Vilnius continues to redesign streets around residents’ needs, moving past early political controversy, with 37 streets scheduled for transformation between 2025 and 2027, city officials said.
Urban planners stress that streets are the city’s largest public spaces and hold significant cultural, economic, and social potential. “Homes alone are not enough – residents need places to walk, sit, exercise, and meet,” said Michiel van Driessche, founder of Felixx Landscape Architects.
Lithuanian streets, largely built during the Soviet era, were originally designed to accommodate wide lanes for cars and even tanks, unlike older European cities with centuries-old planning traditions, experts noted. Narrower lanes, now allowed under national regulations, help calm traffic while creating space for greenery and public areas.
Since Vilnius began fully humanising streets, including Algirdo, Naugarduko, and Taraso Ševčenkos, traffic volumes fell 13%, average speeds dropped 17%, and road accidents decreased 54%, according to city mobility agency JUDU. Pedestrian collisions declined 60%, while incidents involving cyclists and e-scooter users fell 20%.
Former mayor Remigijus Šimašius said lane reductions only applied where previous widths exceeded new standards. “We widened pavements, added cycle paths, greenery, and around 500 new parking spaces. These changes made the streets more liveable,” he said.
