Urban anthropologist Arba Bekteshi (Tirana, Albania)
Quick Overview of Durres
Since the 1990s, Durrës, the second largest Albanian city, has seen extensive urban transformations concerning its spatial structure, population density, and service accessibility. The development of the coastal area, south of the Port, has long exemplified a rapid, unregulated urbanization with adverse effects on the environment especially due to inadequate services and infrastructure. Consequent mass tourism has had low added value. Internal migration has led to increased urban density and environmental degradation, most notably along the coastline. Most egregiously, urban development has come at the cost of archaeological heritage. As of 2021, approximately two-thirds of Durrës’ buildings lacked essential services and infrastructure, negatively impacting quality of life and the environment.
Spatial planning Martin Jan Månsson (Karlskrona, Sweden)
Global Trade, Travel and industry in mid-1800’s
With the aid of 100’s of contemporary travel journals I have compiled a globe-spanning map covering trade and travel in the year 1860, through the eyes of our ancestors. The result is a resource for understanding adolescent stage of modern cities, how the regional geography shaped our port cities, their networks and the very goods they handled. In a time when stop-overs were counted in days, and not hours, curious intercultural meetings were perhaps never so profound, and will perhaps never be again. I will take you on a brief voyage around the world.
Every month at our PortCityFutures team meeting, one of our members or a guest hosts a short presentation about their current or past research. If you want to attend the presentations or present at one of our meetings yourself, please contact us: info@portcityfutures.nl