Urban sprawl and weak regional transport in “Durana”

After the fall of the communist regime, a substantial amount of residential and commercial sprawl has occurred in the Tirana metropolitan area, especially in the western and north-western side, in the direction of Durrës. The Tirana-Durrës region has become Albania’s economic powerhouse. Some urban planners are now talking about the eventual fusion of Tirana and Durrës into a new metropolis called “Durana”. Notwithstanding the importance of this region as a whole, the political power is fragmented among several municipalities, with no regional coordination. The area is served by a poor-quality regional transport system, mostly based on private cars and informal minivans. This paper provides a brief overview of regional transport issues in the Tirana metropolitan area and in the Tirana-Durrës corridors. The authors argue that strengthening the regional transport system is crucial in order to ensure a healthy future economic development and a sustainable physical growth pattern in “Durana”

EFFECTS OF ECONOMIC CRISIS ON MIGRATION – EVIDENCE FROM ALBANIA

Based on a survey which was conducted during January 2012, this study, aims to find out the main consequences of the current economic crisis on Albanian households and the effect they have had on migration decision. The target groups of the analysis are young students, who are considering the possibility of studying abroad and students/professionals who are currently studying/working abroad or who have studied/worked abroad and now have returned to Albania. The content of the survey addresses issues related to income level, family background, employment possibilities, level of salaries, working conditions, social environment, and public policies. The conclusions of the study are that the most important effects of the economic crisis are the reduction of the rewards from work and the decline of quality of life. As the effects of the crises affect the migration decision of Albania and thus the future patterns of migration, identifying push and pull factors of migration is crucial for future macroeconomic and social stability

Reexamining transport poverty, job access, and gender issues in Central and Eastern Europe

Tirana, the Balkan capital examined in this study, displays patterns of gendered job search behavior and access, which are unique within contemporary Europe and even within post-socialist Central and Eastern Europe. Here, it is a rather spatially constricted job search range rather than transport poverty that prevents women living in first-ring suburbs from attaining satisfactory employment. Female commutes are extraordinarily short and most often on foot. While the city now has nearly one million inhabitants and a high car ownership rate, and is located in Europe, the employment and mobility choices and behaviors of its female residents resemble those in developing rather than developed countries, and in small rather than large cities. The reasons underpinning this situation have more to do with socio-cultural gender barriers and less with transport poverty or labor market weaknesses. This finding might apply to other Balkan capitals or cities outside Europe, which have recently experienced large waves of internal migration and where both existing residents and newcomers have not yet adjusted to ‘big city’ life

PERCEPCIJA RIZIKA I STAVOVI O RIZIKU U ALBANIJI: ISTRAŽIVAČKA STUDIJA

This paper analyses risk perception and attitudes toward risk in Albanian society. It principally focuses on how age affects risk tolerance, even though also gender impact is taken into account. To particular interest is the shift in risk perception of the individuals before and after the fall of communism. The authors have embraced an exploratory research, using qualitative data from interviews. By considering two groups of participants, those older than 35 and younger than 35, the paper makes distinctions between risk attitude of both groups. In addition, the differences in responses between genders have been analyzed. The paper draws conclusions on the role of age and gender in relation to risk perception by aligning it with main conclusions of academic literature on these aspects. It further discusses the role of the social environment before and after the fall of communism and its effect on the risk tolerance profile of Albanians.Ovaj rad analizira precepciju rizika i stavove prema riziku u albanskom društvu. Pre svega se fokusira na to kako uzrast utiče na toleranciju rizika, iako se i pol uzima u obriz. Od naročitog je interesa promena u precepciji rizika kod pojedinaca pre i nakon pada komunizma. Autori su se odlučili za istraživanje koristeći kvalitativne podatke dobijene intervjuima. Razmatrajući dve grupe učesnika, starije od 35 i mlađe od 35, rad pravi razliku među stavovioma ka riziku obe ove grupe. Osim toga, razlika u odgovorima među polovima je analizirana. Rad donosi zaključke o ulozi pola i starosti u odnosu na percepciju rizika koji su u skladu sa glavnim zaključcima akademske literature na tu temu. Dalje razmatra ulogu socijalnog okruženja pre i nakon pada komunizma i njegov uticaj na toleranciju rizika među Albancima

Cars as a status symbol: youth attitudes toward sustainable transport in a post-socialist city

This article discusses the mobility intentions of adolescents in Tirana, Albania - one of the least studied areas of Central and Eastern Europe. The main research question - explored through Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) - is whether now, nearly three decades after the demise of state socialism, cars are still considered as a necessity and/or a status symbol among adolescents This group never experienced socialism and its extreme restrictions on car ownership and use. Although Tirana is a very compact city with work, services, and social contacts typically within walking distance, the findings indicate that most adolescents in Tirana, including those who do not particularly like cars and driving, intend to purchase cars and drive in the future. Cars remain a strong status symbol. This does do not bode well for transport sustainability. If unchecked, adolescents' intentions might directly translate into car-dependent travel behavior in the future. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved