Urban Plurality Without Polycentricity: A Cross-Dimensional Analysis of Albania’s Deviation from the Polycentric Urban Region Model

Abstract

The topic of polycentricity remains dominant in European urban planning discussions; however, previous studies have focused only on larger, wealthier, and administratively divided metropolitan areas. There has been little research conducted to date exploring the dynamics of the failed emergence of polycentricity in small-scale, centralized, and newly urbanized countries. This article will fill the void by analyzing the Albanian case. Rather than applying the European approach to testing, the Polycentric Urban Region concept will serve as a theoretical framework for analysis across six aspects: plurality of centers, complementarity, inter-urban relationships, hierarchy, coordination, and matching scales. Based on three propositions, qualitative analysis will be undertaken through three periods of Albanian politics. According to the findings, morphological plurality can be observed in Albania, but not functional polycentricity, as metropolitan primacy, lack of differentiation, radial connections, fragmented governance, and scalar mismatches maintain the stable monocentric order. Two terms will be introduced as outcomes of the study: structural scalar lock-in and pseudo-polycentric equilibrium. Comparative assessment with Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia supports the hypothesis.