The Landscape changes of the city of Shkodra as a consequence of Internal Migration

• Author: Bresena Kopliku, Nevila Dibra, Ervis Krymbi
• Position: University of Shkodra 'Luigj Gurakuqi'
• Pages: 253-264

ISSN 2410-3918 Academic Journal of Business, Administration, Law and Social Sciences Vol 1 No 2

Acces online at www.iipccl.org IIPCCL Publishing, Tirana-Albania July 2015

253

e Landscape changes of the city of Shkodra as a consequence of Internal

Migration

Dr. Bresena Kopliku

University of Shkodra “Luigj Gurakuqi”

Dr. Nevila Dibra

University of Shkodra “Luigj Gurakuqi”

Dr. Ervis Krymbi

University of Shkodra “Luigj Gurakuqi”

Abstract

Shkodra city landscape has changed dramatically aer 1990. Not only the economic transition

from a centralized to a free market economy and political change from totalitarism to democracy,

but the whole Albanian society and landscape was transformed. Population movement displayed

in all migration typologies- international migration, internal migration, recently return migration

and circular movements - has played a signicant role in changing the economy, social and cultural

life, the environment and also the landscape.

e analysis of the internal migration and its impact in the urban areas is the main objective of this

paper. It tries to dene the way that in-come movements have aected the urban landscape of the

city of Shkodra in a way that can also be found in other urban areas of Albania. ese movements

were chaotic. eir main outcome was the creation of informal areas with new and quite big

dwellings, based on the help of nancial remittances coming from international migration. Despite

the dierent intensity, their typologie has been almost the same in the main cities of the western

coast of Albania. It resulted in the enlargement of suburban areas, occupation of agricultural land

and industrial areas, changing of demographic structure, opening of new economic activities and

in the creation of new social problems. ese peripheral areas have changed during the transition

period. Another objective of this paper includes the statistical data collected from in-depth

interviews and participant observation based on the immigrants background, their movement

experience and the way integration has aected the landscape. e article also argues that the city’s

landcape cannot be understood without taking into consideration internal migration.

Keywords: Internal Migration, Landscape, Remittances, Suburban area, Shkodra City.

Introduction

e landscape of the city of Shkodra has changed signicantly as a consequence of

migration beeing it international or internal. e paper focuses mainly on internal

migration as the main determinant of urbanization and consequently of urban landscape

changing.

e geographical position of the city situated in a lowland beside the lake and surrounded

in the north with mountanous area has played an important role in shaping the factors

for the population movements in the region. is favourable geographical position has