Vilnius city municipality

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Vilniaus miesto savivaldybė
Image:Vilnius city mun location.png Image:Vilnius city COA.gif
(Location) (Coat of arms)
Location
Ethnographic region Dzūkija
County Vilnius County
General information
Capital Vilnius
Major settlements Vilnius (pop. 542,287)
Grigiškės (pop. 11,448)
Number of elderates 21
Area (rank) 400.6 km² (51st)
Population (rank) 554,300 (1st)
Pop. density (rank) 1382.2/km² (7th)
Telephone code 5
Official website http://www.vilnius.lt
Population sizes are given according to the 2001 census data
Politics
Ruling party Liberal and Centre Union
Mayor Artūras Zuokas
Size of the council 51 members
Map of Vilnius city municipality
Image:Vilnius city mun map.png

Vilnius city municipality (Lithuanian: Vilniaus miesto savivaldybė) is one of 60 municipalities in Lithuania. It is in the southeastern part of country, in Vilniaus Apskritis and consists of the city of Vilnius, town of Grigiškės and some rural places.

Contents

History

This is the history of the municipality. For the history of Vilnius city itself, please see History of Vilnius.

Vilnius was given status of republican administered city under Soviet rule, which meant that practically it was not part of any of the districts but was responsible directly to the government of Lithuanian SSR instead, although officially it, same as other republican administered cities, remained a part of nearby district (Vilnius district in this case).

After independence the system of districts and republican administered cities was reogranised into that of municipalities. Therefore territory formerly of Vilnius city became the Vilnius city municipality, while the remaining areas of Vilnius district became Vilnius district municipality. Although whole area is considered Vilnius city, it has some areas that are actually suburbs, separated from the city by forests and such.

Under the municipality reform in 2000, town of Grigiškės was seceded from Trakai district municipality and made part of Vilnius city municipality. It became additional elderate of this municipality. However, Grigiškės is not considered part of Vilnius city, only of the municipality; that is because official joining of it to Vilnius city would require renaming many streets which names doubles in both cities, and it would cost.

The government of Vilnius city municipality also seeks that the town of Lentvaris, currently part of Trakai district municipality would be attached to Vilnius city municipality (which is allegedly supported by people of Lentvaris, according to surveys done by Vilnius city municipality). This is opposed by the government of Trakai district municipality.

Geography

The municipality is in the top ten by the population density (which is almost 1,400 people per square kilometer), however, almost a half of it is covered by greenery. Parks separates different districts and forests separates Vilnius from suburbs. There are recreational places such as lakes in the municipality (waters makes almost 3% of area). Outside Vilnius city limits it is also possible to swim in river Neris. Forests are pervalent in the northern part of the municipality.

Vilnius district municipality surrounds Vilnius city municipality from the north, east and south, while in the west Vilnius city municipality borders Trakai district municipality.

Demographics

Vilnius city municipality is the most populous municipality of Lithuania and one of the most diverse municipalities, with Lithuanians making up less than 60% population. The minority communities are Poles, Russians, Belorusians, Ukrainians, Jews, Tatars, Gypsies, Karaites and others; most of them, except for ones of Soviet nationalities, have resided there for centuries. There are many Lithuanian, Polish and Russian schools, as well as some other minority schools. There are also various religious communities in the municipality (also many atheists, as in other urban municipalities), including various Christian denominations, the largest number of Jews of any Lithuanian municipality, relatively large number of Muslims, also some karaites (who have a temple in the city). In addition to traditional religions, there are many new ones practicised. Such diversity comes from the turbulent history of the region. The percentage of Poles is largest in the suburbs of Vilnius, such as Naujoji Vilnia; most Russians live in Vilnius itself.

Urbanization:

  • Urban - 553,735 (99,97%)
  • Rural - 169 (0,03%)

Sexual makeup:

  • Men - 252,464 (45,58%)
  • Women - 301,440 (54,42%)

Religious makeup:

Nationality makeup:

Politics

As the municipality is the most populous, and as it includes the capital city of Lithuania, it is very important. It's council is also the largest one. Traditionally, people from the municipality supports rightist parties; especially people from Vilnius. Inhabittants of suburbs more frequently votes for leftist parties. Lithuanian Liberal Party (now merged into Liberal and Center Union) traditionally is popular and is also ruling currently, led by charismatic young mayor (youngest mayor of European capital city) Artūras Zuokas. However, he was involved in a corruption scandal recently. The court found him not guilty, but president required his resignation. He refused to resign however and the municipality council refused to vote on his removal.

Because of rightist politics, the municipality thrives (see economics section), but some people opposes the means this thriving is reached by, therefore there is more polarization with time and more people chooses to vote for leftists.

Some of the actions of the municipality government were pioneering the ideas in Lithuania or even the world. The innovative actions were such as letting people always see the mayor's office online over a webcam, giving people free bikes to ride with and otherwise promoting bike travel (which was not popular before), banning of any public alcohol consumption (previously not done in Lithuania), installing TV sets in public transportation, allowing tall skyscreapers near city centre (previously undone in Lithuania) and others. As mayor Artūras Zuokas said, it is a problem of Lithuania and other Eastern European societies that one has to prove that the idea has been done in different western European or American cities before anyone takes you seriously that it would work in Lithuania; he thinks that instead Lithuanians should not be afraid to be the first in the world to do various things and let others to follow.

Goals

Declared political goals of Vilnius city municipality are quite ambitions; they includes trying to make the Vilnius city as a major commericial hub in the region which includes Lithuania, Latvia, Belarus and Poland (as Vilnius is a center of area inhabitted by tens of millions of people, and cities of Kaunas, Riga, Minsk are not far away.

The New center of Vilnius, a commercial and residential modern district, is being established in formerly empty areas, or areas, currently full of outdated and obsolete sport buildings and wooden buildings, on the right bank of river Neris. To further establish the stance of the area as the center, the municipality itself moved to a newly built high rise building there. Former Municipality palace in the Gedimino Prospektas was sold and will be turned into a shopping centre. Although one of reasons for the new center of Vilnius is that it would move away traffic from the old town, the project is still regarded by some as controversial, due to skyscreapers being visible from the old town and supposedly destroying the medieval atmosphere there, skyscreapers being more impressive visually than the traditional symbols of Vilnius such as the Castle of Gediminas and the new districts destroying the wooden architecture of Šnipiškės district, a rare case of XIX age former suburb of Vilnius still remaining as it was unchanged. The municipality government however discounts such arguments as being old-fashioned and states that the municipality must move forward together with time.

Inside Lithuania, the dvimiestis (litterally "twocity") idea is a common work between Vilnius city municipality and Kaunas city municipality (second most populous municipality of Lithuania (includes Kaunas city), which is about 100 km from Vilnius city municipality). It includes cooperation such as planning a single major airport between municipalities, also plans are for fast train which would connect them in half an hour so it would make viable to live in one municipality and work in another (currently it takes 1 hour and 20 minutes to go Vilnius-Kaunas by express train and 1 hour and 40 minutes to go by express bus). Overally both municipalities would then have almost a million of people and this would make it easier to advertise it as a common market to possible investors. Currently in major exhibitions and tourist booklets both municipalities already advertises together.

Another idea is that of expantion of the municipality by including town of Lentvaris into it which is currently part of Trakai district municipality. Allegedly, that is supported by people of Lentvaris, according to surveys organised by Vilnius city municipality, mostly because utilities (such as water) are cheaper in Vilnius city municipality as it is higly urban. Trakai district municipality, which already had Elektrėnai municipality secceded from it in 2000 and Grigiškės attached to Vilnius city municipality previously, disagrees with possible seccession of Lentvaris, claiming that then the municipality would remain primarily rural and costs for utilities would get even larger for those who'd remain. Also, some opponents of the idea claims that Vilnius city municipality needs Lentvaris only as a cheap ground to plan industry in, as Vilnius city municipality itself is highly urban and large parts of remaining areas are protected as regional parks.

Council

Vilnius city municipality council overally has 51 seats. Last elections were done in December of 2002, terms are 4 years. The results are here:

Economics

Due to the rightist policies the municipality thrives economically, unemployment is among the lowest and average wage is among the highest in Lithuania. Economic policies however criticised by some people because such things as green areas and old buildings are being sacrificed for scyscreapers and other commercial objects. The government of municipality however envisions Vilnius as a modern European city and during past few years it rapidly changed. Other parts of the municipality are developing too. Due to good economic policis, municipality is attractive to investors; it already houses tallest skyscreaper, largest shopping center in the Baltic States and other such objects.

Transportation

Municipality has largest international airport in Lithuania (Vilnius International Airport), is connected by major roads and railways. There are plans to build Light rail system in the municipality to promote public transportation. Currently the public transportation consists of buses and trolleybusses, as well shared taxis and taxis.

Elderates

Subdivision of the municipality:

Culture

Cultural life is very active in the municipality. There are several theaters (some of which are world famous and takes part in various international festivals), cinemas, art galeries and other cultural institutions.

Municipalities of Lithuania
District municipalities: Akmenė | Alytus | Anykščiai | Biržai | Ignalina | Jonava | Joniškis | Jurbarkas | Kaišiadorys | Kaunas | Kėdainiai | Kelmė | Klaipėda | Kretinga | Kupiškis | Lazdijai | Mažeikiai | Molėtai | Pakruojis | Panevėžys | Pasvalys | Plungė | Prienai | Radviliškis | Raseiniai | Rokiškis | Skuodas | Šakiai | Šalčininkai | Šiauliai | Šilalė | Šilutė | Širvintos | Švenčionys | Tauragė | Telšiai | Trakai | Ukmergė | Utena | Varėna | Vilkaviškis | Vilnius | Zarasai
City municipalities: Alytus | Kaunas | Klaipėda | Palanga | Panevėžys | Šiauliai | Vilnius | Visaginas
Municipalities: Birštonas | Druskininkai | Elektrėnai | Kalvarija | Kazlų Rūda | Marijampolė | Neringa | Pagėgiai | Rietavas
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