Albania
A Provincial Capital On The Move
Tirana - Friendly, small-scale and cheap, colourful
and somewhat improvised, Tirana, like its
people, seems to be happy and curious about any
visitor. Whether it can preserve this charm remains to
be seen. The capital of Albania, Tirana, hosts roughly
750,000 of the country's total of 3.2 million people. Its
population increased threefold over the past decade.
After the fall of state socialism in 1989 and, consequently,
the closing down of industries that were
supported by the state, and after the financial crisis
in 1997, many people in the country were left
jobless and poor. Those who did not go abroad
saw no choice but to move to the capital. In
Tirana, they found more and more work in the
services sector, which has been expanding following
the liberalisation of the economy.
But, in spite of its rapid growth, the capital
retains an air of communal life, which can be refreshing
for a Western tourist accustomed to big city
alienation. Tirana might be the only European capital
where people are still ready to interrupt any activity
they pursue in order to show a confused traveller
around. Albanians are willing to communicate with
foreigners and can do so in many languages. While
English may be useless in some parts of Tirana,
Albanians will usually understand Italian and, oftentimes,
Greek. Many of them work in these countries.
Others have picked up Italian from television.
An air of communal life Moving in from small towns and villages, people
have brought along old habits. One of the most
crowded places in Tirana is the promenade next to
the artificial lake. Young girls stroll up and down the
alley next to the water, showing off their best. The
smell of barbeque rising from the nearby terraces
brings a delicious aroma to the street. That combines
with the sight of fresh fruit and vegetables,
sold at stands on most sidewalks in the city. From
imported fruit, perfectly equal in size, to the local
outrageously shaped 'heart of the ox' tomatoes,
anything can be found, and cheap.
As in any other city in the Balkans, coffee shops
are the most common sight on the streets of Tirana.
Modest ones, with just one or two tables, where only
the locals, usually men, dare to sit down, and posh
ones, frequented by the Tirana youth, expats and
foreign tourists, where prices compare to those in the
West. And as in any other Mediterranean city, freshly
washed clothes hang from all the balconies of
apartment blocks, as well as from the windows of
fancy hotels in the centre.
we have the Mediterranean sun and it's a crime
not to make the most of it," says Alba, a young
journalist living in Tirana.
Perhaps the most distinguishable feature of Tirana
is its colourful buildings. Like in most Eastern
European cities, the capital's residential blocks were
built during socialism in the characteristic style of the
times: minimalist, functional and uniform. In the
early 2000s, as a symbolic gesture of breaking with
the past, the mayor of Tirana decided to have all the
grey buildings painted in bright colours. While some
appreciate the initiative of mayor Edi Rama as bringing
change and variety, others are critical of the
chaotic look of the blocks, arguably bordering kitch.
As Tirana quickly modernises, its inhabitants and
authorities are faced with a dilemma. Whether they
are aware of it or not at the moment, the people of
Tirana will choose between developing "at any cost",
or expanding while also preserving the sense of community,
staying in touch with old customs and natural
surroundings.
Invading wild nature
A comparison between the scenery on opposite
shores of the artificial lake illustrates this crossroads.
On one side, continuous construction takes place
unauthorised and unchecked. Invading the wild
nature and ignoring urban planning, people raise
high buildings in expectation of a boom in real estate.
On the other side of the lake, a large park remains a
favourite hideout from the heat and noise of the city.
The inhabitants of Tirana say the town hall has plans
to bring down the unauthorised buildings. But it
remains to be seen whether the municipality can
resist pressure from the businesses. The present local
administration has so far proven concerned with the
environment and the community. The current mayor,
Socialist Edi Rama, has cleaned up the area around
the central square, getting rid of the countless kiosks
and small bars, a heaven for drug trafficking. Instead,
he created a new park for the city. Much remains to
be done though, like creating ecological solid waste
and sewage management systems.
Tirana is nowadays going through one of its most
dynamic periods. At the moment, it represents one of
the best locations to observe the transformation from
socialism to liberalism and its impact on the social
fabric. "Visitors appreciate the fact that Albania is just
different from what they have seen before," says Kate
Yarhouse, a Peace Corps activist working in the country.
" Albania is not perfect, but people who come here
don't seem to mind that."