The city attracts visitors with its diversity. Vilnius is no exception. In the rapidly growing capital, each district of the city has its own rhythm, its own way of life. So, when looking for housing, it is important to ask yourself which Vilnius is the most suitable for you - a suburb of the historical center, a modernist residential area, or maybe a settlement further from the city center?
Assess daily needs
"The quality of everyday life also depends on the place where one chooses to live," said Laura Kairienė, chief architect of the city of Vilnius, at the real estate event.
She pointed out that when choosing housing, residents should assess their daily needs. "The living in the old town should enjoy lively and bustling streets, prioritize travel not by car, but by walking, cycling and public transport, as you can reach many of the necessary places quickly and without a car. Those who move to live in the suburbs should take into account completely different aspects - life is calmer here, but pay attention to what you will find outside the boundary of your plot. When living in non-priority areas of urban development, one should think about whether the daily trip to work, kindergartens, schools, clubs will not be tiring", L. Kairienė gave examples of the choice of residential housing.
Laura Joffė, head of the Vilnius development company UAB Vilniaus vystymo kompanija, a municipal company that develops public infrastructure projects, emphasizes that the living environment is more than just a house. "When choosing housing, it is important to assess what long-term investments are taking place nearby - whether nearby parks, squares are maintained, educational institutions are renovated. This not only makes our everyday life more convenient and meaningful, but also contributes to the growth of the housing value", says L. Joffė.
And what is planned for the future?
According to the city's chief architect, when buying residential housing, it is important to assess what larger strategic plans the municipality is preparing for the territory you are interested in. Currently, such long-term and significant transformations are planned Wolffoot, Railway of the station approaches, in the area of GĐiržačis between Naujamiestis and Naujininkai - the aim is to turn these areas into vibrant parts of the city.
The transformation is coded in one more former industrial zone - the Northern town in the Verkių ward. Here, the 9 ha territory will return to the rhythm of the city - it is planned that the Verkių bus park will move from here.
The Šiaurinė street connecting these districts will change the life of modernist districts - Šeškinės, Fabijoniškiės, Pashilaičiai and Justiniškiės.
The southern part of the city should be of interest to the new and clean technology industry and those interested in residential satellites of the city being developed away from the city center.
At the same time, when evaluating the urban areas, attention should be paid to the urban areas that are already growing rapidly today. According to the data of the information portal of construction, in 2023 most of the construction started in the central part of the city - Naujamiestis, Old Town and the outskirts, such as Burbiškės. And the least amount of construction started in Šeškina, Lazdynas, Fabijoniškės, Justiniškės.
After reviewing the city's strategic projects and construction map, attention should be paid to different residential areas and their types.
Historic city center
It is a vibrant part of the city that reflects one of the capital's aspirations – a fifteen-minute city. This means that residents of this district can reach the necessary daily services – schools, workplaces, parks, health facilities and places of entertainment or recreation – within fifteen minutes by foot, bicycle or public transport.
Efforts are being made to make the street network of the historic center friendly to pedestrians and cyclists, and the management plan for this area envisages further improvement of such infrastructure by reconstructing pedestrian arteries. The cultural life of the city is boiling in the streets of the old town, there are many events.
Historic suburbs
Another unique residential area of Vilnius is the historical suburbs. In the growing Vilnius, the settlements that began to be created in the 16th century, such as Šnipiškės, Žvērynas or Rasos, are now characterized by low-rise construction. These districts, located near the city center, have a unique character, a sense of slower life, and are close to the city center itself.
Modernist districts
Modernist districts are well known to the common Vilnius resident, for example Hazelnuts, Viršuliškės, Fabijoniškės ar Pilaitte - 1950-1990 built apartment districts. At first glance, the microdistricts, which are similar, but different in terms of their building structure, type of multi-storey buildings, and architectural details, have their own identities. Vilnius city municipality strives to make these neighborhoods attractive and livable. Currently, the public is invited to submit proposals for the architectural guidelines for the modernization of apartment buildings, which you can familiarize yourself with in more detail here.
Another important goal of the regeneration of modernist districts is the renovation of courtyards and the creation of cozy gathering places for residents. The "Neighborhood Program", which was renewed this year for the management of multi-apartment courtyards, is already inviting neighbors to vote for participation in the program and, after collecting enough votes, to submit an application for the renewal of the courtyard. The program is administered by VšĮ "Atnuajinkime miestus".
Post-industrial areas
As the population of the city increases, former industrial areas, such as the newly revived Paupys, gain special importance. Regenerating these areas and, as far as possible, maintaining and repurposing existing industrial buildings or elements ensures sustainable urban development. It is currently planned to return to the life of the capital the territory of GĐiržačis located between Naujamiestis and Naujininkai, the former industrial zone of Vilkpėda, the Verkii bus park and others.
Satellite cities
The rhythm of small-town life in the capital can be found in the so-called city satellites. It is an area away from the city center such as New Vilnius or Grigiškės, which can offer functional diversity, more greenery. The Vilnius City Municipality aims to make these areas easily accessible by public transport and bicycles, and where possible, in cooperation with Lithuanian railways and trains. For example, the train New Vilnius - Vilnius Railway Station runs 14 times a day and the journey takes 10 minutes.
City limits
The most personal living space and privacy in Vilnius can be offered by the fastest expanding territory of Vilnius - the city limits. Nevertheless, such expansion of the city to the outskirts is considered a negative phenomenon. The so-called urban strip is characterized by insufficient territorial density and often chaotic development. Due to the low density of owner-occupied areas, it is more difficult for cities to develop quality social and mobility infrastructure.
To get to know the area - Vilnius maps
Those who want to get to know the area of interest better and assess whether its local features match their lifestyle and daily needs can use the Vilnius interactive map system maps.vilnius.lt For example, if you open the map of public spaces and select the green Vilnius layer, you will see the public spaces in the area that are being planned.
Residents who want to get involved in the consideration of the project task and project proposals of spaces important to them can use the table with information about public meetings and consultations on the municipality's website. You will find the table here.
You will also find 3D maps on the map platform. The latter are especially useful for seeing how certain areas of the district will look after the implementation of the implemented projects. In the system, you can see the air quality of the area of interest, the noise level, see if there are kindergartens near the place of residence under consideration, how public transport travels in the area.
Urban projects that create value for housing
Vilnius Development Company develops public infrastructure projects: educational institutions, sports complexes, public spaces, cultural centers and others. Schools, kindergartens, public spaces or swimming pools in a residential area contribute significantly to the value of housing and the quality of life. The city aims to ensure that residents can find the most important services near their place of residence in each ward. Most of the projects are currently being implemented and planned Žirmūnai, in New City, in Justiniškės and Pashilaičiai.
It is also important to pay attention to details such as parks, walking spaces, squares, renovated or newly built educational institutions near your home. Their playgrounds and swimming pools will also be available to the local community.
The Vilnius Development Company is currently implementing about 100 different public infrastructure projects in Vilnius, some of which were presented to the gathered residents about the possibilities of real estate, such as a kindergarten In Pilaite, the access to the left side of the Neris embankment (from the Green Bridge to Vileišios Street), the public spaces of Tauros Kalnos, the playground of the Žirmūnai Gymnasium and the Žirmūnai swimming pool are managed. 2024-2026 among other projects, it is planned to start the construction of kindergartens in Pashilaičiai and Pilaitei, the construction of the athletics arena in Žirmūnai, the reconstruction of Vokiečių Street, the construction of the National Concert Hall on Mount Tauros, the installation of 7 public spaces in Naujamiestis, Naujininkai, Verkii, Viršuliškės and Žirmūnai.
