Tirana the Challenge of Urban Development

by Besnik Aliaj

Tirana city, and the surrounding metropolitan area, is a typically complex example of a city in transition. Tirana is a symbol of urban culture between the sea and the mountain, between European, Mediterranean, and Balkan elements, that preserves Illyrian, Roman, and Byzantine cultures in an Oriental Ottoman atmosphere. The city has survived the anarchist chaos of medieval and modern 21st Century urban development as well as the authoritarian urban planning disciplines of fascism and communism. This book examines Tirana's urban development and architecture throughout its history, including early 2000s development proposals.

221 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2003