Topic:
Countries in transition, cities in flux!
Umwandlung einer Industriebrache in Tirana (Albanien)
Lecturer: Dipl.-Ing Christoph Hesse,
Dipl.-Ing. Masoomeh Mostaan,
Prof. Dr. Kosta Mathéy; guests from Tirana
Partners: POLIS University, Tirana (www.universitetipolis.org),
Co-Plan Institute for Habitat Development (www.co-plan.org),
possibly Venice International University (www.univiu.org)
Language: English
Time: Tuesdays 11:40-13:10 from 23.Oct. onwards
Room: PAR seminar room
Credits: 12 CP,
Details
The one semester urban design project will be opened with an
introductory seminar led by three planners from Co-Plan office based
in Tirana. This will familiarise the particpants with the local
circumstances. Participants will also have the possibility to attend
an international design desminar in Albania and present their
project results in situ.
Background Information: Since the early 90s, the formerly socialist
countries of South East Europe are engaged in the process of
transition from centrally planned to democratic and market-based
systems. The consequences of these political, economic and social
changes are looming in major urban areas and their fringes, where
the specific developments of the transition period have raised
massive social, economic, environmental and spatial problems.
While the ongoing and fragmentary reform process is still hampering
(formal) sustainable urban development, informal urbanization
processes continue to unfold their full dynamics and to continuously
re-shape the urban reality. Present urban development approaches
often only remedy the deficiencies of this urban reality instead of
guiding it strategically.
Tirana, the capital of Albania, is a case in point. Since 1991, the
city has experienced massive and chaotic urban growth leading to
uncontrolled expansion and densification, occupation of public land
and dysfunctional urban patterns. Comprehensive urban development
strategies are lacking and the capacity of public authorities is
limited.
How can sustainable urban development be taken forward in such a
dynamic, almost chaotic environment? What are the strategic
objectives? Which interventions are possible and how to prioritize?
What are the means and resources available? Who are the main actors,
the agents for change? What are the key principles for their
cooperation? How can private interest and individual initiatives be
met with public interest? How can the city be made liveable?
Urban practitioners, planners and their partners from international
development agencies are taking centre stage as they need to develop
innovative strategies, responding to this dynamic context and
compensating the existing systemic defects.
Rather than taking a one-sided look on purely regulatory elements or
urban design aspects, practitioners increasingly need to thoroughly
analyse urban coherences and to initiate a mixture of well-concerted
measures. Such holistic approaches will, among other elements,
comprise regulatory and institutional adjustments, the improvement
of project implementation mechanisms, the verification of economic
viability, the incorporation of participatory principles and the
formulation of specific urban design approaches.
Urban planners and practitioners need to act as urban managers. The
academic education of future urban practitioners, both in the
national context of Albania or in the field of international
development, needs to reflect the complexity of these urban
challenges and to incorporate a broader view on the skills needed
for the management of cities.
diplomas
SS 2005 Kabul- auf dem Weg zur Megacity
(Karsten Keil)
WS 2004
Quartierbildung an der Peripherie von Querétaro
(Andrea Hess)
SS 2004 Slum Sanierung in Kalighat in Kolkata
(Gunnar Gombert, Bernd Bollmann)
► details
SS 2004 Vivir no Porto - Rio de Janeiro
(Mathias Nohn)
WS 2003 Wohnquartiers-Entwicklung Khayelitsha
(Björn Gabriel)
WS 2003 Santa Maria la Ribeira - Mexico DF
(Kristin Jensen, Cornelia Waltz)
WS 2003 Centro Historico de Queretaro - Mexico
(Rainer Trubel - Oliver Sachse)