40 Fig.17 Ec<strong>on</strong>omy map
41 With<strong>in</strong> the fulfillment of the visi<strong>on</strong> are def<strong>in</strong>ed four key strategic objectives: 1. The susta<strong>in</strong>able ec<strong>on</strong>omic development 2. Improvement of the quality of life <strong>in</strong> urban / rural areas 3. Improvement of <strong>in</strong>frastructure, transport and mobility <strong>in</strong> the regi<strong>on</strong> 4. Protecti<strong>on</strong> and improvement of the natural envir<strong>on</strong>ment quality thanks to transportati<strong>on</strong> soluti<strong>on</strong>s, which l<strong>in</strong>k communities with employment opportunities and local services, c<strong>on</strong>trol and reduce traffic, and improve strategic ties, by rail, sea, and air. A regi<strong>on</strong> that values the historical and cultural past, which competes metropolises of the Western Balkans, turn<strong>in</strong>g Tiranë-Durrës <strong>in</strong> an attractive envir<strong>on</strong>ment to local and <strong>in</strong>ternati<strong>on</strong>al talent, of a creative labor force, which is compatible with and preserves the high ec<strong>on</strong>omic diversity characteriz<strong>in</strong>g the regi<strong>on</strong>. 3.3.1 Strategic objective 1: susta<strong>in</strong>able ec<strong>on</strong>omic development The ec<strong>on</strong>omic regi<strong>on</strong> Tiranë-Durrës is the ec<strong>on</strong>omic pivot of <strong>Albania</strong>. C<strong>on</strong>sequently, it will c<strong>on</strong>t<strong>in</strong>ue to rema<strong>in</strong> “the ec<strong>on</strong>omic eng<strong>in</strong>e” of the country and will turn <strong>in</strong>to a competitive regi<strong>on</strong> <strong>in</strong> the Western Balkans. The regi<strong>on</strong> will turn <strong>in</strong>to a space which supports the pr<strong>in</strong>ciples of global ec<strong>on</strong>omic competiti<strong>on</strong>, the creati<strong>on</strong> of ec<strong>on</strong>omic clusters, based <strong>on</strong> the pr<strong>in</strong>ciples of metabolism, whereby the producti<strong>on</strong> and further development is carried out under the paradigm of a closed cycle, where the waste of <strong>on</strong>e process are used as the raw material of another process. <strong>Spatial</strong> Dimensi<strong>on</strong> of Ec<strong>on</strong>omic Development The plan aims at a c<strong>on</strong>t<strong>in</strong>uous and susta<strong>in</strong>able ec<strong>on</strong>omic development as an <strong>in</strong>ternati<strong>on</strong>al gateway of ec<strong>on</strong>omic activities through: ʧ The development of four ec<strong>on</strong>omic clusters <strong>in</strong> compact urban centers with specialized functi<strong>on</strong>s, supported by an Ec<strong>on</strong>omic Development Z<strong>on</strong>e, as well as ports with specialized functi<strong>on</strong>s. ʧ Support<strong>in</strong>g with ec<strong>on</strong>omic <strong>in</strong>cubators for the development of entrepreneurship and <strong>in</strong>novati<strong>on</strong>. ʧ Focus<strong>in</strong>g <strong>on</strong> the <strong>in</strong>crease of the number of bus<strong>in</strong>ess structures <strong>in</strong> Tiranë-Durrës Ec<strong>on</strong>omic Corridor, power<strong>in</strong>g mobility with multimodal trasport and logistics centers that enable efficient access nati<strong>on</strong>ally. The creati<strong>on</strong> of Ec<strong>on</strong>omic Corridors and Centers with specialized Ec<strong>on</strong>omic Poles. ʧ The <strong>in</strong>tegrated development of tourism strategies <strong>in</strong> urban centers, with a focus <strong>on</strong> Service Tourism and Weekend Tourism, to create regi<strong>on</strong>al brand<strong>in</strong>g and regi<strong>on</strong>al brands. Increase of natural areas and cultural it<strong>in</strong>eraries, <strong>in</strong>terl<strong>in</strong>ked, <strong>in</strong> support of susta<strong>in</strong>able envir<strong>on</strong>mental development and the development of natural and agrorural tourism. Polycentrism and hierarchizati<strong>on</strong> of Urban Centres Establishment of a clear hierarchy between the centers of urban-rural regi<strong>on</strong>, which will allow the specializati<strong>on</strong> and complementary relati<strong>on</strong>ship of these centers <strong>in</strong> relati<strong>on</strong> to each other, it will create c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>s for <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>g the efficiency of public <strong>in</strong>vestment, improv<strong>in</strong>g liv<strong>in</strong>g c<strong>on</strong>diti<strong>on</strong>s, and will lead the <strong>in</strong>crease of the populati<strong>on</strong> <strong>in</strong> compact specialized urban centers by hierarchy, while safeguard<strong>in</strong>g the territory from unsusta<strong>in</strong>able development. 3.3.2 Strategic objective 2: improv<strong>in</strong>g the quality of life <strong>in</strong> urban / rural areas The chaotic development of the last decades associated also with <strong>in</strong>formal development provides a difficult urban overview. View<strong>in</strong>g the high c<strong>on</strong>centrati<strong>on</strong> of urban areas <strong>in</strong> the regi<strong>on</strong>, it is aimed at the improvement of the quality of life and envir<strong>on</strong>ment for residents <strong>in</strong> the Tiranë-Durrës area, attract<strong>in</strong>g talents and foreign companies, bey<strong>on</strong>d the local <strong>on</strong>es. C<strong>on</strong>sequently, the urban-rural quality shall turn