Networks and cities' news

Schoolhoods’ Mid-Term Reflection Meeting: Advancing Safe, Green, and Happy Ways to School!

Parma, Italy | November 13-14, 2024

Nature-Based Solutions, Equal Cities & Inclusive Design

The 5th Core Network Meeting of partners within the Green Place network took place in Nitra on October 15-16, 2024. The meeting focused on the topics of Nature-Based Solutions, Equal Cities & Inclusive Design. It was also aimed at feedback on the addressed area of ​​abandoned brownfield of former military barracks and drawing on relevant experiences with partners on this topic. The meeting continued with some partners on October 17 as  a site visit, showcasing successful examples of good practices in green infrastructure, work with minority groups, improving the health of residents, and the reconstruction of historic buildings.

Climate-adaptive grassland management in urban environments

Veszprém (HU), the “City of Queens” (ca. 56.000 inhabitants), as it is often called due to its role in Hungarian history, is located between the famous Lake Balaton and the karst area of Bakony Hills, its territory is both part of the Bakony-Balaton UNESCO Geopark and the Balaton-upland National Park. Veszprém was the European Capital of Culture in 2023 together with its hinterland (Veszprém-Balaton-Bakony region), highlighting the city’s integral connection to surrounding landscapes.

#RzeClimat(On) behind us

Fresh Ideas for a Greener Rzeszów.

Advancing Green and Smart Urban Development in Villena

From November 18th -21st, 2024, Villena, Spain, hosted a pivotal meeting of the EcoCore Network, which included the mid-term review of the project and a masterclass on Smart and Green Industrial Zones. The event, enriched by expert contributions, site visits, and workshops, provided a comprehensive platform for exploring strategies that align industrial development with sustainability and innovation.

The Unconventional Architectural narrative of Albania

Author: Dr. Doriana Musaj, Tirana

The collapse of the Berlin Wall, a symbol of the downfall of communist regimes in Eastern Europe, marked a significant turning point in the historical narrative of Albania. After declaring independence from the Ottoman Empire just prior to World I, Albania’s development as an independent nation-state was hijacked by a prolonged period of brutal repression under the 46-year reign of an oppressive Stalinist regime led by Albania’s dictator, Enver Hoxha.  For the last decade of Hoxha’s reign (1975-1985), Albanians lived in complete isolation from the global community. The communist ideology that governed the nation for half a century initially eradicated the concept of God, subsequently fractured familial bonds, and established an intricate system of internal surveillance, reshaping society into distinct categories of party members and perceived adversaries of the state. Under these circumstances, the period of transition from an authoritarian regime to a democratic system has been – and remains —fraught with challenges. Despite the passage of over three decades, the nation has not engaged in the necessary work of reflecting on past events in order to understand how the dictatorship arose, its consequences and ongoing effects, or the significance of these things to contemporary social, cultural, political and economic life.  This reflection is urgent and imperative.  
This article begins reflecting on the past by exploring Albania’s dissonant architecture through a narrative perspective.  Dissonant architecture possesses the unique ability to uncover and examine historical narratives embodied in architectural styles and spaces.  As such, it serves as a conduit that connects past and present and so exposes the links between generations (links that oppressive regimes intentionally annihilate). In order to fully understand the various aspects of dissonant architecture in Albania, it's crucial at first to understand the historical context in which this architecture emerged. This article uses 2 architectural case studies to explicate this historical context and explore the stories of past and present that dissonant architecture tells: the Pyramid of Enver Hoxha, and the National Theater of Albania.