From April to July Vilnius city municipalities infrastructure specialists spent several evenings a week in meetings with residents. They took place in the yards where parking lots are planned to be renovated this year: as needed, asphalt and sidewalk surfaces, curbs and additional small cellular parking lots made of openwork tiles will be installed.
After a meeting with residents in each yard
The original roster had a total of 34 yards with 49 cell pitches. In each yard, a separate meeting was held with the residents, who could make proposals to adjust the planned maintenance works and speak against the execution of the works. Such consultations - the municipality is testing a new way to consult with local residents in cases where the works are carried out in the form of repairs and, according to the law, their coordination with the public is not mandatory. Meetings with residents allow us to refine the project idea and allow designers to better understand the needs of the locals.
"Vilnius is taking the path of greater involvement of residents in decision-making. It was very useful for us to hear the residents' suggestions and comments - the management plans for almost half of the sites have been improved so that parking lots better meet the needs of the population. In Lithuania, there is still a strong belief that the area of human responsibility ends at the door of the apartment, but I hope that such programs encourage Vilnius people to take care of their wider environment", said the mayor of the city of Vilnius Valdas Benkunskas.
The deliberations on the parking lot projects attracted a lot of attention: a total of 594 residents attended the meetings, an average of 17 per meeting. This level of involvement of residents in decision-making regarding their immediate environment in Vilnius is unprecedented.
Residents are decision makers
After 16 meetings, the work schemes were improved, among the most frequent changes were the changes in the boundaries of the work after assessing additional needs and the refinement of the installation of sides. After 4 more meetings, minor changes were adopted. Residents did not have any comments in 11 cases, and in 3 yards part of the residents objected to the works and they were refused. It is noticeable that the resistance arose in the most difficult yards, where the problems were deeper than could be solved by repairs, so the residents chose to stay with the status quo for the time being. Reports from all meetings and more information can be found on the project's page at svetnogosaiksteles.vilnius.lt
"ID Vilnius" public involvement specialist Nikita Ščiupakov noticed that during the meetings, the neighbors got to know each other and the municipal specialists, learned how decisions are made regarding their environment, and often remained to discuss other common matters after the official part was over. "Such meetings not only help to create projects that meet the needs of residents, but also gradually cultivate a culture of dialogue. When making decisions, it is customary to listen carefully to the opinions of all interested parties and to look for the best solution together," said N. Ščiupakov, public engagement specialist at ID Vilnius.
The work is going on at full speed
Currently, work is already underway in many yards, because the plots discussed with the residents are planned to be installed by the end of this year's work season. At the moment, pitches are fully equipped in four yards, and work is underway in another fifteen. However, if due to changed circumstances (weather conditions, etc.) some pitches cannot be set up this year, they will be returned to immediately when spring arrives.
Although the meetings regarding the small cellular parking lots ended in July, in the fall Vilnius residents may notice other invitations to meetings regarding the installation of parking lots. These sites are also made of openwork concrete pavers, but they are larger and more complex, so they are installed not by simple repairs, but with building permits. As usual for construction projects, a presentation of design proposals is held for each such site, where residents can express their comments. Follow the information from your local councils or the design of the planned structure sub-page. These larger sites are planned to be installed next year.
