Dark grey - former socialist Europe Lithuania in Baltic states Vilnius. Dark grey - socialist housing estate

CITY, CATCH THE TIME!Rediscovering socialist neighbourhoods in a new capitalist society

Case in Vilnius Lithuania

Background image – future in the modernist estate. Route crosses housing area with ground floor shops. In the back is seen urban centre with a tram line

and the station.Vision for Vilnius: Compact city with network of centralities

FutureCompact City

Network of centralitiesProject area - future centrality in

socialist housing estates

Project area

Modernist CityCompact European city

Development phases of Vilnius

PastThe beginning PresentMonocentric sprawling city

Avenue, route, square and new houses in microdistrictsUkmerges street - main district avenue Shopping streets in mix use district centre

Revitalization strategy: From the periphery into the centrality

Develop three different profile main streets

Laisv

es a

v.

Develop three axes + mix use centre in between them

Accessible network of public spaces and parks

Land use, density, identity changes according to proximity to the centre or landscapes

Lais

ves

av.

Ukm

erges str.

Siaurine str.Graduation project “City, catch the time! Rediscovering socialist neighbourhoods in a new capitalist society” focuses on regeneration of large scale housing estates in post socialist cities. Study case is Vilnius, capital of Lithuania.

In 1970s western European cities have recognized problems of modernist housing and started their regeneration strategies. However in former USSR construction of modernist blocks continued up until 1990s and in much higher scale. Currently huge housing estates in the peripheries of post socialist cities show their first decline signs. If the revitalizations strategies will not be started soon, most cities in entire Eastern Europe will face serious urban problems.

However after analysis of the study case city Vilnius I have found that the city has more problems than the housing estates. There is a big threat of sprawl, and all developments go away from sustainability. While housing estates are popular among citizens, have public transportation, green

space and room for development and changes. All in all Vilnius need to search more sustainable future development vision.

Graduation project goals and solutions focuses on two scales: city and neighbourhood. Advantages of socialist housing will contribute to the new structure of the city, while the new city structure will be the way to revitalize neighbourhoods.

The project is presented in few main sections: analysis of the city leaded to its development vision “Polycentric city with network of centralities”. One of the future centralities is housing estate area in Vilnius. Regeneration strategy for the estate is named “From the periphery in to the centrality”. Further is presented urban structure of the new centrality and public space system: routes connecting housing estates with the new sub-centre. For the public space design was used revitalization toolbox – generic rules how to humanize the space in modernist estates.

Justina Muliuolyte // TU Delft, 2010 // justeem@gmail.com // +31624944011 // www.justinamuliuolyte.eu

Baltic States

Vilnius Region

Project area

Perspective with strategic projects of the new sub-centre

Analysis of Vilnius. Morphology: compact centre, modernist estates and sprawled houses. Road network: city has well developed road network, particularly socialist estates.Functions: all the facilities and functions and jobs are in the centre. Housing estates are monofunctional and lack of diversity.

Landscapes: Green belt and river valley hills separate housing estates from the old town.

Transformation of the centre:

1- Ukmerges street;2 - Bus terminal-transferium in Ukmerges street, mix use area with shopping street and squares;3 - new Siaurine street;4 - Laisves avenue

Revitalization of housing estates:

5 - public space system, routes;6 - Housing renovation

Parks:

7 - Green belt park;8 - Microdistrict parks with activity program;9 - Neighbourhood avenues.

Tree like road structure

Fragmented neighbourhoods

Monotonous open green space

Continuous, diverse urban area

From “tree” structure into a network

Modernist periphery with 150 000 inhabitants Diverse, mix use, dense TOD centrality

Diversity in public space

Modernist city is different from the compact cityConcept rules how to change modernist city into compact and diverse: Original structure New structure

New district centrePasilaiciai housing estate

Fabijoniskes housing estate

Route linking neighbourhoods with the centre Revitalization toolbox

Keep the urban block structure

Soften the surface of parking lotsReorganize parking lots Define public space

Replace kindergartens towards the routesMake space for new housing

Provide sport facilitiesConcentrate and combine playgrounds

Recreate the street profile: transform the garages, close the courtyards

Transform the garages - recreate the street profile

Remove the slope – recreate the street profile

Provide activity along the street

Develop “no land” and empty land into row rise housing

Reorganize entrances from apartments to courtyards

Street - a barrier

Fabijoniskes housing estate

Pasilaiciai housing estate

Station Tram stopShopping street

Pedestrian friendly

Urban square

Conference centreExhibition area

Business area Casino HotelCinema, Bingo Bowling clubEntertainment area

Missing street linksPedestrian friendly street

Interventions on the nodes

Closing courtyards

Low-rise housingCommunity rooms

Day care centre

Micro business

Micro commerce

Micro cultureLibrary

Park, sport facilities MarketSquare

Currently two housing estates are disconnected. The new route have to link neighborhoods and connect them with a centre. The route project has two main intervention areas: centre and housing estates. The centre is converted into urban blocks, with pedestrian streets, mix of functions and density. In the microdistricts new public space system is achieved by few steps.

Revitalization toolbox is a collection of public space problems found on the route area, mapped and presented with design solutions how that could be changed.

Housing estates in Vilnius were planned applying the same design principles. Many times just copying / pasting the same layouts and the same houses. For the same design principles there can be applied the same revitalization rules – the toolbox. The toolbox is a list of design recommendations used in the route project that can be applied in other socialist housing estates of Vilnius.

Microdistricts have to be connected with the future centre Design urban centre Create urban street

Define closed and calm courtyards Add new housing typologyAdd program on the route