Sotir Dhamo

POLIS University International School of Architecture and Urban Development Policies

Urban areas and living settlements are frequently nowadays at the center of modern conflicts or crisis. They all face somehow their own unique set of challenges of “post-conflict/crisis” nature - including situations like wars, pandemics, environmental crisis, social unrest, political instability, economic collapse, demographic decay, etc. Aliaj, T...

Saranda e munguar është testamenti i gjurmëve të ngjizura nga ngjarjet dhe arsyet kryesore që i dhanë fillim ekzistencës, vazhdimësisë dhe transformimit të qytetit. Ky sekret i shpirtit të qytetit, thesar ende i fshehur, nuk serviret thjesht si nostalgji, por si energji pozitive transformuese dhe si instrument dizajni nga ku mund të marrin jetë vep...

Polis University is happy to organize the 17th Heads of Schools Meeting in Tirana, Albania 30th March - 1st April 2022 Registration is Open @https://aesop2022hos.net/ Or email @aesop2022hos@universitetipolis.edu.al Don't miss it!

Game Theory (GT) offers a critical lens to understand and analyze the capacity of different actors to make rational decisions linked to complex and emergent situations. Even though developed as a theory to tackle economic issues, GT has found a wider range of applications in heterogeneous fields such as architecture, where this new transdisciplinar...

This chapter presents a more holistic analysis of the urban patterns, which are seen as emergent realities generated within a network of interrelationships, or as systems with hierarchical structures that emerge from the dynamics of self-organized macroscopic complex behavior. To adapt these concepts to the processes of human settlement, I introduc...

In this chapter, I first elaborate the notion of the natural city as a complex emergent phenomenon, spontaneously self-organized from the bottom, that adapts and evolves through coordination at the smallest and that represents a formal/informal continuity. In this regard, I explain the concepts of organic, informal, and sprawl cities, which are eme...

Understanding the conceptual gap between the natural city and the official planning system requires a fine-tuning of our theoretical lenses to see the broader picture. The refined lenses are the first step to make observable the subtle human interactions and related emerging properties that are the essential underpinnings of real life. For this pur...

In this chapter, I give more details on the history of the urban processes in Tirana in relation to political influences, design, and planning types, and how they materialized in public and private spaces. We begin by considering Tirana’s foundation as an organic settlement at the beginning of the 17th century under the strong influence of the Otto...

The aim of this chapter is to outline a methodology for a holistic understanding of the urban patterns that based on empirical observations and analysis, aims at organizing that information into a scientific model. The presented methodology consists of three main steps: The first one is related to the conception of the reality as a larger whole (qu...

In this chapter, I present an overview of Tirana’s urban patterns. For each of the three patterns, Historical Organic, Recording Over, and New Organic, I present the main interacting forces/actors in their historical social context, and highlighted the correspondence between the essential quality of space and the social substance. For this, represe...

The ideas presented in this book are a conceptual leverage to correct the rigidity of top-down practices and bring the real city, or the city of everyday life, closer to the city of conventional planning. Considering self-organization as the starting point at the base of complex systems, this book tries to understand how specific qualities emerge a...

Gjirokastra. Between the "UNESCO City" status and the phenomenon of "Shrinking Cities". 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 b...

The turn of the 21st century has been marked by dramatic changes in the political, social and environmental panorama, which are deeply affecting the way we live today: terrorism, migration and global warming are certainly the most pressing issues, and they are putting at risk our very life on this planet. So far we have come to acknowledge that we...

After the fall of the Communist regime, the city of Tirana has been facing a series of social/spatial issues related to a top-down decisional system that could not take into account the new needs of a society shifting from a centralized system to a new one based on private property. The result of this phenomenon is the growth of a series of urban a...

Right after the local elections of 2015 in Albania, I (Besnik Aliaj) was invited in a meeting and training event with the newly elected municipal councilors and administrators of the Region of Gjirokastra, Albania, organized by the German foundation Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung. During the meeting I was drawn by the remarks of Mr. Mihal Mano, the recen...

All Western Balkan countries share, despite their diversity and idiosyncrasies, a common aspiration for a future within the European Union, similarities with respect to development and integration agendas, as well as face imperfections of their planning systems and Territorial Governance (TG) practices. The current socio-political ambitions and reg...

Tirana Design Week (TDW) in 2019, approaches Tirana’s 100th anniversary as the capital of Albania. Comparing photos of a bucolic Tirana in 1920 with what one sees from Polis University’s fourth floor today, inevitably raises doubts about the endurance of design, while conspicuously evincing the fluctuating tendency of what constitutes a norm in a w...

In the second half of the 19th century, Albania was still referred to as the “unknown country of the Skipetares” or Shqiptarët, as the inhabitants of the country in the southernmost part of the Balkans call themselves; even in the early 1990s, it was brokered as Europe’s last secret, because in fact almost no-one was permitted to enter. Even today,...

The proposed vision of territorial development and governance in the Western Balkans is the result of an interactive workshop held in May 2019 with the members of the Western Balkan Network on Territorial Governance (TG-WeB)1. As such, the vision reflects the opinion of the network, with individual perspectives being well-balanced towards a common...

Game Theory (GT) offers a critical lens to understand - and analyze - the capacity of different actors to take rational decisions linked to complex and emergent situations. Even though developed as a theory to tackle economical issues, GT has found a wider range of applications in heterogeneous fields such as architecture, where this new transdisci...

Game Theory (GT) offers a critical lens to understand - and analyze - the capacity of different actors to take rational decisions linked to complex and emergent situations. Even though developed as a theory to tackle economical issues, GT has found a wider range of applications in heterogeneous fields such as architecture, where this new transdisci...

Little is known about place attachment in the Balkans. This study aims to start filling this gap. After a contextualization of place attachment studies in the Balkans and its relevance for research and practice, a brief review of theory is offered. Then the methodology of the empirical part of the study is clarified. Over 300 citizens living in sev...

This position paper reflects input and feedback gathered from all Western Balkans Territorial Governance Network members. All Western Balkan countries share a common aspiration for a future with the European Union (EU). As a region, our territorial governance systems and practices face common imperfections that render the translation of EU policies...

POLIS University publishes the “Forum A+P” – Interdisciplinary Journal of Architecture and Scientific Environment”, the only scientific and cultural magazine in the Albanian –speaking countries on the fields of architecture and territory planning. This magazine is recognized by the Ministry of Education and Science, the Academic Degrees Evaluation...

POLIS University publishes the “Forum A+P” – Interdisciplinary Journal of Architecture and Scientific Environment”, the only scientific and cultural magazine in the Albanian –speaking countries on the fields of architecture and territory planning. This magazine is recognized by the Ministry of Education and Science, the Academic Degrees Evaluation...

Si dhe pse qytetet marrin formën që shohim? Arsyet mund të jenë të shumta, por në këtë material do të ndalemi në një marrëdhënie të veçantë që qyteti ka me atë pjesë të imagjinatës që mishërohet gjatë historisë së tij në plane e projekte, qofshin ato të realizuara apo të parealizuara… Kjo imagjinatë është fryt sa i fantazisë, aq edhe i racionalitet...

In primo luogo vorrei spiegare le motivazioni alla base della volontà di tradurre in albanese il libro “Architettura e Modernità”, insieme a quelle che riguardano il concentrarsi, come accade in una traduzione, sulle relazioni fra il bagaglio concettuale di architetti o progettisti urbani e la realtà che questi concorrono a trasformare. In secondo...

The objective of this unit is the creation of a new research dedicated to the Observatory of the Mediterranean Basin (OMB), a possible niche in the market and within the focus of the Department of Applied Research at POLIS University. Starting from the Balkan regions, the interest will be extended to all the cities that overlook the Mediterranean....

EUROVISION Guest edited by a leading national organization in a single European country or region. Within a range of themes, they strive to give deeper insight into the current state of architectural affairs. After centuries of isolation and suppression under one of the harshest communist dictatorships, Albania has made great efforts in opening up...

This is about the first ever participation of Albania in the Triennial of Milan, done thanks to the concept and implementation of a team of Polis University Tirana and Co-Plan Institute for Habitat Development. The main curators: Besnik Aliaj and Antonino Di Raimo, with a support from Sotir Dhamo,and Dritan Shutina, The implementation was supported...

POLIS University publishes the “Forum A+P” – Interdisciplinary Journal of Architecture and Scientific Environment”, the only scientific and cultural magazine in the Albanian –speaking countries on the fields of architecture and territory planning. This magazine is recognized by the Ministry of Education and Science, the Academic Degrees Evaluation...

POLIS University publishes the “Forum A+P” – Interdisciplinary Journal of Architecture and Scientific Environment”, the only scientific and cultural magazine in the Albanian –speaking countries on the fields of architecture and territory planning. This magazine is recognized by the Ministry of Education and Science, the Academic Degrees Evaluation...

POLIS University publishes the “Forum A+P” – Interdisciplinary Journal of Architecture and Scientific Environment”, the only scientific and cultural magazine in the Albanian –speaking countries on the fields of architecture and territory planning. This magazine is recognized by the Ministry of Education and Science, the Academic Degrees Evaluation...

A toolkit of territorial planning and development for practitioners, politicians, and academia in Albania.

Background: Between 1945-1990, Albania experienced one of the harshest authoritarian regimes of the Cold War period, and was considered the “Northern Korea” of Eastern Europe. The country prohibited any form of organized religion, private initiative, and freedom of movement. No foreigners could enter the country, practically. Indeed it was consider...

POLIS University publishes the “Forum A+P” – Interdisciplinary Journal of Architecture and Scientific Environment”, the only scientific and cultural magazine in the Albanian –speaking countries on the fields of architecture and territory planning. This magazine is recognized by the Ministry of Education and Science, the Academic Degrees Evaluation...

Introduction The motivation for this article is generated from observing a recent tendency in the architectural expression of Tirana to go back to a pseudo-historic language. Regarding this concern, the paper focuses on the following question: will the architecture of Tirana continue to be influenced by the most avant-garde international trends, or...

POLIS University publishes the “Forum A+P” – Interdisciplinary Journal of Architecture and Scientific Environment”, the only scientific and cultural magazine in the Albanian –speaking countries on the fields of architecture and territory planning. This magazine is recognized by the Ministry of Education and Science, the Academic Degrees Evaluation...

This innovative study was undertaken on the framework of the research units of POLIS University, namely: “IF, Innovation Factory” and “R&DI, Research and Development Institute”. It tries to summarize for the first time in Albania some theoretical-practical bases, and concrete ideas over the issues of spatial-territorial visioning, planning and deve...

POLIS University publishes the “Forum A+P” – Interdisciplinary Journal of Architecture and Scientific Environment”, the only scientific and cultural magazine in the Albanian –speaking countries on the fields of architecture and territory planning. This magazine is recognized by the Ministry of Education and Science, the Academic Degrees Evaluation...

POLIS University publishes the “Forum A+P” – Interdisciplinary Journal of Architecture and Scientific Environment”, the only scientific and cultural magazine in the Albanian –speaking countries on the fields of architecture and territory planning. This magazine is recognized by the Ministry of Education and Science, the Academic Degrees Evaluation...

POLIS University publishes the “Forum A+P” – Interdisciplinary Journal of Architecture and Scientific Environment”, the only scientific and cultural magazine in the Albanian –speaking countries on the fields of architecture and territory planning. This magazine is recognized by the Ministry of Education and Science, the Academic Degrees Evaluation...

This special edition focused on Tirana is a reflection on some of the most important projects for the city’s transformation, a process which started at the beginning of the last century and is still continuing. A particular focus is placed on the projects presented during the period 2004- 2011 regarding architecture and urban planning. Most importa...

POLIS University publishes the “Forum A+P” – Interdisciplinary Journal of Architecture and Scientific Environment”, the only scientific and cultural magazine in the Albanian –speaking countries on the fields of architecture and territory planning. This magazine is recognized by the Ministry of Education and Science, the Academic Degrees Evaluation...

POLIS University publishes the “Forum A+P” – Interdisciplinary Journal of Architecture and Scientific Environment”, the only scientific and cultural magazine in the Albanian –speaking countries on the fields of architecture and territory planning. This magazine is recognized by the Ministry of Education and Science, the Academic Degrees Evaluation...

This article focuses on some traditional and alternative approaches regarding the different degrees of intervention in the city fabric. Their impact on the urban context is different. By presenting some evidence about such interventions, the article stresses the idea that there is still a lot of room for further exploration and experimentation. Thi...

POLIS University publishes the “Forum A+P” – Interdisciplinary Journal of Architecture and Scientific Environment”, the only scientific and cultural magazine in the Albanian –speaking countries on the fields of architecture and territory planning. This magazine is recognized by the Ministry of Education and Science, the Academic Degrees Evaluation...

POLIS University publishes the “Forum A+P” – Interdisciplinary Journal of Architecture and Scientific Environment”, the only scientific and cultural magazine in the Albanian –speaking countries on the fields of architecture and territory planning. This magazine is recognized by the Ministry of Education and Science, the Academic Degrees Evaluation...

Vienna University of Technology and POLIS University Tirana, Albania, organized jointly a bilateral academic exchange of staff and students of the schools of planning focused on the problematique of regional development and planning in the capital agglomeration of Albania, along Tirana, Durrës and Kruja cities. POLIS University is a new alternati...

I have always been intrigued by a fundamental question: why the cities took the shape they did? Traditionally in Albania we are used to analyze the city based on the classification of its main functions. In this article I try to see the generation of the city form and its continuous transformation based on the urban form elements and their interact...

POLIS University publishes the “Forum A+P” – Interdisciplinary Journal of Architecture and Scientific Environment”, the only scientific and cultural magazine in the Albanian –speaking countries on the fields of architecture and territory planning. This magazine is recognized by the Ministry of Education and Science, the Academic Degrees Evaluation...

POLIS University publishes the “Forum A+P” – Interdisciplinary Journal of Architecture and Scientific Environment”, the only scientific and cultural magazine in the Albanian –speaking countries on the fields of architecture and territory planning. This magazine is recognized by the Ministry of Education and Science, the Academic Degrees Evaluation...

Materiali në vijim përmbledh një proces të gjatë hulumtimi të zhvilluar nga IKSH, Instituti Kërkimor Shkencor i U_POLIS në bashkëpunim me Komunën Tetovë lidhur me eksplorimin e potencialeve dhe skenarëve të mundshëm të zhvillimit të sistemit urban dhe territorial të Tetovës. Materiali që paraqitet në këtë manifest nuk është as vizion utopik dhe as...

For some time, Co-PLAN has felt the need to organise the following reflections on our efforts, which began in the context of the significant changes of the 1990s, at which time Albania was struggling to establish order in the face of chaos. Many of the ideas, reflections, and projects written about in the following pages were actualized, while othe...

This article is an attempt to explore the creative process in Architecture and its relation to the context. Considering the territory as the generator of life “forces” and “processes”, several issues are raised … can architecture be the expression of these forces and processes? How the man kind concretized in architecture the intelligibility of the...

POLIS University publishes the “Forum A+P” – Interdisciplinary Journal of Architecture and Scientific Environment”, the only scientific and cultural magazine in the Albanian –speaking countries on the fields of architecture and territory planning. This magazine is recognized by the Ministry of Education and Science, the Academic Degrees Evaluation...

POLIS University publishes the “Forum A+P” – Interdisciplinary Journal of Architecture and Scientific Environment”, the only scientific and cultural magazine in the Albanian –speaking countries on the fields of architecture and territory planning. This magazine is recognized by the Ministry of Education and Science, the Academic Degrees Evaluation...

POLIS University publishes the “Forum A+P” – Interdisciplinary Journal of Architecture and Scientific Environment”, the only scientific and cultural magazine in the Albanian –speaking countries on the fields of architecture and territory planning. This magazine is recognized by the Ministry of Education and Science, the Academic Degrees Evaluation...

POLIS University publishes the “Forum A+P” – Interdisciplinary Journal of Architecture and Scientific Environment”, the only scientific and cultural magazine in the Albanian –speaking countries on the fields of architecture and territory planning. This magazine is recognized by the Ministry of Education and Science, the Academic Degrees Evaluation...

HAPËSIRA QYTETARE drejt fundit të tranzicionit?! Këndvështrime filozofike dhe teknike.