“During a year and a half of the green wave in Vilnius, the combined efforts of the municipality, businesses, and communities led to the creation of a network of greener streets, which significantly changes the atmosphere in Naujamiestis, Šnipiškės, and most public spaces. We continue to try to rejuvenate the streets with the most intense traffic, where there is a lack of shade for pedestrians and cyclists, and no protection from pollution and dust in summer,” says Ramunė Baniulienė, Head of Landscape Division at Vilnius City Municipality.
In spring, according to the wishes of communities, greening work will begin in the densely populated areas of Pilaitė, Pašilaičiai, and Justiniškės, where there are not enough green spaces for residents. The longest new lanes of trees and shrubs will appear in Lazdynai, on Architektų and Erfurto streets. In Žirmūnai, greening work will now move to the periphery of the district, that is, Apkasų street.
In the city centre, the municipality plans to create green lanes in Naujamiestis and Šnipiškės. In these districts, the greening of T. Ševčenkos and Žalgirio streets is planned. In the very heart of the city, new trees and shrubs will be planted on many streets near Gediminas Avenue, such as A. Jakšto, Jogailos, and A. Goštauto streets.
Trees and shrubs are planted on streets undergoing reconstruction as well. According to R. Baniulienė, although the adaptation of streets for the residents’ needs is controversial, statistical data show positive changes: the number of traffic accidents on reconstructed streets is now almost three times lower, and the traffic capacity of, for example, Didlaukio, J. Baltrušaičio, and Žirmūnų streets, increased by 15-20%.
Funds of the municipality or, in other words, of taxpayers, are just one of the five sources of greening in the city. The idea of the green wave in Vilnius is for municipality institutions, real estate developers, businesses, and communities to join forces as well as to preserve the gifts of nature – some of the spontaneously grown trees and shrubs.
The private funds of real estate developers alone are planned to be used for greening 18 public spaces. Eighty educational institutions accepted the invitation of the municipality to cooperate in the decoration of their ugly chain-link fences with vines. This year, these institutions will green over 14 km of fences.
Companies that participate in the green wave in Vilnius usually plant city forests. In cooperation with them, the municipality has already planned to replant in spring about 5 ha of forest near Fabijoniškės and Rokantiškės, which was completely cut down because of pests.
This spring alone, 15,000 of pine, spruce, oak, and birch seedlings are planned to be planted during the companies’ communal work. City maintenance experts have already fenced and protected over 2,000 spontaneously grown trees from being unintentionally cut down.
In comparison, last year the municipality planted 2,506 trees that have already grown, and businesses planted over 33,500 tree seedlings on the streets, mostly in newly planted city forests and existing parks.
More information about the green wave of Vilnius and the opportunities to contribute to it is available at www.zalias.vilnius.lt
