Urban Planning in the Polycrises Era as “The Substance of Things Hoped For” Research, Teaching, and Spatial Design at POLIS University, Albania

Abstract This study considers urban planning not only as a technical exercise, but also as a collective act of hope. The paper, inspired by Edoardo Persico’s idea of architecture as “the substance of things hoped for”, analizes how universities, especially Polis University, can serve as active platforms for shaping the urban future. The research analizes teaching, city design / urban planning strategies, concluding with an analysis of the methodology of scientific research carried out at Polis University. The discussion is based on experiences from the PhD program in Architecture and Urban Planning that Polis organizes in collaboration with the University of Ferrara in Italy, where scientific research, teaching practice and spatial design are intertwined. The research also focuses on the analysis of how Polis and its research staff have faced a series of crises such as earthquakes, sustainability, climate and social crises, which have been addressed in articles and publications over the last 10 years. The analysis highlights the concrete contributions of Polis University to urban studies, pedagogical innovation and research, treating each as a distinct but interconnected form of knowledge. The paper argues that urban space should not be seen simply as a product of projects, but is a dynamic field of action where education, research and cooperation with non-academic institutions enhance spatial quality and nurture a shared hope for better living environments. In conclusion, this paper aims to start a dialogue on the transformative role of higher education and urban planning in an era of overlapping crises such as war, climate change, social tensions and migration, which shape the cities of today and tomorrow.. Keywords POLIS University, polycrises, resilience, research, teaching, urban planning