CAT-ference 2025-BOOK OF PROCEEDINGS

CONFERENCE THEME AND RATIONALE
The 11th International Urban Geographies of Post-communist States Conference (CAT-ference 2025), held in Tirana, Albania, from 22 to 25 September 2025, brought together scholars, researchers, and practitioners to critically ex-amine the evolving trajectories of cities after political, economic, and social tran-sition. Under the overarching theme “Cities after Transition: Innovative, Inclu-sive, Informal?”, the conference offered a timely and interdisciplinary platform for debating the complex and often contradictory urban realities that character-ize post-communist and post-socialist contexts today.

Informality and Urban Management Projects in Albania: Three Decades Later
Prof. Asoc. Dr. Sotir DHAMO, Prof. Dr. Besnik ALIAJ

Urban Transformation of Prizren in the Post-Communist Context: An Analysis through LU/LC
and NDBI (2000–2018)
Prof. Asoc. Dr. Ferim GASHI, Prof. Asoc. Dr. Sonila XHAFA SINJARI, Msc. Edon Shemsedini

The ‘London Opportunity Areas’ as a model for Tirana’s une-ven growth
Prof. Asoc. Mario FERRARI

Spatial Opportunities and Challenges in Solar Energy Infra- structure in Durrës Region: A Post-Communist Industrial
City 
Prof.Asoc.Dr. Sonila SINJARI, MSc. Oltion PUPI

Biophilic design and urban wellbeing in post - communist Tirana: A visual and social reconnection with nature
Prof. Dr. Sokol AXHEMI , Dr. Edlira ÇARO (KOLA), Msc. Ornela HASRAMA

Urban planning in shrinking cities Strategies to ease resilience and rebirth through Distributism
Dr. Luca LEZZERINI

Evaluation of geomorphological conditions in the dynamics of urban development evolution in the city of Gjirokastra
Dr. Andri HOXHA

Megaprojects as Ruins-in-Waiting A Postmodern Reading of Incompletion in Tirana
MSc. Kejsi Veselagu

Territorial Reasoning Beyond Coordination. Prototyping Urban Suitability Score Maps for custom readings of post-transition Tirana
MSc. Fulvio PAPADHOPULLI, MSc. Megi TAFAJ