Activities in Albania

The Project for Tirana Thematic Urban Planning

Background of the Project:

Along with democratization which started in 1991, urbanization has progressed in the capital city Tirana, which has accommodated a rapid increase in migrants from rural and mountainous areas. In 2008, the population of Tirana reached 640 thousand from 250 thousand in 1989 or an increase of almost 270% in just nine years. Such an acute urbanization resulted in serious urban programs such as shortage in infrastructure, particularly housing. Urbanization is still in progress, and it is predicted that the city's population will reach one million by 2025. It is thus urgent for urban development in the transportation, water/sewerage, and solid waste management sectors, in particular, to keep up with the burgeoning urban population.

In order to respond to such a serious situation, the Municipality of Tirana prepared a comprehensive urban development plan entitled "Urban Regulatory Plan in Tirana Municipality" (URPTM) in 2009 with the support of the World Bank. The URPTM has set the vision, directions and outlines of future development based on a needs assessment and situation analyses of Tirana. However, no concrete action plan for urban utilities and infrastructure were included in the plan.

The Albanian Government, therefore, requested the Government of Japan for technical assistance to conduct a planning study. Entitled "The Project for Tirana Thematic Urban Planning", the study is expected to formulate short and medium term projects and programs on urban infrastructure based on and in the line with the URPTM.

• Project type: Technical Cooperation for Development Planning
• Project objectives:
  1. To develop thematic urban plans, based on the URPTM which will be revised by the new municipal administration, and their implementation plans in the form of short and medium term action plan
  2. To transfer relevant skills to the Albanian counterpart personnel in the course of the study to ensure the continuous implementation of the urban plans to be developed in the study.
  • Technical transfer will emphasize capacity building among the counterparts to enable them to develop multi-departmental urban infrastructure based on common design standards and carried out through a well-orchestrated coordination mechanism among sectors.
• Project sites: Entire Tirana metropolitan area
• Duration: June 2011 – October 2012
• Executing Organization: Municipality of Tirana
• Outputs:

1. Thematic urban infrastructure development plans in short-term (five years) and medium-term (10 years) perspectives.
2. Short-term action plans to implement priority projects.
3. Stronger planning and coordinating capacity of the Tirana municipal government personnel achieved through technical transfer.