URBAN SPRAWL AND WEAK REGIONAL TRANSPORT IN “DURANA”

Abstract

After the fall of the communist regime, a substantial amount of residential and commercial sprawl has occurred in the Tirana metropolitan
area, especially in the western and north-western side, in the direction of Durrës. The Tirana-Durrës region has become Albania’s
economic powerhouse. Some urban planners are now talking about the eventual fusion of Tirana and Durrës into a new metropolis called
“Durana”. Notwithstanding the importance of this region as a whole, the political power is fragmented among several municipalities, with
no regional coordination. The area is served by a poor-quality regional transport system, mostly based on private cars and informal
minivans. This paper provides a brief overview of regional transport issues in the Tirana metropolitan area and in the Tirana-Durrës
corridors. The authors argue that strengthening the regional transport system is crucial in order to ensure a healthy future economic
development and a sustainable physical growth pattern in “Durana”.