Parko problematika struktūrinėje miesto plėtroje (Šiaulių miesto pavyzdžiu)

Nowadays there is a renewed interest in city parks as recreational oases providing tranquillity and balancing out urban processes. This paper reviews characteristic features of city parks situated in an urban environment, presents comparative characteristics of exceptional parks, and summarizes the development of city parks in Lithuania in the 20th century. Within this context a feasibility study of the central park in S˘iauliai is presented, focussing on the task of clearly distinguishing the park’s borders during its moderate urbanization and preserving the park in the process of integration of its urban neighbourhood, meanwhile improving the park’s composition and service infrastructure. The paper analyses the park’s territory as an element of urban structure: position within the green city structure and the system of green spaces; arrangement of the green space in the overall city structure (hierarchy of values of urban structure elements), degree of its integration; transformations of the park’s territory; analysis of the current situation and suggestions. Santrauka Šiuo metu vėl pradėta gręžtis į miestuose esančius parkus kaip gyventojų poilsio, ramybės bei savotiškos atsvaros urbanizaciniams procesams oazes. Straipsnyje apžvelgiami miestų parkų urbanizuotoje aplinkoje ypatumai, pateikiama išskirtų parkų lyginamoji charakteristika, apžvelgiama Lietuvos miesto parkų evoliucija XX a. Šios informacijos fone pristatoma Šiaulių miesto centrinio parko galimybių studija, kurioje iškeltas uždavinys nuosaikiai urbanizuojant teritoriją aiškiai išskirti parko ribas bei kaip nepakenkti esančiam parkui integruoti urbanizacinį kaimyną, kartu pagerinant paties parko kompoziciją bei paslaugų infrastruktūrą. Pateikiama parko teritorijos analizė kaip urbanistinės struktūros elemento tyrimas: miesto gamtiniame karkase ir žaliųjų plotų sistemoje; žaliosios erdvės rangas bendrojoje miesto struktūroje (urbanistinės struktūros elementų vertybinė hierarchija), jos integracijos laipsnis; parko teritorijos transformacijos; esamos padėties analizė bei siūlymai. First Published Online: 22 May 2013 Reikšminiai žodžiai: Šiaulių centrinis miesto parkas, urbanizuota aplinka, gamtinis karkasas, urbanistinė struktūra, erdvių hierarchija

Urban design in the Baltics: studies, research and practice

„Urban design in the Baltics: studies, research and practice" Journal of Architecture and Urbanism, 40(4), p. 259-26

Square as a type of urban space : between social functions and spatial dimensions

Straipsnyje nagrinėjama miesto aikštė urbanistiniu aspektu, kaip masės ir erdvės kompozicija su socialinės funkcijos turiniu. Pateikiamos aikštės sąvokos versijos žodynuose, įstatymuose, aptariama aikštės sąvokos formuluotė urbanistiniame kontekste. Formuluojami kriterijai aikštės formavimui anksčiau atliktų aikštės (kaip struktūrinio elemento) tyrimų pagrindu profesinės literatūros šaltiniuose, skiriant dėmesį urbanistinės erdvės formavimo principams (konkrečių kompozicinių-struktūrinių sprendinių paieškai). Aptariamas aikštės charakterio tapatumas, priklausomai nuo jos geografijos mieste. Straipsnis aktualus urbanistikos ir architektūros profesinio lauko tyrėjams bei kaip bibliografinė rodyklė aikštės fenomeno suvokimui urbanistikoje. Reikšminiai žodžiai: Aikštės charakteris; Aikštės sąvoka; Centrinė miesto dalis; Kriterijai; Miesto aikštė; Urbanistiniai sprendimai; Vertinimo aspektai; Vietos tapatumas; Aspects of evaluation; Central part of the city; Character of a; Character of a square; City square; Criterion; Local identity; Square; Urban solution; Urban solutionsA square is one of the elements of a city’s morphological structure. The balance between its volume and space, as well as its social content are the topics that are often discussed by professionals of urban design. In addition to being an element of spatial structure, a city square also performs social functions (it provides a space for festive gatherings, commemorations, public get-togethers, shortterm public recreation, socialisation, etc.). The term “public space” basically refers to the functional aspect, while the term “square” primarily denotes geometrical parameters. The current paper presents some insights into the aspect of urban design of squares treating it as a composition of volume and space with a social function. It sets the criteria for the formation of a square on the basis of the earlier studies of squares (as structural elements) found in professional literature, while focusing on the principles of formation of urban space (a search for concrete compositional and structural solutions). These criteria constitute the basis for a comparative analysis of squares (in central parts of cities rather than old towns) in the context of the common European cultural framework. The paper aims to find out if today, 25 years after the restoration of independence in Lithuania, these squares need to be transformed or merely adjusted (improved). This question, like the issue of status (both physical and social), which still has not been established in some Baltic cities and states, is frequently raised at various levels (professional, political and social)

Potential development of the morphological structure of Klaipeda's central area

The development of a European town is characterized by both a natural evolution and drastic breakthroughs of evolution. It could be stated that the analysis of the signs of urban historical development and change has led to the formation of the protection of historical urban heritage as opposed to the dominant urban processes. Bearing in mind that the historical kernels of towns which have withstood the test of time reflect the experience of many generations, it is essential to preserve the principles of historical builtup density and to develop them further by taking into account the established spatial patterns. The object of the study is the central area of Klaipeda city. The morphological structure of Klaipėda city developed both in a spontaneous and a planned way. This process was influenced by more than one state; as a result certain principles of the built-up density are unique to the structure of this city. After briefly describing the singularities of the morphological structure of Klaipeda's central area the article raises such questions as whether the urban structure of Klaipeda's central area, which has emerged through the course of history, has already exhausted its potential, if it can develop further and how and where the morphological compositions of the 21st century could yet emerge.The studies of Klaipeda's morphological structure conducted by the authors of the article reveal a systematic feature of the urban structure of this seaport town - individual parts of the city in principle correspond to one or more types of the townscape and coincide with their structural borders. The article questions the juridical borders of the urban territories that are under protection, which often differ from the structural borders of the urban pattern. The most valuable elements of the morphological structure of Klaipeda's city central area should be protected or developed further based on the existing space and volume principles of the building. The change of morphological structures could build on the basically new urban development concept of there being access to protected territories; the central idea of this concept is that new morphological compositions could serve as landmarks between the urban structural parts

Lithuanian folk architecture research as a repository for the study of urban form

Despite the increasingly global orientation of urban morphology, there still remain countries whose achievements in the field of urban form research are underrepresented. Although the attempts to study settlement form in Lithuania were rather early, the second half of the 20th century was the most productive period. The article presents context, process and findings of the folk architecture research, which became the nurturing environment for the establishment of contemporary urban form studies in Lithuania. Keywords: folk architecture, Lithuania, typology of settlements, urban form