#S1EP5 - Gentrification

Besa Luci in conversation with Dorina Pllumbi and Iva Čukić.In this episode, we look at gentrification in urban spaces in the Balkans.Gentrification is when poor or underserved areas undergo transformations that expand economic activity through the modification, renovation or demolition of existing buildings and infrastructure in a manner that increases property values. Such changes in the urban landscape  often end up displacing existing residents, particularly those living in conditions of socioeconomic fragility. It contributes to what is called the “peripheralization of poverty,” that is, the expulsion of poor communities to the outskirts of our cities. Gentrification is taking place worldwide and the Balkans are no exception. In a region eager to move on from a troublesome, communist past, neoliberal approaches to urban planning and economic development have found an ideal breeding ground in Balkan cities, particularly in capital cities. In Prishtina, Tirana or Belgrade, policies that have been shown to destroy urban traditions and cultural heritage in other parts of the world are being adopted here at full speed.Two architects join us this episode to talk about gentrification and alternative pathways to urban regeneration.  Dorina Pllumbi is an architect and a PhD researcher at TU Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. Last summer she wrote a longform article for K2.0 called “Is Tirana’s rapid transformation progress or erasure?”, one of our most read pieces of 2022, which explored the issue of gentrification in Tirana.Iva Čukić holds a PhD in urban planning from the Faculty of Architecture, University of Belgrade. She is a co-founder and member of the collective “Ministry of Space," which monitors and responds to urban transformations in Belgrade and other cities across Serbia.Other Talking Points is produced by Besa Luci, Aulonë Kadriu and Gentiana Paçarizi. This episode was produced with additional research by Luca Tesei Li Bassi.Music and sound mix by PUG musik.This episode was produced with the financial support of the National Endowment for Democracy.You can listen to Other Talking Points through our website or by subscribing to K2.0 on Spotify.