<p>The theory of territorial dependence and dominance has appeared since the development of world capitalism, referring to "core countries" and "peripheral countries". Initially, the countries were identified as “dominant” or “dependent” based on their economic and military development. A dominant state was characterized by a high level of economic and military development. These factors defined the country’s competitiveness and status compared to less developed ones. On the other hand, the territories that were distant from the “centre” area were considered as underdeveloped countries. Nowadays the concepts of dependence and dominance have broadened. A developed country could not compete solely based on the economic or military prowess. Other dimensions such as social, technological, innovative, etc. are taken into consideration. As for Albania, this dominant role is played by the capital, in relation to the other urban centres. Referring to a lower local level, until now, the urban area of Tirana has had a dominant role compared to its peripheries. However, this territory is facing new dynamics which are affecting the decentralization of the centre and the creation of new attractive poles. Some of the reasons why the municipality of Tirana is showing new features of the core–periphery model is related to the locally-oriented development, the need of territorial recomposing and planning, and the need for the expansion and management of the territory. The current trends are highlighting the potential of the peripheral territories to become autonomous from the centre, leading to a new configuration of the core–periphery model in the municipality of Tirana.</p>