Durrës is the city with the greatest economic activity after Tirana, but rapid and uncritical urbanization has created a series of problems that hinder sustainable development.
Harta e re territoriale e bashkisë Durrës
General information
Geographical Area: The Municipality of Durrës is bordered to the west by the Adriatic Sea, to the north by the municipality of Kurbin, to the east by the municipalities of Krujë, Vorë and Shijak, and to the south by the municipality of Kavajë.
Population: According to the 2011 census, 175,110 people live in the territory of the new municipality of Durrës, while according to the civil registry, the resident population is 299,989 people. With an area of 338.30 square kilometers, the population density according to the 2011 Census data is 517 inhabitants km2 while according to the Civil Registry it is 680 inhabitants km2.
This municipality consists of six administrative units, which are: Durrës, Sukthi, Ishmi, Katundi i Ri, Rrashbulli and Manëz.
Të gjitha njësitë e bashkisë së re bëjnë pjesë në rrethin Durrës, qarku Durrës. Në territorin e bashkisë së re gjenden tre qytete, Durrës, Sukth dhe Manëz si dhe 39 fshatra. Për të parë listën e plotë të qyteteve dhe fshatrave të kësaj bashkie, shih tabelen.
Municipality Profile
The municipality of Durrës extends along the sea coast, from the mouth of the Ishëm River in the north to the border with Kavaja in the south. The long coastline that is added to the city of Durrës emphasizes the feature of this municipality as a tourist area, since in addition to the Durrës beach, it also includes the entire Lalëz Bay and Cape Rodonit, which until now have been part of the municipalities of Ishëm, Sukth, Katund i Ri and Rrashbull.
Durrës also has the largest port in Albania, where over 90 percent of the entire port loading and unloading volume is processed, making it the most important commercial hub in the country.
Due to the convenience of the port, Durrës has also developed as an important manufacturing city, while the lure of tourism has caused a boom in the construction sector over the past two decades. Durrës is an area with a high rate of internal migration, which has led to rapid and informal expansion of the city in the former Këneta area and along the coastline to the south of the city.
Durrës is also an important archaeological site, as several layers of ancient civilizations lie beneath the current city. Archaeological discoveries are numerous, while construction in recent decades has damaged part of this heritage.
With over 5,600 economic activities and 15% of foreign investments, Durrës is ranked second as the country's strongest economy, after Tirana.
Turizmi veror dhe kulturor është një industri me ndikim të rëndësishëm në ekonominë e Durrësit. Me mbi 750.000 vizitorë në vit, kjo është zona më e rëndësishme e vendit në lidhje me turizmin masiv. Sipas Zyrës Rajonale të Punës të Durrësit, forcat aktive për të punuar llogariten rreth 54,000 njerëz. Niveli i të papunëve për rrethin e Durrësit shkon në rreth 10,38%, ku papunësia është më e përhapur te femrat. Sektori privat ka punësuar rreth 31,3%, i ndjekur nga sektori bujqësor privat me 36,7%, dhe sektori shtetëror me 21.3%.
Sfidat me të cilat do të përballet pushteti vendor pas ndarjes së re
Rapid urbanization has created serious problems with the encroachment of green spaces and damage to the archaeological heritage of the city of Durrës, while the rapid urbanization of the coastline has caused an overload of public services and difficulties in developing the necessary infrastructure.
Durrës is one of the most problematic areas regarding water supply, because the current water sources are limited and located at a considerable distance, while the new municipality does not have other nearby clean sources to increase the water supply.
Unregulated constructions have overloaded the existing urban infrastructure, such as wastewater sewers, roads, and public parking, and also threaten to harm the city’s future as a tourist destination.
Despite the overload of the current urban area with constructions, the expansion of the municipality to include the communes along the coastline creates an additional challenge, as the Lalzi Bay area has also begun to face construction pressures, both authorized and unauthorized.
Balancing the need for tourism development with the need to preserve a clean environment and turning tourism into a sustainable activity is the main challenge of the new municipality.
The construction of necessary infrastructure in urbanized areas over the last two decades, as well as the building of wastewater treatment plants to prevent coastal pollution, are considered challenges of particular importance.
In recent years, road connections to the outskirts of the city of Durrës have been established, which are still insufficient to handle the traffic flow.
The connection of the constituent villages of the new municipality to the city of Durrës through public transport is a solution that serves both tourism and the residents themselves.
Extending waste collection services throughout the territory of the new municipality is essential, especially because part of the coastline, such as Rodoni Cape, is littered with plastic waste carried by rivers.
The development of agriculture in the rural areas surrounding the current municipality is an opportunity, particularly regarding specialized food products for the tourism market.
