact local communities’ economy and the quality of public space via innovative urban planning exercises and flexible actions of urban design and inspiring art or landscaping works.In the areas where “low impact” interventions are allowed proposals are focused on the improvement of infrastructures and facilities addressed to a policy for a progressive growing of tourism. The development of coastal infrastructures (as well as short sea shipping, docks and marinas, rehabilitation of beach-scapes, etc.) and a strategy of regeneration and refurbishment of small coastal settlements and villages are the focus of the project.

New low-impact developments The aim is working on brand new leading infrastructure according to sustainability and smart cities standards. An innovative model acts as example and driver for other areas pushing the entire touristic sector. This might be the backbone for the marketing and branding of the Albania Riviera: selected sites and landmarks able to introduce this territory on a global stage.The seafront line is the “sea side” of the coastal infrastructures including maritime terminals (mainly for tourist transportation), pleasure boats facilities and other light works aiming at improving the mobility along the coast.

Urban areas Proposals for the urban areas include regeneration of waterfronts, improvement and implementation of urban furniture, implementation of infrastructures for a more extensive use of renewable resources.

Strategy based on a time-scale Reactive Riviera proposes a phased approach aiming to steer a gradual development of the strategic programme.

Priorities, feasibility and sustainability of interventions drive the definition of a timetable for the whole process. Each proposal has been “scored” according to the growing strategy and a sequence of steps has been scheduled inside each single intervention as well. The working plan of the Reactive Riviera Project should be implemented after a preliminary and in depth analysis of environmental, social and economics issues focused on: the peculiarity of environmental characteristics and condition of each site; the needs and requirements of local communities and municipalities; the market indicators, applicable business models, sensitivity analysis, appropriate eco-fin models, juridical and legislative frame.

Short/medium term Short and medium term strategies consider light and low cost interventions that could start in the small villages and could include: renovation of public spaces, facilities for beach areas, pathways for connecting villages, etc.

Within these timelines it is possible to start the implementation of a network of see shipping and maritime terminals to connect the villages each other and with the larger terminals of Durres, Vlore, Saranda and Corfù. This maritime network, at its starting stage, is feasible within a short space of time and it is does not require expensive infrastructures. It is a good solution for an eco-sustainable tourism as well.

Medium term The medium term strategy follows the previous one: the seaside infrastructures increase (also with the contribution of private investors) implementing new facilities, the local entrepreneurs grow up in the tourist sector. A sustainable energy policy and a strategy od subsidies for the inhabitants of the small villages could support the refurbishment and improvement of houses expanding the accommodation capacity based on the “albergo diffuso” model (“widespread hotel” or “virtual hotel” is an innovative concept of hospitality, was launched in Italy in the early 1980s ). In this stage the internal pathways (including new types of path as well as trekking tracks, bike paths and horse tracks) and see shipping network should extend.

Medium/long term Strategies at the medium and long term will correspond to a change of scale: the interventions are related to their effect on a larger area including other national and international sites and bigger infrastructures (airports, ports,

panel

5

Himara waterfront promenade

OLD HIMARA

proposed interventions: / Waterfront promenade / Linear pine tree park along the promenade/ Urban park and steps / Pier / Reconstruction and extension of the harbor / New harbor terminal / Lighthouse / Sport structures near the stadium / Pedestrian path to the historic castle / Reconstruction of the historical square in the old city /

space – imparking and

orts (durres, water infra-

es (Hotel difnts; developtwork of the he albanian aths activity

Concept Himara being the main locality between Vlora and Saranda takes a primary role in the general proposal for the Southern albania riviera. the city is able to welcome more visitors than the nearby areas and it has the potentials to become a service hub for the region. for these reasons the intervention in Himara is proposed to be more substantial. the proposal intends to create not only a new image for the city waterfront but it aims to improve significantly the quality of the public space. a new circulation scheme allows most of the waterfront to be car-free. this pedestrian promenade creates a solution of continuity for the three beaches of the city. the visitors are accompanied along the promenade by the linear pine tree park, smaller urban parks and a system of steps that not only allows the natural connection between the city and the sea but also creates smaller plazas and spaces to stop along the beach. the promenade after crossing the new pier, branches off towards the northern end of the city leading from one side to the reorganized and extended harbor which can welcome visitors from the sea thanks to the new terminal. on the second branch, the linear park brings the visitors uphill, through the new sports center, to the historical city and the castle. the reconstructed square recreates the mediterranean atmosphere and opens new panoramas towards the sea.

HIMARA

Fig3 / View of the Himara waterfront promenade source / Re-Active Riviera competition panels SCale 1:5000

RESTAURANTS HOTELS

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waterfront promenade

Fig4 / Himara waterfront promenade source / Re-Active Riviera competition panels

61

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Dhermi sea Plaza Proposed interventions: / Paving and renewal of the facades in the main plaza of Dhërmi / Public plaza and belveconnection connectionwith withthe thesea sea dere in Dhërmi beach / Promenade in Dhërmi beach / Pier in Dhërmi beach / Info Point in Dhërmi beach / Revitalization of historical paths between the sea and the historical centers / Parking system organization with temporary and seasonal access control / concept the objective of the intervention in the area of Dhërmi is to create a series of virtuous cycles through minimal interventions. these reactivated cycles are intend to extend the touristic season by diversifying the offered activities, not by exploiting even further the territory but by highlighting the existing and hidden potentials of the southern albanian landscape. the proposal for this area is based on the concept of strengthening historical paths with the intention to create a network of itineraries that weave together the landscape persistence, historical sites and vacation destinations. in this way, it is intended to create a complex system of activities and sites that reacts to the seasonal changes of the touristic demand and pressure. During the high season, the network will bring the seaside visitors up to historical villages of Dhërmi, Gjilekë, Kondraq and Palasë, better distributing in this way the benefits of the touristic activities to the local communities. While, during the off-season, the permanence of few activities will still allow specific typologies of tourism to be present in the territory, keeping in this way the villages alive even during the winter. the proposed network is based on a series of punctual and linear interventions. in particular the immediate interventions are proposed to take place in the historical center of Dhërmi and along the seaside. in the historical center, the revaluation of the plazas by redesign the pavement and few facades will create very pleasant places for the tourists and inhabitants. the ending point of the street that brings the visitors down to the beach is proposed to become an important node Belvedere Belvedere Belvedere Belvedere Belvedere Belvedere for where the mountain, the beach and the sea itineraries meet and where a public plaza that platform platform platform platform platform platform The Thepier pieroffers offersa awith Thepier pieroffers offersa a The Thepier pieroffers offersa a with with with with The bring a new image for Dhërmi can be created.Light Form thiswith node the visitors can either choose to direct Light with roof Light roof with Lightroof roof with Light roofwith with Light roof with Services direct connecdirect connecconnecdirect connecdirect connec- direct connecServices Services Services Services Services greenery. greenery. greenery. greenery. greenery. greenery. services, tofor services, services, toto offer services,for tooffer offer services,totooffer offer Activities services, offerfor tion sailboats tion sailboats tionfor for sailboats tionfor for sailboats tionfor forsailboats sailboats the the for the the for the for thethetion Activities Activities Activities Activities Activities take the promenade along the seaside whichshelter offers basic bathing services orbeach take one of for shelter for shelterfor for shelter for with the square. with square. with the square. withthe the square. with withthe thesquare. square. beach beach beach shelter beach beach under the under the under under the undershelter the for underthe the reading, eating, reading, reading, eating, reading,area eating, reading,eating, eating, roof reading, eating, Itroof offers ItItalso offers a a inItItalso Italso offersa aarea also offers alsooffers offersa a like like area like area like area like area like roof can roof can can roofcan can roof can tracking itineraries to the inlands, or even useinformation the proposed piershowers to take aalso maritime itinerary. information information information information new newpanorama panorama panorama newpanorama panorama showers showersinformation showers showers new expand toto showers expand toto expand expand expand expandtonew tonewpanorama point, enjoying point, enjoying point,enjoying enjoying point, enjoying the point, enjoying to sea toto the sea and and tothe the seaand and the sea and totothe thesea seaAccess and for and and and Access for and and and the whole the Access for Access for this way the inland, the beach and the sea getpoint, interconnected, increasing the tourism capacity the whole thewhole whole thewhole whole the the panorama thepanorama panorama thepanorama panorama the panorama to the the landscape to the to thelandscape landscape the landscape to thelandscape landscape storage storage storage small boats small storage the storage storage platform platform platform River River River small boats smallboats boats platform platform platform River toto River River without impacting the territory.

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connection with the land Main square with Main square with Main square with sitting elements sitting elements sitting elements and greenery, and greenery, and greenery, End of the Endproviding of the viewEnd of the providing view providing view points, street with street with creating street with points, creating points, creating Pedestrian connections toparking the to theconnections to the parking area, Pedestrianparking area, Pedestrian area,connections Retaining wallto the beachRetaining wall path path path and to the and and to the and entrance andbeach entrance and entrancebeach providing also providing leading toto the leading village the village up into the village up in thealso to the main mainup in leading to the to main Shading rockvillageExisting rock place sitting place the village sitting the village River mountain. mountain. mountain. square Existing the square square elements

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Pier Pier

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2.1 Fig5 / Dhermi Sea Plaza / Masterplan, diagrams and teaM view sealine + MetROPOlis source / Re-Active Riviera competition panels

64

motorways). Investments and business models are based, at this stage, on various typologies and levels of PPP policies. The seaside infrastructures (marinas, beaches, resorts, etc.) increase and consolidate their facilities, villages and tourist sites become bases for national and international sporting, arts and cultural events, accommodation facilities widen their capacity and improve their offer.

Sustainable energy policies The choices in terms of energy policy that has been adopted in the development of the master plan can be summarized through the following three keywords: energy process efficiency, renewable sources, zero-kilometre approach in the waste management and in the energy supply chain. Energy process efficiency means that the first aim of the project is to retrofit the existing energy supply chain rather than to install new large power plant. In a territory such the one of Himara District, at the actual state of the art, there are different actors, agriculture, services, housing, tourism, each characterized by its specific energy pattern, but however all of them see the peak of the demand concentrated during daytime hours. The future expectation of a strong development of the tourist sector will not change this general picture.

If it is true that in Albania a big fraction of the demand is already satisfied thanks to hydro power (in 2012 1446 MW over 1695 MW country production capacity was from hydro power station), but there is still a strong potential in the development of CAR ROAD TOURIST FACILITY local distributed small and microPARKING power PROMENADE

ARE PIER

GREEN ISLAND

stations directly feeding the local end users, the small cities and the villages.

The shortening of the energy supply chain, besides, has the potential both to reduce the energy grid transmission losses and to reduce the risk of black out.

The development of the last policy can be fulfilled though two steps acting on different segments of the demand structure. The first action consists in the installation of plants able to cut the daily peak of consumptions. Photovoltaic plants, in particular, have the potential to produce electricity exactly at the same time the electricity demand show its peak. The fact that the peak of demand and production perfectly coalesce is very desirable especially in the touristic sector: even though the target of the master plan is to provide instruments that will allow an all year long tourist season, it is obvious that the highest number of visitors will come in Summer causing the highest demand as well. Since the latitude and the solar potential of Albanian coast, and in accordance to what has been recorded in the last years in solar-fed facilities located in Puglia and Basilicata, one can expect a very high production during the Summer months, when the tourism will be in high season, and a lower generation of electricity, in any case adequate to satisfy at least the demand, during the other months of the year.

Another important issue, associated to the implementation of PV plants is the possibility of installing heat pump fed by electricity to replace old and pollutant fossil fuel boilers. The climate of the Himara region is in fact ideal for thePARKING operation of

SQUARE SEMI PRIVATE BEACH

SQUARE

BEACH FICILITY SEMI PRIVATE BEACH

PUB

PROJect title

ReactiVe RiVieRa

BLIC BEACH

scale 1:2000

0

40

200 m

Fig6 / Vuno and Jale Events Catalist, view source / Re-Active Riviera competition panels

Proposed Ke / Creation o center / Ince reservoir to partial open

concept 3 main action a bypass in o trian area wh and readapt and its appe into a space reservoir can which accom tional summ the combina

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s-B s-a

s-a s-B

Fig6 / Vuno and Jale Events Catalist, masterplan source / Re-Active Riviera competition panels

scale 1:2000

WATER FACILITY

SEMI PRIVATE BEACH PALASA

GREEN ISLAND

PUBLIC SQUARE 0

40

SEMI PRIVATE BEACH

200 m

PUBLIC BEACH

wEllnEss

proposed key actions: / Improvement of services in Qeparo beach / Improvement of services in Borsh beach / im Borsh central square / Revitalization of Old Qeparo village / Creation of sports activity area cessibility of Borsh castle / Improved connectivity with the inland through the Borsh river va

proposed / Improve Borsh cen cessibilit

Concept Borsh and with olive are faciliti the nature tracks will ating bett ties and th recognizin

Concept Borsh and Qeparo offer a difference in the landscape component, being the terrain flatter and regu with olives. The strong natural presence is intended to be protected and the majority of the propose are facilities for open air activities and sports. These key actions will not only diversify the touristic o the nature of the proposed activities, will enhance the landscape value of the area. some of the p tracks will allow the penetration inland, revitalizing by one side the old and historical centers, and b ating better connections to the historical routes that connect the area to Vlora, avoiding llogara. w ties and the access will progressively improve, the two beaches are intended to be equipped with b recognizing the strong familiar character of the tourism in this particular area of the riviera.

500 m

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porTo palErMo MariTiME ClUsTEr as far as the maritime development is considered, porto palermo is the most interesting site, being it a natural sheltered basin and and heritage site. The name porto is referred to the former military base, which was designed for submarines before world war ii and still in use during the Communist Era. GEoGraphiC and EffECTiVE fETChEs The fetches (length of water over which the wind speed and direction are reasonably constant) have been calculated on the basis of the position and exposure of the site and are shown in fig. 4.26. for evaluating the fetches, a point offshore porto palermo has been used (coordinates UTM34 wGs1984 396152E, 4434196n). fig. 4.27 shows effective fetches obtained using this procedure; maximum fetchs are for south-west direction and are about 330 km long (180 nm).

PORTO PALERMO

parking

pedestrian paths

new accessibility

lermo G Bay

Geographic fetches

y camp and submarine tunnels for the creation of the cold war museum / Reorganizarf / Organization of Mooring buoys / Creation of high quality resort / Improved accesastle /

y actions in porto palermo is based on the preservation and enhancement of the strong hisvalues of the area. The existing military base which includes also some fascinating submarine be reconverted in the Cold war Museum using the existing structures as a base for reorganiself-sustainable, high quality resort is proposed to be integrated into the rocky landscape of will contribute to keep the area active during the whole year. Visitor can access the bay also o the presence of the ex-military wharf and of the new mooring buoys which allows boats to bing the ecosystem of the sea bed. The presence of the better accessible castle of ali pasha ism offer of porto palermo.

mooring areas and future marina facilities

dEsiGn CoMpETiTion

existing quay rehabilitation

Effective fetches

siTE CharaCTErisTiCs and dEVElopMEnT sCEnarios The porto palermo site is suitable for almost any development, with the only limitation of large depth, which makes it difficult and expensive to build structures such as jetties or quays.

Though the site is very interesting for important touristic development, our proposal is still in agreement with the low impact, low cost, environmental friendly criteria exposed in the foreword. hence we decided to proceed with a light, step by step, development: 1. rehabilitation of and extension ot the existing quay, in order to provide quay space for services such as little ripairs, refueling, wastewater collection, etc. The submarine cave will be left as it is, for the purpose of preserving heritage and, perhaps, some unconventional touristic attraction. The rehabilitated quay will provide also safe mooring for 20+ m long yachts and passenger vessels connecting the seaside resorts of the albanian riviera. The overall cost of such a project is in the order of 3 M€ (port facilities only).

2. development of mooring areas: the moorings (28 buoys) should be designed for 10÷15 m long boats. The moorings should provide a full service: freshwater supply, waste and sewage collection, refueling, etc.; a dedicated pontoonboat operating form the nearby quay is likely to be the cheapest and most effective solution for such a service. The cost of mooring buoys and anchoring systems is about 0.10 M€, and € 60000 should be added for the supply vessel (pontoonboat).

3. development of marina facilities: new quay, 100 m long on the western side of the bay (about 0.5 M€), floating pontoons (60 m for new to old quay connection, 0.2 M€), mooring pontoons (250 m, about 0.75 M€), floating breakwaters (360 m, to be used for both moorings and wind wave sheltering (360 m, about 2 M€) .The overall cost, without land based infrastructures such as restaurant, yacht club, toilets, storage space, etc., is about 4.5 M€.palermo mooring site (28 buoys).

The cost of mooring buoys and anchoring systems is about 0.10 M€, and € 60000 should be added for the supply vessel (pontoonboat).

reorganization of the military camp

Fig7 / Borsh and Qeparo Wellnes Park, masterplan and view source / Re-Active Riviera competition panels

view of the eco-resort from the path to ali pasha C

heat pumps. These system operating at the highest thermodynamic efficiency (especially wen coupled with renewable plants), can assure a complete fulfil of the demand (both electrical and thermal) resulting environmental friendly and cost effective as well. Since the lowering costs of photovoltaic and heat pump, today they are already in a market grid parity if compared to the traditional systems, and they can hence guarantee the return of the investment in no more than 6-7 years.

Wind turbines are another technology that can be recommended at a master plan level, since they allow to exploit an important energy resource available especially close to the coast. According to the data provided by the Albania Energy Association, the coastal region of Himara shows an interesting potential in terms of wind energy. However it is important to underline that, since the specific demand coming from a territory where there very few energy intensive end users are settled, and stated that the country industry demand already is fed thanks to large plants, it is more advisable to investigate the installation of local smaller wind turbines directly feeding local grids, rather than build brand new wind farms with the related infrastructures.

Recent advances in smaller-scale wind turbines research, in fact, have leaded to the commercialization of small products in the range of 60-120 kW that perfectly fit with the local demand. These machines have rotors (25-30 meters) with characteristic similar to the bigger ones but have been designed to operate at the range of the lower wind velocities resulting in an excellent use of the resource limiting the hub height at no more than 40 meters.

The power output allows easy connections to local existing grids as well, avoiding the necessity of larger infrastructures such as substations and/or new high voltage cable lines.

However the main limit of solar and wind technologies is the uncertainty of their operations. The perfect match between demand and photovoltaic output curves and the possibilities coming from the adoption of heat pump fed by photovoltaic systems, of course can help a lot in lowering the former weakness, but there is the necessity to find other complementary solutions to come to a full optimization.

The ideal solution is the installation of small hydro plant to exploit the existing head, naturally created by the same shape of the coastal territory, with mountains directly surmounting the seafront.

Pelton turbines, for instance, can operate even at low water flow rate in case of

relevant geodetic head. These systems can be diffusely installed and have the potential to provide enough electricity to a whole village: they are too small to be industrial plants, but enough big to be cost effective in the supply of the local demand.

Since the small scale of the architectural buildings hosting the plants, several solutions can be investigated, in some case adopting underground installation for the plants absolutely neutral from the environmental and landscape point of view. The electricity produced thanks to this run-of-river plants, being reliable and continuous in time, can hence harmonize the one coming from the photovoltaic plants both to supply electrical and thermal (though heat pumps) end uses.

Finally in the near future there will be a growing interest towards the installation of small micro-combined heat and power (CHP) plant fed by biomasses (mainly wood chips). In recent years small CHP have been already launched in the energy market and, even though their cost is still rather high, there are some small scale machines (electrical output ranging from 25 to 50 kW) that already results cost effective especially in the cases where biomasses is not bought in the market but directly provided thanks to a selfmanaged supply chain (e.g. fallen branches collecting, wood cleaning, etc.). The last systems allow a tailor made solutions to satisfy the entire energy demand of a the associated facility permitting in certain case even small local district heating plant configuration maximizing hence the energy and environmental benefits also creating jobs both in the biomass supply chain and in the energy network management.

Sustainable financial approaches Impact investing The approach that we propose is commonly known as Impact Investing.

Impact investing means to insert an ethical element in the sustainability paradigm. In other words, our objective is to develop projects which present: .Economic and financial sustainability. The projects must be conceived and structured so that they reward the investors with the expected return. .Environmental sustainability. All aspects of the projects strategy and design should be environmentally friendly and respectful. .Social sustainability. (i.e. the ethical component) A part of the profit of each project is allocated to social programs. The goal of our social programs is not charity but to increase the quality of life in the long-run by promoting high education and

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local entrepreneurship.

A possibility – which we have already experienced elsewhere successfully – is to use some of the impact funds to fund research and educational programs jointly developed by the local and international universities. From an operational point of view this can be achieved by creating a non-profit company, with private-public governance, that not only will manage the funds deriving from the Riviera investment projects but also will look for additional funds on an international scale.

The eco-fin sustainability is a necessary condition of a successful investment project. The Business Plan is the tool that describes the market scenario, defines the project assumptions, and elaborates the eco-fin projections in order to estimate – with a certain degree of confidence – the likelihood of success, in terms of Net Present Value, Internal Rate of Return or other eco-fin parameters.

Key issues The initiatives that will involve the participation of private investors can be divided in 2 macro-categories: Full ownership (e.g. a real estate operation where the investor acquires the land); Concession (e.g. a marina where the investor benefits from the management of the infrastructure for a defined number of years). The first case requires a public auction of the land, most likely not only based on the price but also on the technical project and the positive externalities to the local communities. In the second case a PPP / PFI procedure will apply: Project Financing launched by Public Authorities with project base guidelines (large projects); Project Financing proposed by private investors (small projects); Specific procedures for waterfront / marine initiatives (e.g. L 509 / 1997 - Italy); PublicPrivate companies; Investment attraction.

There are 2 issues that must be taken in account in order to attract international investors: Financing Smaller projects could be fully-equity funded but the possibility of applying a gearing makes the projects more appealing for equity investors. The financing for smaller projects should be available with the local financial institutions which therefore must be included in the loop from day one.

Real Estate operations should consider pre-sales and separate the transfer of serviced land (1st phase) with the transfer of the actual residential units (2nd phase) to lower the financial leverage needed.

In operations in concession (e.g. marinas and similar initiatives) the financing from local institutions becomes critical. It is

very unlikely to find financing from abroad because of the exchange risk and the size of these initiatives. All operations should be considered and structured on a Project Finance scheme, i.e. non-recurse.

Nevertheless, the presence of the equity and / or quasi-equity part should be ensured at start. Financing institutions should guarantee their loans through bonds on the land or pledges on the shares. Large projects: larger projects may require a higher gearing and therefore, the participation of international financial institutions. Some sort of guarantee or hedging on the exchange rate should put in place. In any case full backing by the Government should be structured especially concerning the infrastructure projects with long-term concession.

Alternative structures of funding such as corporate bonds offering should be considered. Equity and mezzanine finance will have to be looked for on the international capital markets. Therefore, the positioning on the efficient frontier, a transparent juridical frame and a robust Government support are decisive. A good communication and marketing strategy with the participation to worldwide fairs like the MAPIC at Cannes (France) must be organized.

Steering team A steering team which defines the terms and conditions, establishes the strategic overview and leads the operations is critical to success. This steering could be formed by Government representatives, specialist from Institutions like Universities or Research Labs and private companies and professionals. Know-how, transparency, institutionalization, local and international experience should be the criteria of selection of the members of the steering team.

Pilot projects Pilot projects should have different objectives: - create a track record i.e. show to a larger audience that investing in the Riviera is a good deal; - demonstrate that the sustainability paradigm is robust and the best way to go; - test and fine-tune the strategic structure and the operational machine including the steering team that will establish the criteria and that will guide the future phases of more significant development projects; - test the current legal frame and evaluate potential improvements / integrations for the larger projects; - test the current financial climate and identify the critical instruments for the

reorganization of the military camp

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69

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Fig8 / Porto Palermo Maritime Cluster, masterplan and view eco-resort building typology source / Re-Active Riviera competition panels

view of the eco-resort from the path to ali pasha Castle

larger projects; - generate an initial turnover with a seeds of investments which will involve the local communities.

Therefore, all the aspects of larger projects should be present in the pilot projects: - pilot projects must already be inserted in a larger masterplan of portfolio investments that foresees a significant scalability; - they should move from a rigorous Business Plan; - the impact approach should be applied to these initiatives (with the participation of the local communities and the educational / research programs); - a marketing and communication strategy

should be implemented at an international level; - a rigorous quantitative approach should be applied in the construction of the ecofin model.

Design Actions On such integrated approach the RR project has been developed focusing on different contexts along the coastline chosen for their strategic status within the territory. Each detailed project has been implemented according to the general guidelines and interpreted as a case-study sEalinEintervention + METropolis in order to achieve specific devices and tactics to be used in other similar spots along the Riviera.

TEaM 2.1

3.1 A trip through the Albanian Riviera / step by step Eranda Janku, Enrico Porfido

3

territorial knowledge

A trip through the Albanian Riviera / step by step Eranda Janku and Enrico Porfido Researchers / POLIS University Tirana

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Fig / Porto Palermo beach source / Eranda Janku

MUNICIPALITY OF HIMARA 25,1% elderly +65 yo 59,4% 15-65 yo 15,5% children 0-15 yo

7,818 inhabitants 8.0 inhabitants / km2 The inhabitants of Palasë speak mainly Tosk Albanian dialect and partly a variant of the Himariote Greek dialect. The village contains narrow stone roads and quaint white houses and is built around a 400-year-old platanus (plane tree), which is central to village life and the pride of the village. The Palasë beach is 1.5 kilometres in length. North of Palasë, is located a small bay, named Grammata, accessible only by sea, with the surrounding cliffs containing various epigraphs, texts and symbols, perhaps carved out by sailors.

It is said that because of the village's situation on the hills, which ascend to about 300 metres, the village's name derives from the Greek word Vouno, meaning "mountain". The village of Vuno is inhabited by Orthodox Albanian speakers, of the southern dialect Tosk.

The village has many churches, but they are not operational as currently there are no priests in the village.

The churche located at the Jalë beach, dating to the 14th century, of Venetian architectural style and two other churches are still relatively well preserved.

The village of Dhërmi is built on a slope at approximately 200 meters in altitude. It comprises three neighborhoods: Gjilek, Kondraq and Dhërmi itself. The inhabitants of Dhërmi speak a variant of the Himariote dialect, characterized by archaic features not retained in standard Greek. The main activity is tourism, and recently, the coastal area has seen a boom in the construction of accommodation facilities, such as wooden villa complexes. In addition, it is considered by the Albanian youth as a nightlife destination.

The town of Himara is believed to have been founded as Chimaira by the Chaonians as a trading outpost on the Chaonian shore. However, another theory suggest that it comes from Greek (cheimarros), meaning "torrent". There are long white sandy beaches and the few hills close to the sea are terraced and planted with olive and citrus trees. The region has several Orthodox churches and monasteries, built in the traditional Byzantine architecture. The inhabitants of Himara are predominantly Orthodox Christians and they are bilingual in both Albanian and Greek. While the situation of the Greek minority in Albania has improved since the fall of communism, ethnic tensions in Himara remain high.

PALASË

DHËRMI ILIAS

VUNO JALË

HIMARË

POR

vacant

2.0% appartments 36,9% agriculture

31,5%

industry

22,6%

unoccupied

services

97,4% houses

45,9%

59,6%

The area of Porto Palermo is known because of Ali Pasha’s castle, which is situated there, together with the WWII army tunnels. The area together with Llamani beach are proclaimed protected areas, holding the status of Protected Landscape, by the Albanian Government. The castle is of Venetian style. In 1803 Ali Pasha offered the castle and port to the Royal Navy. Despite the castle, the area of PP is now being developed as a touristic area, and on the last years it seems to be a hub area for international tourists, which travel by RVs.

Piqeras is inhabited by Orthodox Albanians and it is notable for being the birthplace of the Albanian national hero Vasil Laçi, who attempted to assassinate Victor Emmanuel III, King of Italy and Shefqet Bej Vërlaci, Prime Minister of Albania after the occupation of Albania by fascist Italy.

The area of Qeparo is divided in two parts - the old and new villages, and is situated at about 450 metres above sea level. The original name of the village means garden. The village is inhabited by both ethnic Albanians and Greeks. The village has an Orthodox Church dedicated to Saint Demetrius, dated 1760, one of the nine churches in Albania dedicated to that saint.

Qeparo has cultivated olives for centuries and so it has a wellknown culture for producing and processing olives into different products.

Borsh is a maritime village inhabited by Muslim Albanians. Between 1912 and 1914 serious inter-ethnic conflicts took place between Greeks and Albanians, and significant portions of the old village were destroyed, however some fine buildings remain.

Modern Borsh was built after that. The village is very stable and growing in prosperity thanks to tourism and olive oil production. The thing that makes Borsh very popular is the coast and it beach, which is the largest in the Ionian Sea (7 km long).

RTO PALERMO

QEPARO BORSH

PIQERAS

LUKOVË

SHËN VASIL

Fig1 / Palase source / zbulo.org

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PALASË Palasë (also Paljasa, from Greek) is a village close to the Llogara National Park in the Albanian Riviera. It is located in the municipality of Himarë (13 kilometers from the town), in the Vlorë County, Albania. The inhabitants of Palasë speak mainly Tosk Albanian dialect and partly a variant of the Himariote Greek dialect.

In classical antiquity there was a settlement of the Chaones, one of the three major ancient Greek tribes of Epirus, named Palaesti. On January 4, 48 BCE during his pursuit of Pompey, Julius Caesar landed in Palaeste (modern Palase). In 1720, the villages of Himara, Palasa, Ilias, Vuno, Pilur and Qeparo refused to submit to the Pasha of Delvina.

Until the 1750s Himarë was composed of more than 50 villages, but by the end of the 1780s it comprised only 16, situated by the seashore from Saranda to Palasë. Later on, with Ali Pasha's defeat, the region of Himara shrunk to only seven villages. In September 1916, the provinces of Himarë and Tepelenë became part of the Vlorë prefecture and were placed under the control of the Italian armed forces. The city of Himarë became the official capital of the region and was responsible for the administration of the traditionally Orthodox coastal villages of Palasë, Dhërmi, Kudhës, Qeparo, Vuno and Iljas. However each village retained its own identity, despite falling under the municipality of Himarë.

The village is located several kilometres northwest of the town of Dhërmi, accessed via the main road leading out of the town. The Llogora Pass and Çika Mountain are nearby.

The Thunderbolt Mountains, the western chain of the Ceraunian Mountains, enclose the area on its northern and northeastern side. The area opens up on its southwestern side with the mountain of Çika and descends towards the Ionian coast and the Greek Islands of Othonas and Corfu in the distance.

The village contains narrow stone roads and quaint white houses and is built around a 400-year-old platanus (plane tree), which is central to village life and the pride of the village. Geologically the terrain belongs to the western part of the Ionian Tectonic plate.

This section of the coastline is referred to by geologists as the Palasë-Butrint coastline.

The Palasë beach is 1.5 kilometers in length. North of Palasë, is located a small bay, named Grammata ('letters' in Greek), accessible only by sea, with the surrounding cliffs containing various epigraphs, texts and symbols, perhaps carved out by sailors.

Fig2 / Dhermi source / Eranda Janku

DHËRMI Dhërmi is a village in Vlorë County, Albania. It is part of the municipality Himarë. The village lies 42 kilometers south of the city of Vlorë and about the same distance north of the southern city of Sarandë. The village is built on a slope of the Ceraunian Mountains at approximately 200 meters in altitude. It comprises three neighborhoods: Gjilek, Kondraq (also known as Kallam), and Dhërmi itself. The mountains descend to the southwest into the Ionian coast and Corfu in the distance to the south. Nearby is the village of Palasë.

The inhabitants of Dhërmi speak a variant of the Himariote dialect, characterized by archaic features not retained in standard Greek. Recently, the coastal area has seen a boom in the construction of accommodation facilities, such as wooden villa complexes.

In addition, it is considered by the Albanian youth as a nightlife destination.

The foundation of the village is lost in the history. Himara, where Dhërmi is included, was inhabited by the Epirote tribe of Chaonians. The first Greek school in the village started to function at 1682 with the support of the local bishopric of Himara. During the 17th century another Greek school (the Vizilios School) started its operation under the sponsorship of a local benefactor. In the 1898-1899 school season three Greek schools were operating: elementary, secondary and a girls' school. At November 5, 1912, when the nearby town of Himara was controlled by the Greek forces of the local major Spyros Spyromilios, armed groups from Dhërmi declared that they were prepared to assist his movement for the incorporation of the rest of the region into Greece.

The main activity is tourism. Dhërmi is a well-known tourist hub in the Mediterranean region.

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VUNO Vuno is a village on the Albanian Riviera. It is located in the Vlorë County, Albania, along the road between Himarë and Dhërmi. Since 2014 Vuno is part of the municipality Himarë. It is said that because of the village's situation on the hills, which ascend to about 300 metres (980 ft), the village's name derives from the Greek word Vouno (Greek: Βουνό), meaning "mountain".

The village of Vuno is inhabited by Orthodox Albanian speakers. The Albanian local dialect is a southern Tosk one, more precisely a Labërisht sub-dialect. Labërisht itself is composed of non-unical language groups. In contemporary times the village elderly are monolingual Albanian speakers, whereas due to migration to Greece, some of the younger people also speak Greek. Vuno is one of the villages of Himara region inhabited by an Orthodox Albanian population. Nitsiakos notes that they are proud of their strong Orthodox Christian identity, they have friendly feelings towards Greece, and their proGreek attitude may also be related to provision of employment opportunities in Greece, while the elderly are recipients of Greek pensions as Hellenes.

The region was inhabited by the Chaonians in the ancient period. In 1720, the villages of Himara, Palasa, Ilias, Vuno, Pilur and Qeparo refused to submit to the Pasha of Delvina. In 1873 a Greek school with 80 pupils was already operating in the village. Greek education was expanded the following years and in the 1898-1899 school season three schools were opeating in Vuno: a primary, a secondary (Hellenic) and a girls' school. Education was sponsored by various distinguished personalities and the diaspora members who originated from Vuno, as well as from adjacent settlements. These schools appear to have ceased their operation in 1913. Greek school classes in Vuno were housed in an imposing building, however after the incorporation of the village in the newly established Principality of Albania, Greek education was prohibited by state policies. During the First Balkan War, on November 18, 1912, Himara revolted under Spyros Spyromilios and expelled the Ottoman forces. After the Albanian Declaration of Independence in Vlorë, on November 28, Himarë was constantly attacked by Albanian units without success and the area remained under Greek control until the end of the Balkan Wars. Upon the Greek Army evacuation from Himara, the locals undertook the defense of the region. The Himariotes rebels were joined by volunteers from neighboring villages and defectors of the army, that set up points on the roads leading to Himara and continued the resistance. The rebel bands in Vuno were assisted by a Greek revolutionary band numbering 55 fighters commanded by guerrilla leader Georgios Tsolakes. The Vuno troops were unable to enter Vranisht on 30 June due to strong Albanian resistance, but they managed to

Fig3 / Vuno source / Eranda Janku

79 capture it the next day. Tsolakes and other Himariote leaders were later killed in action.

The Himara region came under the control of the Albanian state. The Himara question in 1921, regarding the rights of "Himariots" and their villages Dhërmi, Vuno, Himarë, Pilur, Kudhës and Qeparo, was supervised by Albanian government representative Spiro Jorgo Koleka.

The government concluded that Albanian was obligatory in school, as the official language, while Greek was free to be taught as a second language, as desired by the people. Spiro Koleka, a native of Vuno and a local leader of the Albanian national movement opposed the Himara area and wider region around Vlora being annexed by foreign powers. To that effect Koleka was an organizer of the Vlora War, where other local Himariots participated. During the Greco-Italian War on 30 December 1940, the Italians stopped a Greek attack on Bënçë, Vuno and Bolenë. On 15 January 1941, the Italians stopped a Greek attack on Vuno, while the Greeks attacked the Dishnicë region.

A number of locals joined the Albanian National Liberation Army, as guerilla fighters during World War II. Three of them were posthumously awarded with the People's Hero of Albania decoration. During the 1997 civil disorder in Albania, an armed group set up a roadblock between Himarë and Vuno.

The village has many churches, but they are not operational as currently there are no priests in the village. The church located at the Jalë beach, dating to the 14th century, of Venetian architectural style. Two other churches, dedicated respectively to St. Spyridon's Church (Albanian: Kisha e Shën Spiridhonit) (1778) and to St. Mary (1783) are still relatively well preserved. Local legend holds that the inhabitants of the village hail from the city of Shkodër and moved to Vuno, where they built the church of St. Mary.

The church is still well preserved at a salient point of the village, called Scutara. This church was originally Catholic but was subsequently converted into Orthodox.

The beaches of Vuno together with the ones of Himara represent the main tourist attraction of the municipality during the summer months. The beach of Jaliskari (or Jali), between Vuno and Dhërmi, has become a well-known summer resort attracting tourists all over the world.

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HIMARË Himara or Himarë is a bilingual region and municipality in southern Albania, part of Vlorë County. It lies between the Ceraunian Mountains and the Ionian Sea and is part of the Albanian Riviera. The region consists of the town of Himarë and the villages of Dhërmi, Pilur, Kudhës, Qeparo, Vuno, Ilias, and Palasë. The region of Himara is predominantly populated by an ethnic Greek community.

The Himara region is a strip approximately 20 km long by 5 km wide, bounded by the 2000-metre-high Llogara mountain to the northeast (known in antiquity as the "Thunder Mountains") and the Ionian Sea to the southwest. There are long white sandy beaches and the few hills close to the sea are terraced and planted with olive and citrus trees. The villages of Himarë are perched up high on the spurs of the Ceraunian range in positions which offered natural defences against the nearby Lab Albanians during the Ottoman era.

The area has a great potential for tourism, with the major characteristics of the municipal town being its seaside promenade, the Greek tavernas and the traditionally preserved old town built on a hill. The town of Himarë consists of the old town, Kastro, situated on and around the old castle and the coastal region of Spilea, which is the touristic and economic center of the region. Other parts of the town are Potami, Livadhi, Zhamari, Michaili and Stefaneli. North of the town of Himarë lie the villages of Vuno, Ilias, Dhërmi, with its coastal region Jaliskari, and Palasë. Dhermi contains a number of recently built beach resorts. On the mountains lie Pilur and Kudhës, while Qeparo lies to the south of the town of Himarë. The region has several Orthodox churches and monasteries, built in the traditional Byzantine architecture, like the Monastery of the Cross, Athaliotissa, Saint Theodore, Virgin Mary in Dhërmi and Saint Demetrius. Moreover, a number of churches are located inside the castle of Himarë, which was initially built in classical antiquity, like the Church of Virgin Mary Kasopitra, Episkopi, which is built on the site of an ancient temple dedicated to Apollo, as well as the Aghioi Pantes church, in the entrance of the castle. Additional monuments in the castle include the mansion of the Spyromilios family and the Greek school.

In antiquity the region was inhabited by the Greek tribe of the Chaonians. The Chaonians were one of the three principal Greek-speaking tribes of Epirus, along with the Thesprotians and the Molossians. The town of Himarë is believed to have been founded as Chimaira by the Chaonians as a trading outpost on the Chaonian shore. However, another theory suggest that it comes from Greek (cheimarros), meaning "torrent".

In classical antiquity, Himarë was part of the Kingdom Epirus under the rule of the Molossian Aeacid dynasty, which included King Pirro of Epirus. When the region was

Fig4 / Himare source / Eranda Janku

81 conquered by the Roman Republic in the 2nd century BC, its settlements were badly damaged and some were destroyed by the Roman General Aemilius Paulus.

The population of the Himarë region is of ethnic composition of both the town and region predominantly Greek. The town of Himarë and the settlements of Dhërmi and Palasë are inhabited by Greeks, while Pilur, Kudhës, Vuno and Ilias are populated by an Orthodox Albanian population. The village of Qeparo is inhabited by both Greeks (upper neighborhood) and an Orthodox Albanian population (lower neighborhood). In general a similar situation existed in early 19th century according to Greek scholar and secretary to Ali Pasha Athanasios Psalidas: three villages of the area were considered Greek, while he also stated that there were also some Orthodox Albanian villages in the region.

The inhabitants of Himara are predominantly Orthodox Christians. The inhabitants are bilingual in both Albanian and Greek, while 85% of the municipality's population use Greek as their mother tongue according to the municipal authorities. In the town of Himarë as well as in nearby villages of Dhërmi and Palasa mainly speak a unique local Greek dialect that preserves many archaic features no longer found in standard Modern Greek. This dialect has small variations in the way it is spoken in every town, especially in the accent. On the other hand, the surrounding towns of Ilias, Vuno, Qeparo, Kudhës and Pilur mainly speak the Tosk Albanian dialect.

While the situation of the Greek minority in Albania has improved since the fall of communism, ethnic tensions in Himara remain high. During the 1994 trial of the Omonoia members, an organization that represents the Greek minority in Albania, three local Greeks were arrested and beaten by the Albanian police after they were found in possession of leaflets calling for the release of the arrested Omonoia leaders.

In 2008, a number of protests took place with the locals demanding land ownership and autonomy for the region. The house of former mayor of Himara's, Vasil Bollano, has been the target of a bomb attack twice, in 2004 and again in May 2010. The census of 2011 will include ethnicity for the first time, a long-standing demand of the Greek minority in Albania and of international organizations, though the details remain to be approved by the Albanian Parliament.

Fig5 / Porto Palermo source / Eranda Janku

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PORTO PALERMO The area of Porto Palermo is known because of the castle, which is situated there, together with the WWII army tunnels.

Porto Palermo Castle is situated in a bay, a few kilometers on the south of Himara.

Huffington Post ranked Porto Palermo first among 15 Undiscovered European Destinations for 2014. The area together with Llamani beach are proclaimed protected areas, holding the status of Protected Landscape, by the Albanian Government.

There are no actual data, but the castle is thought of to have been built by the Venetians, as it could be relieved by sea and it has the same triangular plan with round towers found in the Venetian fort at Butrint. Its design is very unusual in having no courtyard.

Normally castles had provision for housing some horses, if only to receive and send messengers. In 1921 the castle was called Venetian. The castle would have been vulnerable to cannon fire from the hill above and this also suggests an early date for its construction, when cannon had not developed the range they had later. In 1662 the Venetians feared the Turks would recondition it. In 1803 Ali Pasha offered the castle and port to the Royal Navy. At which time the fort only had 4 or 5 cannon implying that Ali Pasha did not see the fort as important for him. Pouqueville in 1806 reports, "The tower or fort stands on the southern point of the entrance, connected with the continent by a low narrow isthmus. It consists of a square with bastions, having a few guns, of no service either to command the entrance or to protect the shipping at anchor. Near it are some warehouses, a custom-house, and a Greek church.

Despite the castle, the area of PP is now being developed as a touristic area, and on the last years it seems to be a hub area for international tourists, which travel by RVs.

QEPARO The area of Qeparo is divided in two parts - the old and new villages. According to 19th century topographer William Martin Leake, the original name of the village was Kiepero or Kiparos, which derives from the Greek word kipos, meaning garden.

In antiquity, the area of Qeparo, like the rest of the Himara region, was inhabited by the Greek tribe of the Chaonians. In 1720, the villages of Himara, Palasa, Ilias, Vuno, Pilur and Qeparo refused to submit to the Pasha of Delvina. The village has an Orthodox Church dedicated to Saint Demetrius, dated 1760, one of the nine churches in Albania dedicated to that saint. Qeparo is situated on the western slope of Mount Gjivlash, at about 450 metres (1,480 ft) above sea level. In ancient times, Qeparo was situated in the hill of Kasteli. Later on, its inhabitants settled a little further down, in the Gjivlash Slope, southeast of the hill of Kasteli, to be closer to their fields and to escape the cold of the winter. From 1957 onwards, Qeparo was split into the Old Village and the New Village.

To the east, Qeparo is bounded by the village of Borsh, to the northeast by Çorraj, to the north with Kudhës, to the northwest by Piluri, to the west with the town of Himara and to the south and southwest by the Ionian Sea. The Porto Palermo Castle, built by Ali Pasha to guard against the Himariotes is part of the territory of Qeparo. The village is composed of the following neighborhoods or brotherhoods: Ballëguras, Bragjint' e Poshçërë, Bragjint' e Sipërmë, Dhimëgjonas, Gjikëbitaj, Mërtokaj, Ndregjin, Peçolat, Pogdan and Rushat. Every brotherhood had its own patron saint.

Qeparo has cultivated olives for centuries, as mentioned in the early 19th century in the work of François Pouqueville, Napoleon Bonaparte's general consul at the court of Ali Pasha in Ioannina, testimony to this, are some centennial olive trees still existing in the village.

The village is inhabited by both ethnic Albanians and Greeks. Today the inhabitants of Qeparo are bilingual in Greek and Albanian, although in the day-to-day language, mainly Albanian is used, with the exception of Old Qeparo, where Greek speech is dominant. The Albanian local dialects, are part of southern Tosk, and more precisely, of the Labërisht sub-group. Labërisht itself is composed of non-unical language groups.

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Fig7 / Borsh source / Eranda Janku

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BORSH Borsh is a maritime village, in the Albanian Riviera, in the former Lukovë municipality, Vlorë County. According to the 2015 local government reform it now belongs to the municipality of Himara. Borsh borders with Fterra, Qeparo, Piqerras and has a population of 2,500 inhabitants. The village is inhabited by Muslim Albanians.

The region in which Borsh is located was part of the Chaonia of the ancient region of Epirus. The castle remained in use in Roman times and was refortified by the Emperor Justinian in the sixth century. Nothing is known of the settlement in the Byzantine era, until it is mentioned as Sopotos in 1258 when it was part of the Despotate of Epirus, that grew out of the failing Byzantine empire. Borsh then went through a period of considerable turmoil, changing hands several times between the Despotate of Epirus and Norman crusades invaders before being taken by the Turks in 1431.

Fifty years later it was conquered by Albanians led by Skenderbeg, but it was then retaken by the Turks only eleven years later and heavily refortified. On June 10, 1570 the castle of Sopot was taken by James Celsi, Proveditor of the Venetian navy, who left after leaving in charge the Greek commander of Nauplion, Emmanuel Mormoris. This also triggered part of the nearby Himariotes to submit to Venetian rule. The next year the Ottoman army recaptured it and took Mormori as a prisoner.

The fortress was renovated again by Ali Pasha Tepelena, and are these fortifications that visitors can view by taking the half-hour walk up to the ‘castle rock’, the limestone mount clearly visible above the old village. During Ali pasha’s reign there were 700 houses at Borsh, and below the castle mount you can see a ruined mosque and madrese (a Muslim theological school), both of which were damaged in Ali Pasha’s wars, but survived, only to be destroyed by fighting after 1912 when the Turks left the region.

Between 1912 and 1914 serious inter-ethnic conflicts took place between Greeks and Albanians, and significant portions of the old village were destroyed, however some fine buildings remain. Modern Borsh was built after that, but became seriously depopulated, first due to malaria, and following severe reprisal killings by Germans in WW2 however, depopulation was balanced by an influx of refugees from Vlora, fleeing into partisan territory from the city which was heavily contested until late in the war.

The village is very stable and growing in prosperity thanks to tourism and olive oil production. The thing that makes Borsh very popular is the coast and it beach, which is the largest in the Ionian Sea (7 km long). The tourism has begun to develop a lot thanks to the village's beauty and thanks to its friendly people.

Fig8 / Piqeras source / Eranda Janku

PIQERAS Piqeras is a village in the former municipality of Lukovë, Vlorë County, now belonging to the municipality of Himara. It is inhabited by Orthodox Albanians and it is notable for being the birthplace of the Albanian national hero Vasil Laçi, who attempted to assassinate Victor Emmanuel III, King of Italy and Shefqet Bej Vërlaci, Prime Minister of Albania after the occupation of Albania by fascist Italy.

LUKOVË Lukovë is a village and a former municipality in the Vlorë County, now belonging to the municipality of Himara. The municipal unit consists of the villages Lukovë, Borsh, Fterrë, Çorraj, Piqeras, Sasaj, Qazim Pali, Shënvasi and Nivicë, and the population at the 2011 census was 2,916 inhabitants.

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4.1 Welcome in Polis

4

additional info

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General Info Documents | For travelling in Albania you just need the Italian identity card. Passport is not requested. If they ask the reason of your trip at the airport, simply say you will attend a workshop in Polis University.

Money | Changes and Bank are everywhere. All the main credit/debit card are usually working. Change are also convenient, but not the one in the airport. Consider that taxi and other activities often accept euros. Remember, 1E = 135LEK. Language | Albanian, but don’t be afraid everyone speaks Italian or English.

Phone | Since you will spend around10 days here, you can also do an Albanian SIMcard.

It will take few minutes and you just need your identity documents. It is cheap and convenient (around 10euros for unlimited internet, national message and calls and 60min international calls).

Transport | For arriving to the Polis University you have many choices: Polis Bus, QTU bus and VORE bus. At the time of your arrival, we will better explain you where are the stops.

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POLIS Universiteti Tirana, Albania