Dino, Blerta;
Griffiths, Sam;
(2024)
The Configuration of Spatial Cultures in the neighbourhoods of Post-Socialist Tirana.
In:
Proceedings of the Fourteenth International Space Syntax Symposium.
(pp. pp. 3293-3324).
University of Nicosia
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Abstract
Between 1989 and 2016 Albanian society underwent what is sometimes called a ‘post-socialist’ transformation from the command economy of the communist era to a radically unregulated form of laissez-faire capitalism. This socio-economic change had far-reaching consequences for the built environment of Albanian cities as new patterns of buildings and land use emerged as urban life adapted to the changed circumstances. This paper investigates land use patterns and urban life in Tirana, Albania, during 1989 and 2016, employing updated spatial data and ArcGIS shape files. Through fine-grain mapping and analysis of non-domestic land use density within selected neighbourhoods, the study explores the impact of post-socialist development and informal processes on Tirana's urban landscape. In each of three case-study areas up to 10 urban blocks are examined. The research highlights the bottom-up transformation of land use, emphasizing the influence of local demand on urban amenities. The analysis identifies 1,798 non-domestic land use activities, categorized into various types. Spatial relationships between the movement and land-use distribution are explored using the theory and methods of space syntax. The study explores the multiplier effect of the ‘movement economy’, illustrating how changes in street connectivity attracts commercial activities, leading to a chain reaction of new land uses. Kernel density analysis aids in identifying areas with the densest or least dense nondomestic land use. Overall, the study contributes to understanding the relationship between spatial accessibility, movement, and land use transformation in Tirana in the immediate postsocialist period. Limitations of two-dimensional analysis are acknowledged.
| Type: | Proceedings paper |
|---|---|
| Title: | The Configuration of Spatial Cultures in the neighbourhoods of Post-Socialist Tirana |
| Event: | 14th International Space Syntax Symposium |
| Location: | Nicosia, Cyprus |
| Dates: | 24th-28th June 2024 |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Publisher version: | https://cyprusconferences.org/14sss/proceedings/ |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This version is the version of record. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher's terms and conditions |
| Keywords: | Tirana, post-socialist, South West Balkans, land use, space syntax, spatial culture |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of the Built Environment UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of the Built Environment > The Bartlett School of Architecture |
| URI: | https://discovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10203837 |
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