Rural Landcape Planning & Spatial Governance, 21-24 May 2026

Registration (Google form) : https://forms.gle/yVsskY5m3roLJy2M9

Workshop website: https://internationalworkshop-tirana.netlify.app/

• Hybrid participation (on-site and online).

• No admission fee for participation.

• Participants are expected to cover their own travel and accommodation costs. Field excursions have a participation fee that includes transport and lunch.

Timetable

Presentations: first day and the first half of the second day (21-22 May). 

On the second day after lunch, we will have the afternoon for the city visit (eventually also visit/meetings at the city hall). 

All the visits/meetings will focus on the topic of the workshop. For example, for the visit of day 2 (city visit) we will focus on the agritourism activities around Tirana city.

Final Draft

INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP 

Rural Landscape Planning and Spatial Governance.

The Role of Local Government in the Management and Enhancement of Heritage Landscapes

Participation: hybrid participation

Dates: 21-22-23-24 May 2026, Tirana, Albania

Draft schedule  

21.05.2026:  Workshop in Tirana (1 day or 1 day and half)

22.05.2026: Visit of Tirana city and meeting with local authorities and stakeholders

23.05.2026:  Excursion in the northwestern area of Albania: (draft) Lezha, Shëngjin, Shkodër, lunch at “Mrizi i Zanave” agritourism, back to Tirana

24.05.2026: Excursion in the southwestern area of Albania: (draft) Elbasan, Belshi lakes, Berat (UNESCO city), Vlora, Llogara pass, Albanian Ionian Coast.

Organizer and Chair:

Romeo Hanxhari, member of the IGU CGoG Steering Committee & University of Tirana, Albania, in cooperation with

Anna Trono, Co-chair IGU CGoG Committee, University of Salento, Italy

The workshop devotes interest to the management and protection of the landscape as a category of cultural heritage involving a multiplicity of interests and actors, both in the development of new legal and institutional tools for its protection. The multifunctionality of cultural, social and economic interests of the landscape theme raises the question of how and who manages the heritage of landscapes at the local level.

The workshop aims to identify empirical models for the identification and evaluation of local governance models used in the management of landscapes. The workshop aims to underline the interactions among local actors; delineate the crucial role played by local governing bodies in the management of heritage landscapes, involving different administrative and sociocultural units.

Track 1 THE ROLE OF GOVERNANCE IN MANAGING NATURAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE

How to promote modes of development at the local and regional level based on the non-destructive use of regional capital and to define and implement strategies and initiatives of public interest.

TRACK 2 REGIONAL GOVERNANCE OF CULTURAL HERITAGE IN DEVELOPED And DEVELOPING COUNTRIES.

 Consider how the landscape has been governed following the major transformations that have affected the economy, politics and culture, triggered by the crisis of the Fordist production model.

Track 3 CULTURAL HERITAGE AND THE PARTICIPATORY GOVERNANCE

The value of cultural heritage lies in its exemplarity, its association with local identity and its role in maintaining historical memory. However, it also needs to be perceived and understood as a cultural asset by the local community, to be scientifically accredited and to be recognised as a tourist attraction and driver of regional development.

Track 4 REGIONAL LANDSCAPE PLANNING FOR THE INNOVATION OF URBAN AND RURAL PLANNING.

 Analyse the operational importance of including the landscape dimension in local urban planning policies. Investigate how the contents of landscape plans are interpreted and implemented at the local level. Verify whether landscape planning can introduce elements of innovation into urban planning.

Track 5 GOVERNNCE OF THE RURAL AREAS AND RURAL HERITAGE TO SERVE THE BUSINESS OPORTUNITIES  

Identify models of good utilization of rural resources and rural heritage empirical models for the evaluation of local governance models used in the management of landscapes and cultural heritage.