Much of the public debate related to Tirana’s urban problems focuses on how fast the city ought to grow, and how dense it should be. The author takes the position that the quality of residential neighborhoods rather than their density is critical for improved quality of life in Tirana. The first part of this article discusses the advantages of dense neighborhoods pointing out urban problems in countries where society favors low densities. The second part of the article discusses the upgrading of residential neighborhood that has taken place in recent in Tirana. Such upgrading, although very positive for the city, does not necessarily include traffic calming measures. The third part of this article talks about traffic calming schemes in residential neighborhoods of other countries and argues about their applicability in the case of Tirana. years in Tirana. Such upgrading, although very positive for the city, does not necessarily include traffic calming measures. The third part of this article talks about traffic calming schemes in residential neighborhoods of other countries and argues about their applicability in the case of Tirana
