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On the basis of democratic society development principles, the origin of the effect of different social groups on the territory development process, its historic sources, professional and emotional relationship with aesthetic city image formation, urban process development are discussed in the paper. Economic, social, political and other informal effect (IfE) consequences in urban development are analysed. Internal social relationship of modes of living in urbanized territories, effects of development planning on the above-mentioned processes are revealed. The paper is based on the author's practical experience, observations and analysis of archives. Statistical data used, answers received through interviews enabled us to draw objective conclusions about the influence of non-governmental public organisations (NGO) on urban development processes in Lithuania. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with and emphasizes the problem of changing the identity of Vilnius as a unique place in the theoretical discourse of spatial morphology. Within the globalized context of contemporary urban development, the issue of Vilnius centre formation is revealed and identified as contradictory in the aspect of space morphology. The author analyses how newly-formed spatial structures influence the visual-mental perception of the city and spatial morphology. The present condition of Vilnius centre development is defined in the paper as that influencing the local identity crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithuania is not the only country where public contribution to urban planning and urban design processes is highly procedural and formalistic. Unidirectional and inflexible cooperation between participants of urban planning activities is common in various countries. Cross-purposes and conflict situations once boosted emergence of innovative and effective methods for decision making in urban planning processes in developed countries. Now it's time to learn from these examples and creatively adopt them for purposes of long-term optimization of our national urban planning system. Paper describes some marginal activities in urban planning and design processes and disputes a growing impact of public participation in development of cities and urban regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper discusses territory planning and land reform during the period of the independence of Lithuania since 1990. With the beginning of unplanned land restitution private land parcels were formed chaotically. These parcels were not adapted to any development prospects except farming. So proper planning of these parcels meant a new period of territory planning. An unproper legal system regulating private and state interests in territory planning resulted in such negative processes as fragmentation of farming lands, urban sprawl, unjustified expansion of urban lands. According to this situation, land reallocation principles are suggested that can help to combine private and state interests in the territory planning process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The word "public" has two meanings in the Lithuanian language. It means "useful for society" and "overt" ("nonsecret"). Double- edged meaning of the category is not acceptable in the sphere of practical urban development, where decisions mean the distribution of goods among individuals as well as the distribution of goods among individuals and overall. In general it is not clear whether the development of the city should be only overt or whether it has also something to do with the interest of society, with the interest of the entire population of the city. The language peculiarities require a special approach of the legal system to the term. The Lithuanian legal system makes not very much in this direction, may be rather on the contrary it makes the term "public interest" even more misty. The Lithuanian Constitution mentions societal interest (requires to support useful for society economic activity), however, neither the Constitution nor the Law on Territory Planning describe what the category "society use" (societal interest) means. The Law does not see the difference a person and the entirety of city population. It says that the term "public" ("society") means one as well as more natural or legal persons. This situation has many sequences: the main question of the social system of the state is not clear; the basis of the mission of urban planning is not clear too; the principle of distribution of goods in urban development is not declared; the question of a legal goods distribution can hardly even be raised. The idea of a more precise legal definition of the term "public interest" is raised in the paper. The author thinks that the formula "public goods are goods that cannot be produced by an individual" can be a good basis for elaborating a legal definition of the category "public interest". It allows to divide clearly and logically overall and individual goods. It allows to see what concrete development proposals are useful for. It allows to show the logical place of urban planning in general: public interest in urban development should be the production of goods that cannot be produced by separate citizens; this production should also be accepted as the mission of urban planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Formation of urban structures and systematic evaluation remain one of the most important problems causing reduction of planning efficiency. The main negative factors result from undeveloped and nonsystematic planning system. Formation of structures doesn't gain access to the circle of the greatest interests, comparing with land owners' and developers' interests to increase the variety and value of land use. Procedural participation of sectorial institutions assumes monopolistic and nonnegotiable character in the present practice, and political judgement is the only evaluation form existing in planning system and it doesn't guarantee objectiveness. Land use purposes, types and subtypes don't correlate with urban planning objectives, physical and functional variety of objects. Links between formation of urban structures and principles of land use classification, informational welfare, structure evaluation principles, development intentions as well as correlation of their significance alternation with evolution of communication and informational technologies are analysed in this paper. Suggestions for solving problems in urban structure formation are set forward: to liberalize and transfer comprehensive reasoning of land use types, forms and regulation to the planner's competence, considering that the forms, role and significance of urban structures are changing, and proceed to a qualitatively new systematic evaluation, based on city e-models and identification and monetarization of external effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines the changing character of nation / state power and power relationships between state, regions and cities under the conditions of rapid grobalization and postfordist capitalism. European states, regions and cities sustain not only the pressure of globalizational factors and challenges, but they are the targets of Euro- integrational policy, especcially that of Euro- regionalization and urbanization. A part of state power is transmitted up to a supranational level and some part - down to regional and local levels, thus the authorities of a subnational level are empowered to act on their own account for good competitive positions in domestic and global markets. Some peculiarities of Lithuania' s transition to a capitalist system are highlighted and landmarks of urbanization are concidered. Attention is paid to Vilnius urban development from the point of view of European regional and urban development policy trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Declarations on sustainable urban development enforce analysis of the potential and resources of separate Lithuanian towns supplemented with significant improvements of recreational environment quality. People are under the influence of cultural and artistic values in an urban environment. Interaction problems between human beings and environment concern architects, psychologists, sociologists, doctors, artists. Their influence significantly increases in recreational environment. Recently in various Lithuanian towns and cities the quality of recreational environment has not only improved but, unfortunately, it has lost its important qualitative components. A piece of art in post-soviet urban space and in recreational environment is accepted ambiguously. Destruction of environmental values enforces search for planning or organizational means of spaces to reduce negative reaction. In this aspect experience in the West European culture of towns and cities is very important. In this work the author analyses the experience of some European cities in integrating artistic and cultural components into recreational spaces. Concrete suggestions for improving formation of recreational environment are given. The experience analysis of European cities allows to state that the Lithuanian urban recreational environment can be used much more effectively by using artistic means. The paper presents examples of recreational environment formation and suggestions on improving, evaluation and artistic value integration into environment. They could be very useful in planning urban recreational environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most Lithuanian towns developed spontaneously without any special authors' urban projects. Urban solutions in Vilnius were mainly of a practical rather than aesthetical character. After the World War II architects and urbanists whose work substantially changed historically formed towns, became more active. The conception of monument protection (heritage) in Lithuania varied gradually along with lagging behind the tendencies that dominated in Europe; therefore, the results of authors' works are conspicuous in Vilnius city. The most conspicuous realized conception is an idea of "architectural hills". Presently this realized conception is strongly criticized. Alongside new regulations that protect the Old Town are underdevelopment. These regulations often do not correspond to the development of the city which is unavoidable considering the status of Vilnius city (the capital) and the size of administrated territory. Contradictory opinions supporting urban development and heritage as well as ways of solving the problems are presented in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inevitability of combining the potential of the two greatest Lithuanian cities of Vilnius and Kaunas as the main „vertebra“ of the country's demographic and urban backbone was declared in the Master Plan of Lithuanian Territory Development adopted by the Seimas (Parliament) in the autumn of 2001. This qualitatively new approach on urban development is based on the teoretical and practical experience of modem world' s metropolitan areas. A survey of numerous statistic data, concerning existing situation in urban, life quality, economic and intellectual development of municipalities belonging to the territory of the above dipolis, is presented in the paper. Some of them are compared with the official data of the European Union. The author's emphasis is put on the inequalities of comprehensive development in various parts of this new combined urban unit. Inclusion of adjacent municipalities into the dipolis is one of the main preconditions of not only equalizing their situation but also improving in this way the development of the entire country, especially of its eastern part. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An idea of the dipolis of Vilnius and Kaunas formation is under discussion in the paper with the aim to establish both a metropolitan and recognized centre on an international scale. The first step is completed, i e a strategic plan of the dipolis is prepared following the initiative of both cities' municipalities. This plan is contradictory and controversial. The objective is declared for the first time in order to form a system of factors which could turn the existing polycentric network of the Lithuanian cities to another direction, i e to the concentration of social, economic and demographical potentials. It is not acceptable because it will expand the existing gap of Vilnius and Kaunas from the periphery and reduce the viability of the whole Lithuanian urban system. There is no basis for a bipolar urban structure formation. The potential development in the case of big cities and their non-formal regions do not overlap, the internal links are weak, and there are no indications of linear urban network formation. The progress of the whole Lithuanian urban system due to a low density of population as well as growing emigration should not be interdependent with an artificial development of both the metropolitan and regional physical structures. The idea of the dipolis of Vilnius and Kaunas formation should be assessed as a symbol of the inner cities' co-operation which is under particular shortage. Development of high-speed communication and information technologies as well as integration processes should serve for the above mentioned purpose by evaluating subjects of non-reducing competition of the cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]