How can you logically begin to redevelop an area without reaching a prior agreement with the landowners? This was the question posed by urbanist Dritan Shutina on Euronews Albania, where he was invited to talk about the recent demolition project at the 5 Maji neighborhood in Tirana.

Jurist Arben Llangozi was also invited to comment on the issue, calling the entire demolition project an example of flagrant theft.

According to Llangozi, the state is bringing down people’s homes in order to replace them with high-rises.

“The government has been stalling the process of legalization for these homeowners for the past 16 years. The people who are out protesting right now, haven’t been granted their basic rights. The government is the only one to blame for this – for first and foremost allowing them to build their homes in this territory and then refusing to legalize their properties,” – argued jurist Arben Llangozi.

In addition, urbanist Dritan Shutina accused authorities of not conducting the necessary consultation regarding these projects, adding that every new project must be accompanied by a thorough study that should be able to provide a start date and a projected end date.

“This process should have been more transparent. We are looking at a pure case of overlap – on the one hand, we have an area that is being promoted as a neighborhood redevelopment project and on the other hand, there are those who say that these buildings must be taken down as a result of the Earthquake Reconstruction Process,” – said Shutina, adding that the real reason why the government has ordered these buildings to be demolished remains unclear.

Lastly, Shutina argued that the local government can’t under any possible circumstances, begin a redevelopment project without reaching an agreement with the landowners, whose homes are being demolished before their very eyes and before they have signed a contract, which should detail a form of recompensation.

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