Albania 2030 Manifesto – A national Spatial Development Vision

This study was undertaken on the framework of the research units of POLIS University, namely: “IF, Innovation Factory” and “R&DI, Research and Development Institute”. It tries to summarize for the first time in Albania some theoretical-practical bases, and concrete ideas over the issues of spatial-territorial visioning, planning and development. Territorial planning in general is a relatively new science even for the most developed countries, and is mainly related to the historic processes and consequences of industrialization and urbanization. Meanwhile the field of “National Development Spatial Planning and Policies” represents a newer and unexplored science of application, even for the most powerful economies of the world. Meanwhile it absolutely represents an innovative and very powerful instrument for a country’s modernization, its economic performance, and for the good governance. In this aspect, and beyond modesty, such document represents a unique moment, and almost historic for Albania, considering the fact that authorities finally understood its importance and have already undertaken similar initiatives, which are still under process. We hope that “Albanian 2030” Manifesto will serve as a first milestone for drafting such ambitious plan, based on the ‘feedback’ that POLIS University and Co-PLAN are offering today, at the methodological context, answering some critical questions like: What does spatial planning represent? Which are the visualization instruments that relate to it? And above all which are some potential analysis and inspiring projections for the development of Albania in the coming 2 decades? The group of authors recognise with high gratitude the contributions of many colleagues of the academic-research staff, thesis researchers and PhD students, etc. Not being able to mention all of them we intend to underline the fact that such document also reflects many conclusive ideas and extraordinary life experiences extracted from the experience and history of cyclic evolution of the local professional and intellectual core, from Co-PLAN to POLIS University.