From Milan to Tirana: Should We Reassess the Urban Model of the Future?

The heated debates now unfolding in Milan — a city long showcased as a success story of contemporary urbanism — send a clear signal: no development model is error-proof when image, not people, becomes the organizing principle. For Albania, the timing could not be more relevant. Our cities are changing at record speed, and many are borrowing similar design logics, technical solutions, and urban marketing narratives.

In Albania, every urban intervention is wrapped in appealing terms such as “requalification” or “urban renaissance.” Yet, too often, these are euphemisms masking the realities of over-construction and the loss of public spaces. Poetic language must not distract us from critically assessing the real outcomes.

Milan: From Praise to Scrutiny

Milan’s global reputation grew with high-visibility projects such as Bosco Verticale, celebrated as a fusion of architecture and living green infrastructure. Yet recent investigations — including those involving Mayor Giuseppe Sala — have cast new light on questions of transparency, governance, and potential conflicts of interest in planning and development processes.

Beyond governance, results on the ground are mixed. Controversial redesigns like Piazza Castello and Piazza San Babila are now cited by critics as examples of “dead spaces”: expanses of paving exposed to summer heat, lacking shade, trees, water, and social life — and prone to winter water accumulation. The core critique: urban design renderings promise livability, but built reality often fails to deliver functional, climate-responsive, community-supportive space.

Tirana & the TR030 Master Plan: Time for a Second Look?

Tirana has, for several years, been guided by the TR030 General Local Plan (Përgjithshëm Vendor), developed by the team led by architect Stefano Boeri — the same name behind Bosco Verticale. The plan introduced an ambitious vision: an Orbital Forest, new public squares, and vegetated vertical architecture redefining the skyline.

On paper, the concept is bold and inspiring. But after watching Milan’s experience unfold, a legitimate question emerges:

Is this model right for our reality?

Does it truly secure functional greenery, resilient microclimates, and inclusive public space — or are we at risk of building projects that look compelling in visualizations yet underperform in practice?

A further concern: high-rise concentration and rapid densification in Tirana’s core could erode visual landscape character, undermine cultural continuity, and squeeze out historic patterns unless a clear balance is maintained between new development and inherited urban fabric. In the wake of Milan’s reassessment, perhaps it is time to subject TR030 to an independent review — transparent, evidence-based, and participatory — to ensure alignment with the public interest and sustainability standards.

What Can We Learn from Milan?

• A rendering (computer views showing what the project is expected to look like) is not reality. Evaluate projects on function, microclimate, and long-term maintenance — not only on digital imagery.
• Plan public space for a Mediterranean climate. Shade, evapotranspiration, water features, permeable surfaces, and biodiversity are not optional extras.
• Transparency & public consultation matter. Urban planning cannot be an exclusive conversation among architects, investors, and political insiders.

Positive Models to Draw From

Ljubljana, Slovenia – Named European Green Capital 2016, the city combined strong waste-reduction policies with pedestrianization of the historic core, extensive greening, and a people-first mobility network.

Barcelona, Spain – The Superblocks (Superilles) strategy reclaims street space from cars, creating low-traffic social corridors where residents gather, play, and cool the urban heat island.

Paris, France – The “15-Minute City” framework aims to ensure that daily needs — parks, schools, markets, healthcare, culture — lie within a short walk or cycle, reducing congestion, emissions, and stress.

Freiburg, Germany – The Vauban eco-district prioritizes walking, cycling, district-scale clean energy, and community-driven design, becoming a reference point for integrated sustainable neighborhoods.

A Manifesto for the Albanian Cities of Tomorrow

To avoid repeating Milan’s mistakes, Albania needs its own urban vision — locally rooted, climate-smart, and socially just. A practical manifesto for action could rest on five pillars:

1.    Real, Functional Greenery – Not tree icons in renderings, but living, irrigated, climate-adaptive green systems in every public space.

2.    Climate-Responsive Design – Streets and squares designed for shade, cooling, water retention, and biodiversity across seasons.

3.    Civic Participation & Transparency – Open data, open hearings, co-design workshops. Urban form must emerge from dialogue between experts and communities.

4.    Post-Build Monitoring & Audits – Every major project should be evaluated after completion: Did it meet promised standards? Is it used? Does it perform ecologically?

5.    Protecting Urban Identity – Each Albanian city — Tirana, Durrës, Vlora, Shkodra, Korça, Gjirokastra, and beyond — carries a distinct history, scale, and cultural DNA. Modernization must amplify, not erase, that identity.

Call to Action

Milan reminds us that even the most celebrated projects can fail when people and nature are treated as afterthoughts. Albania still has time to build a distinct, human-centered, climate-aware urban model with a strong sense of place. Before we greenlight the next tower, concrete plaza, or iconic “statement” development, we should ask:

Are we building cities for people, memory, and ecological resilience — or only for the image of a faceless global metropolis?

The answer we give — in policy, budget, and built form — will shape how we live for generations.