Vilnius approaches placemaking not just as a set of projects, but as a way to shape relationships – between people who live, work, create, and care for the city. At its core, this work is about strengthening connections: building trust between stakeholders, empowering local actors, and fostering a sense of belonging that translates into long-term care for places.
A Polycentric Vision Rooted in Identity
In recent years, Vilnius has been working toward a polycentric urban structure, aiming to develop multiple vibrant local centres across its 20+ districts. This is not only about infrastructure and services – the “hard” side of planning – but equally about how people feel in these places.
Through placemaking, the city aims to:
- strengthen local identity in each district;
- support local businesses, leaders, and community actors;
- redistribute agency – allowing neighbourhoods to help define what their centres should be
A growing body of district-level data and profiling is already helping tailor placemaking approaches to the unique character and needs of each area – together with those who inhabit them.
Regenerating and reimagining through placemaking
Vilnius is also applying placemaking to some of its most complex urban challenges:
- Brownfield regeneration: Post-industrial areas are being reactivated by inviting life back in – not only through development, but by cultivating community, creativity, and temporary uses that can spark long-term transformation. These efforts focus on building new communities, fostering multifunctional districts, and attracting creative ecosystems while connecting to surrounding neighbourhoods.
- Historic districts with complex identities: In sensitive areas – such as historic wooden neighbourhoods in central parts of the city, where rapid development is taking place – placemaking is helping shift perceptions. Places once seen as neglected are being reintroduced as spaces with unique ways of living, balancing heritage, community needs, and new development. Here, placemaking becomes a tool to reveal and strengthen the values embedded in these neighbourhoods and their public spaces.
Empowering citizens to shape local placemaking
Each year, the City of Vilnius also offers a range of funding programs for artists, community organisations, and residents, enabling them to create and improve shared spaces. One of the programs that run every year is participatory budgeting. Supported projects include DIY children’s playgrounds, community dinners, urban gardens, local workshops, art installations, and more.
From Practice to System
Vilnius clearly recognizes the value placemaking brings – but also the need to scale and embed it systemically, which is one of the key learning questions within the Cities in Placemaking programme.
Current priorities for the city include:
- developing tools and frameworks to integrate placemaking into everyday city-making;
- strengthening consistent engagement with communities;
- building a stronger mandate and political support to invest in placemaking long-term
As the city puts it: placemaking is already happening – the next step is to formalize, support, and sustain it.
Looking Ahead
Vilnius joins the Cities in Placemaking programme with a strong foundation and a clear ambition: to create a city where local identity thrives, communities are connected, and places are shaped collaboratively.
We’re looking forward to learning from and with Vilnius as they continue to evolve their placemaking practice – from individual projects to a truly systemic, city-wide approach that enables every neighbourhood to flourish.
