OMB no.7 Rethinking Gjirokastra

Preface

PROF. DR.  BESNIK ALIAJ
Rector of POLIS University
Gjirokastra is one of the most beloved cities in Albania and beyond in the region. The city with  extraordinary historical values, and with unique traditions and landscape, is rightly included in the UNESCO list. Gjirokastra has always been, and continues to be, among the main settlements that serve as a reference for the development of southern Albania, and the cross-border area of northwestern Greece. After the 90s the city has entered a demographic and economic recession that is typical for those inhabited centers that face the global phenomenon of "shrinking cities". Read more

Introduction

Interdisciplinary exchanges

 A bottom-up visioning process of "Gjirokastra 2030"
BESNIK ALIAJ

Demographic profile of Gjirokastra region
GODIVA REMBECI

Relations between cities. The importance of relations between cities and their effects on urban development
SABINE BAUER, AGLAÉE DEEGROS

Aesthetic quality of the historic urban landscape. Historic city image and Townscape tradition
DORINA PAPA

Punctuating Gjirokastra’s Modernism
SKENDER LUARASI

Sustainable Tourism as enhancer for Branding Gjirokastra
SONIA JOJIC

Seeking Production Footprints on Behalf of Innovation, City of Gjirokastra
ERIDA CURRAJ

Transport Network Impact in Shrinking Cities. The case of Gjirokastra city and rural region
BESJANA QAJA

Driverless transition: the value of autonomous mobility for sustainable urban development
GIAN ANDREA GIACOBONE

Dynamic heritage: the case of Havana
ALESSANDRO MASSARENTE

Gjirokastra Restauration

Gjirokastra CHwB To restore a world heritage

Architectural proposal: Reconstruction of the High School "Asim Zeneli" and the surrounding
METROPOLIS STUDIO

An example for the rural area of Gjirokastra. The case of Zagorie territorial and tourism plan
POLIS UNIVERSITY WORK GROUP

Innovative Urban Design Strategies for a Traditional City. The Case of Gjirokastra.
LLAZAR KUMARAKU

Workshop

RETHINKING GJIROKASTRA. Can architecture and city planning stimulate hope and growth for shrinking cities?
BESNIK ALIAJ, LORIS ROSSI, LLAZAR KUMARAKU

Drawings as a form of knowledge Re-presenting Gjirokastra
LORISS ROSSI, LAURA PEDATA

Against the grain. Two theoretical studies for re- thinking Gjirokastër
ALBERTO GRANDO

Architecture and the City in the interplay of socio-cultural instances: Gjirokastra in a (Post-) Modern Condition
DESARA PULA

 Placemaking Gjirokastra
DORIANA MUSAJ

Covered Embers - The rebirth of Gjirokastra from its ashes
ELEONORA BACCEGA

Gjirokastër fortress hillside. Geotechnical hazards assessment and stabilization measures as key factors for the fortress preservation
ENDRI DURO

The city of design and culture
IVONNE ORTIZ SANCHEZ

Gjirokastra rebirth through distributed retirement houses
LUCA LEZZERINI

 Smart accessibility patterns and shrinking cities: The added value of urban design.
MARCO NEGRI

 The Gjirokastra Experience. The Art Loop. An urban path to foster the connection between a territory and its cultural identity.
NICOLA TASSELLI

 The Time Agent. A hypothesis of a possible development of the city of Gjirokastra through a vital connection between buildings, public space and works of art.
STEFANO ROMANO

 Improving health and well-being in the cities
XHOANA KRISTO

Conclusions

Rithinking the “UNESCO City” Gjirokastra, Albania: Can architects and city planning stimulate hope and growth for shrinking cities?
BESNIK ALIAJ, SOTIR DHAMO