THE CONTRIBUTION OF “DURRËS YACHT AND MARINA” (PHASE 1) TO THE CITY AND QUALITY OF URBAN SPACE: EXPERTS’ PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

Urban regeneration has been seen as a key process in transforming, designing, and planning territories during the late twentieth century. It was applied, especially in post-industrialized cities, as a way to give life back to the "dead" sites. Beyond necessity, it is also seen as an aesthetically pleasing choice. Last year, a new project was approved in the local plan of Durrës, which also provides for the urban regeneration of the port. It consists of converting Durrës' waterfront into one of the most touristic spots in Balkan. Such a transformation is expected to have far-reaching implications not only for tourism, but also for the economy, environment, and human psychology. The Port of Durrës is one of our nation’s most important connections to the rest of the world. Changes that may occur there should be given great attention. The purpose is to determine whether the city is prepared for such a significant change and what is expected to happen after the implementation of the project. Moreover, this research will focus on understanding the contributions of the project to the city and quality of urban space. It gives a comprehensive picture of the project and fulfills the goal of always being one step ahead of the implementation process by conducting in-depth interviews with the experts. The researcher interviewed three experts from urban fields and one stakeholder familiar with the regeneration of waterfront cities in order to gain their perspectives on the topic. Their academic and professional experience helped in analyzing the project on an urban scale to consider each potential or problematic aspect iv of it. Their responses generally emphasized the physical, social, economic, and environmental aspects of the project. Considering all these factors, the experts had many common opinions, as well as some controversial ones. Their contribution was important in determining that the project had great potential to improve the city and to directly contribute to the quality of the urban space of the area, even though on masterplan scale it should be reconsidered.