CREATING MORE LIVABLE CITIES: THE CASE OF VLORA

Abstract

If you ask me today what the image of our cities looks like, I will immediately think of a series of worn-out panoramas. And this is exactly how the real experience of the cities is, that even though they do not speak, they truly need to live. It is difficult for a city to survive if it has to face the consequences of urban devastation every day. Roads congested with vehicles, which seem to frighten pedestrians along the ridge and open spaces which are losing their importance as they are reduced to parking lots, are images repeated often and everywhere. In general, urban spaces are increasingly detached from sustainability, accessibility and the friendly element. And while negative experiences are offered every day, new models of improving urban life strive to become the buzzword of our cities. Simple and successful models that directly affect the environment, the individual and the quality of life. This article examines exactly the need to have these role models, and their importance today. It describes the evolution of concepts that have made us have these user manuals in our hands. Special attention has been paid to their subjectivity and interpretations, with these theories being seen by various specialists in the field. The final goal of this dissertation has been the contextualization of concepts, to a smaller scale than the examples we are used to see, specifically in a coastal city, in constant need for the improvement of urban life, such as the city of Vlora. In order to realize the complete framework of a livable city, two interventions have been realized: Intervention in urban scale (study and conception of a tram line in the city) and Intervention in architectural scale (idea and design of a national museum for the city navy) Decisions and interventions are explained and strengthened with theoretical and practical details, aiming to apply the principles of a livable city to a smaller scale.