Dissertation

Present and Future of the Soviet Social Housing: case of Lithuania

Present and Future of the Soviet Social Housing: case of Lithuania 01

Acknowledgements The idea for this dissertation was suggested by my good friend Gaudvydas Butkus, whom I would like to thank for his ideas, suggestions and help. Additionally, I would like to thank my dissertation tutor Prof. Andrew Ballantyne for his supervision, recommendations and guidance in this study.

Table of contents Illustration credits ..........................................................................................................02 Abstract..........................................................................................................................03 Introduction....................................................................................................................03 1. Analysis of the current condition.................................................................................04

1.1 Physical condition.............................................................................................................................05

1.2 Architectural value and design.........................................................................................................07

1.3 Social conditions...............................................................................................................................09

2. Analysis of the current strategy...................................................................................10

2.1 Physical condition and energy efficiency.........................................................................................11

2.2 Architectural value, infrastructure and landscape ..........................................................................12

2.3 Social condition and spatial changes...............................................................................................13

3. Recommendations for future improvements...............................................................15

ARC 3060 Dissertation in Architectural studies , Adomas Novogrodskis, 120350850 A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of a degree of BA in Architecture, 2015 Newcastle University, School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape

3.1 Demolition and renovation debate..................................................................................................15

3.2 The case of Netherlands: Bijlmermeer housing estate....................................................................16

3.3 Territorial principle of renovation....................................................................................................18

3.4 The Denmark experience: Gellerup Project in Aarhus....................................................................19

Conclusion......................................................................................................................21 Bibliography....................................................................................................................22

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Present and Future of the Soviet Social Housing: case of Lithuania 03

Illustration credits

Abstract

Figure 1. Building a new residential district Karoliniskes, 1975. Lithuanian Central State Archive (LCVA), available at: <http://www.miestai.net/forumas/showthread.php?p=704471>

This study investigates the present condition of soviet social housing and discusses the efficiency of urban renewal implementation in Lithuania. The aim of this study is to: 1. Investigate the present condition of distressed post-war housing estates in Lithuania, and what structural, thermal, architectural and social problems do they present. 2. Analyse the current urban renewal program of post-war housing estates and districts; discuss how the Lithuanian government is tackling the prevailing issues within these estates and debate their efficiency. 3. Analyse ‘territorial renovation’ and demolition as possible current housing regeneration alternatives, discuss two case studies of modernised housing estates in foreign countries and analyse how their experience could be used to improve the present urban renewal scheme in Lithuania. This dissertation will argue that post-war housing stock in Lithuania is deteriorated and obsolete with a wide range of technical, architectural and social problems and is in dire need of regeneration. This paper will assert that the current urban renewal strategy is ineffective and very limited; focusing on solving only a sparse array of problems. Finally, this study will assert that based on scientific research and foreign country experience Lithuania should adopt a ‘territorial’ and comprehensive housing regeneration strategy, where some buildings should be demolished or restructured and entire districts should be renovated instead of single buildings.

Figure 2. Lazdynai residential area, aerial view, source: (Panoramio/Google Maps photo by D. Baranauskas) available at: <http://www.panoramio.com/user/931910?photo_page=2&comment_page=2> Figure 3. Panevėžio Aldonos g. 3 daugiabutis, photo from Panevezio newspaper ‘Sekunde’, available at: < http://www. delfi.lt/verslas/nekilnojamas-turtas/chaltura-ateme-zada-daugiabucio-gyventojams.d?id=66350146> Figure 4. Structural diagram in section, showing deterioration level of different building elements, source: (Department of Construction Technology and Management) available at: < http://leidykla.vgtu.lt/conferences/MBM_2007/2pdf/ Ignatav_Zavdsk.pdf> Figure 5. Image of typical soviet housing block facade, source: (miestai.net photography by Bandit_romis) available at: < http://www.miestai.net/forumas/showthread.php?t=10357> Figure 6. Typical Soviet multi-apartment block floor plan, built in 1968, source: (courtesy of Virginijus Gerdvilis) available at: <http://dspace.vgtu.lt/bitstream/1/1420/1/1995_Gerdvilis_Daugiabuc_WEB.pdf> Figure 7. Soviet apartment block under reconstruction, external wall insulation and façade renovation, source: (Miestai.net Forum, courtesy of aviDer) available at: <http://www.miestai.net/forumas/showthread.php?p=810693> Figure 8. Urban growth and disperse and rate in Vilnius and Klaipeda metropolis, Lithuania (source: SE Register centre 2010) available at: < http://www.kalbos.ktu.lt/index.php/erem/article/viewFile/679/1300> Figure 9. The average residents’ age in Vilnius Metropolis, Lithuania (source: VI urban planning forum) available at: <https://www.vilnius.lt/vaktai2011/DefaultLite.aspx?Id=3&DocId=30243678> Figure 10. Bijlmermeer estate in Amsterdam. aerial view, source: (Eikongraphija.com/Iconography) available at: <http://www.eikongraphia.com/?p=2287> Figure 11. Estate before demolition, source: (Projectbureau Vernieuwing Bijlmermeer) available at: <http:// www. failedarchitecture.com> Figure 12. Bijlmermeer estate after major restructuring, source: (Archined, 1999) available at: Figure 13. Estate after Master plan implementation, source: (Projectbureau Vernieuwing Bijlmermeer) available at: <http:// www.failedarchitecture.com> Figure 14. Gellerup ghetto, source: (Simon Bohr / Scanpix) www.kristeligt-dagblad.dk available at: <http://www.b.dk/ danmark/fattigdom-i-ghettoer-i-vaekst> Figure 15. Render of the main street and surrounding infrastructure, source: (Helhedsplangellerup, 2008) available at: <http://www.helhedsplangellerup.dk/da/Gellerup-in-English.aspx> Figure 16. The gellerup Master plan, including new pedestrian walkway, denolition, construction of new apartment buildings, infrastructure and social amenities, source: (Helhedsplangellerup) Aarhus Kommune, available at: <https:// gellerupplan.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/2010-02-24_gellerup_situationsplan.jpg>

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Introduction Figure 1. District construction, source: (LCVA) The construction of mass social housing in Lithuania began in 1954 after a well know meeting of Soviet architects, engineers and builders. In that meeting N. Khrushchev gave a famous speech about architecture where he validated fast and cheap process of construction and championed the use of pre-cast concrete. The meeting resulted in two well-known acts of 1955: ‘Development of the Means to Improve, Industrialize and reduce the Cost of Construction’ and ‘Removal of Excess in Architecture and Construction’. The following decade was known as the Khrushchev Thaw (1956-1966) and was one of the most productive soviet mass construction periods (Figure 1) resulting in thousands of social housing schemes being built throughout the whole Soviet Union.

Being a former Communist State, Lithuania was no exception and was heavily urbanised with an enormous amount of mass housing estates. While in the Western World cheap mass housing architecture was a short lived experiment that peaked in 1960s and lost its relevance, by contrast, in Soviet Union this type of construction and planning was continuously used until its collapse in 1991. Consequently, after the Soviet Union dissolution and restoration of its independence Lithuania was left with an immense Soviet architectural heritage and a difficult task of dealing with it.

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1. Analysis of the current situation After the restoration of its independence from Soviet Union, there have been many changes in Lithuania in the course of the last 25 years which affected the post-soviet residential housing stock. Many concepts and ideas that informed and supported the development of the post-war housing estates have been undermined by the radical political, economic and social changes that occurred1 .

Firstly, the housing ownership reforms like the denationalisation of land properties and privatisation which resulted in around 97% of the properties in the large-scale residential districts being returned to their previous owners, which meant that buying, renting, maintaining and renovating real estate became residents’ responsibility2 . Secondly, demographic changes in Lithuania, such as population decline, increasing levels of emigration and ongoing urban sprawl that changed the spatial pattern of urban structures3 . Thirdly, increasing and improving residential housing options, meaning that post-war estates were relegated to the bottom of the housing market hierarchy. Finally, increasing social and spatial polarisation within Lithuanian cities which resulted in increasing social segregation4. The impact of these changes on the post-war residential housing stock has been uneven and even though some of the housing estates are still functioning well, most of them have turned into problematic areas dealing with physical and aesthetic deterioration, poor structural and thermal performance, flawed design that does not meet current building standards and array of social problems5. Nowadays, many soviet estates suffer from degeneration and physical defects, poor architectural design, planning issues and socio-economic issues6 The following paragraphs will analyse the soviet social housing heritage in terms of its physical state, thermal performance, its architectural value and socio-economic conditions. This chapter will address present challenges and problems in the soviet residential housing stock and discuss possible reasons of why they occurred.

1.1 Physical condition When discussing the structural and thermal performance of the soviet apartment blocks, one needs to understand that most of the apartment blocks were built in a very short period of time by unskilled workforce with little experience and using new materials and unfamiliar construction methods. Consequently, with a lack of proper maintenance and improvements over the years, most of the housing blocks quickly degenerated (Figure 3), presenting a high number of structural and thermal problems. The level of deterioration is severe and wide-ranging with problems from the structural elements and management services to external façades and balconies. Even though some problems may vary depending on their context and location, according to a study by E.K. Zavadskas , there is a common list of problems for most soviet housing estates built between 1960 and 19967.

One of the major concerns in these apartment blocks is their dreadful thermal performance, especially of enclosure walls and roofs, where (due to damaged thermal insulation) their performance is now 4 to 4.5 times worse than the current standard specified by the building regulations8. Furthermore, the current heating system in most estates is outdated; it lacks individual control over heating levels, meaning that possible heating savings are lost through overheating, wastage or both. Thermal and structural analysis showed that due to natural aging and flawed connections between the concrete panels there are many cavities and cracks that accelerate the unwanted air infiltration, leading to excessive heat loss in winter and poor thermal comfort indoors9 . In addition, most fenestration and doors are damaged or completely worn out; they have poor airtightness characteristics and allow heat loss which is 50% more than the present industry standard10.

Figure 3. Deteriorating facade of a mutli-appartment block in Panavezys, source: (newspaper ‘Sekunde’)

Figure 2. Lazdynai residential area, aerial view, source: (Panoramio/Google Maps photo by D. Baranauskas)

1.Ronald van Kempen and others, Restructuring large housing estates in Europe (Southampton, Hobbs the Printers, 2005), p. 4 2.Jonas Ruseckas, ‘Reconstruction of Multi-storey Apartment Buildings’, Science – Future of Lithuania, 1: 5 (2011), 72- 136 (p. 89).

3.Dalia Bardauskienė & Mindaugas Pakalnis, ‘Foresighted Urban Planning’, Environmental Research, Engineering and Management, (2012), 63-72 (p. 64-67).

4.Ronald van Kempen and others, Restructuring large housing estates in Europe (Southampton, Hobbs the Printers, 2005), p. 4 5.Petras Džervus, ‘Postmodern Discourse of Post-Soviet Large Housing Districts: Modelling the Possibilities‘, Architecture and Urban Planning. Vol. 7, (2013), p. 51-58 (53-54).

6.Edmundas Zavadskas and others, ‘The selection of effective retrofit scenarios for panel houses in urban neighbourhoods based on expected energy savings and increase in market value: The Vilnius case’, Energy and Buildings, 40:4 (2008) 573-587 (p. 575)

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7.Edmunas K. Zavaskas and others, ‘Evaluation of investments into housing renovation’, Evaluation of investments into housing renovation, 8:3, (2004), 177-190 (p. 178) 8.Edmunas K. Zavaskas and others, ‘Evaluation of investments into housing renovation’, Evaluation of investments into housing renovation, 8:3, (2004), 177-190 (p. 178) 9.Česlovas Ignatavičius, Building structures: Guidelines for renovation of dwellings and residential environment, (Vilnius, The Municipal Company “Vilniaus planas”, 2004), p. 135-179. (In Lithuanian) 10.Henrikas Karvelis and others, Renovation of large-panel residential houses. Technical solutions for renovation of first generation large-panel residential buildings, (Vilnius, The Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Lithuania, 1998), p. 76.

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Present and Future of the Soviet Social Housing: case of Lithuania 07 Considering that post-war housing estates are the dominant type of living environment in Lithuania and most of them are similarly thermally ineffective, it is not surprising that demand for heating in these types of buildings is more than two times greater than in those in Western countries11. Another worrying issue is the level of deterioration in most of these estates (Figure 4), data by C. Ignatavicius reveals that external walls in many of large housing estates have deteriorated up to 30%, whilst roofs and parapets have levels of deterioration reaching 45%.

However, the biggest concern is raised by the balconies which have deterioration levels exceeding 50% and due to concrete reinforcement corrosion are no longer safe to use12. Condition of roofs and parapets in these estates is also unsatisfactory; they have high levels of deterioration, allow water leakages, humidity and pollution infiltration13.

Furthermore, lack of tightness in most panel joints allows water penetration, hence in colder seasons due to condensation walls often become damp, thus damaging internal finishes and decorations, allowing mould growth and impairing electrical services14. External walls of most soviet housing estates are often damaged and cracked, hence negatively affecting their aesthetic condition, structural stability, thermal performance, soundproofing and allowing humidity accumulation15. Many integral systems in the post-war estates like elevators, heating, water and electrical supply services and equipment are also impaired and ineffective, thus increasing exploitation costs and the risk of system malfunctions or accidents16.

Figure 4. Structural diagram in section, showing deterioration level of different building elements, source: (Department of Construction Technology and Management)

11.Valentinas Klevas & Feliksas Zinevicius, ‘The state signi”cance of energy saving in buildings and principles of support programs in Lithuania’, Energy Policy, 28:11 (2000), 791-798 (p. 792) 12.Česlovas Ignatavičius, Building structures: Guidelines for renovation of dwellings and residential environment, (Vilnius, The Municipal Company “Vilniaus planas”, 2004), p. 135-179. (In Lithuanian) 13.Edmunas K. Zavaskas and others, ‘Evaluation of investments into housing renovation’, Evaluation of investments into housing renovation, 8:3, (2004), 177-190 (p. 179) 14.Saulius Raslanas and others, ‘Residential Areas with Apartment Houses: Analysis of the Condition of Buildings, Planning Issues, Retrofit Strategies and Scenarios’, International Journal of Strategic Property Management, 15:2 (2011), 157-172 (p. 159) 15.Ibid., p. 159 16.Edmundas Zavadskas and others, ‘The selection of effective retrofit scenarios for panel houses in urban neighbourhoods based on expected energy savings and increase in market value: The Vilnius case’, Energy and Buildings, 40:4 (2008) 573-587 (p. 585)

Moreover, condition of stairs, platforms and roofs of the main entrances in most of these buildings is critical with deterioration levels reaching 25%, even though defects of these elements do not compromise the structural integrity of the estates, they pose danger to their residents and disfigure their appearance17. To recapitulate, all provided data suggests that the present physical and thermal condition of most soviet housing blocks is unsatisfactory; most building elements are impaired, deteriorated, do not meet building regulations and therefore should be renovated.

1.2 Architectural value and design To effectively evaluate the current state of the soviet housing estates a thorough analysis of their architectural value and design is needed. Architectural condition in these estates is related to aspects like visual aesthetics, internal layout, living environment, surrounding infrastructure and ability to meet residents’ needs through design. From an architectural perspective, most soviet residential architecture is mundane and monotonous: it lacks vitality, harmony and is not aesthetically pleasing18.

Façades of many soviet housing estates have high levels of deterioration (Figure 5), the external walls have a dull colour and are rendered with various cracks, corrosion and graffiti. Windows and external doors of most estates have degenerated and are not visually pleasing19. Moreover, the majority of windows in these estates are either sealed or replaced by the residents individually, hence fenestration in these buildings is uneven and has various types of glazing of different colours and materials20.

Such practice often disfigures façades of many housing estates and creates a negative visual image of both, the building itself and the surrounding area. The initial design of most soviet apartment blocks did not address the increasing car usage, demand for outdoor spaces and playgrounds; the territories were planned without any social infrastructure21. Consequently, there is a lack of parking lots, playgrounds, green spaces, pedestrian walkways and bicycle paths which are all necessary to create a positive neighbourhood image and attract new residents22. Study by T. M. Milstead indicated that insufficient infrastructure and poorly-maintained spaces around the estates, along with graffiti and vandalism were the main factors denoting estate’s disrepair and low market value23. In addition, most soviet housing blocks are not adapted for disabled access or the elderly with mobility problems, even though the average age of residents in these estates is between 51 and 65 years24.

17.Saulius Raslanas and others, ‘Residential Areas with Apartment Houses: Analysis of the Condition of Buildings, Planning Issues, Retrofit Strategies and Scenarios’, International Journal of Strategic Property Management, 15:2 (2011), 157-172 (p. 159) 18.Ibid 19.Ibid 20.Ibid 21.Ibid 22.Ibid 23.Terence M. Milstead, Housing and Urban Development in a Post-Soviet City: A Case Study of Vilnius, Lithuania (ProQuest, UMI Dissertation Publishing, 2011), p. 100101 24.Vilnius City Municipality, 2014-2020 year, Vilnius city integrated territories development program project (2014) <https:// www.vilnius.lt/vaktai2011/DefaultLite.aspx?Id=3&DocId=30243678> [accessed 21st December 2014] (In Lithuanian).

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Figure 5. Image of typical soviet housing block facade, source: (miestai.net)

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Present and Future of the Soviet Social Housing: case of Lithuania 09

1.3 Social conditions Most soviet housing estates were built in a simple, repetitive and uniform structural grid, where the majority of vertical concrete panels served as load-bearing walls, which meant that internal spaces cannot be modified, as they would compromise the structural integrity of the building. The uniform structural grid and existence of only a few types of spatial layout resulted in apartments without any functional flexibility (Figure 6). Average apartment’s size is roughly 60 sq. m. with up to three habitable rooms, consequently, households with more than three people have problems with space shortage25. According to H. Karvelis the layout of soviet apartment blocks is outdated and does not meet modern requirements: the apartments lack auxiliary premises (spaces for sanitary, management and technical services) and social spaces; corridor system with the shared kitchen and WC is obsolete, kitchens and bathrooms are not suitable for modern equipment and are of insufficient size26. As the living standards improve, many occupants want to enlarge or rearrange their interior spaces. However inflexible spatial layout prevents any further interior reconstruction, meaning that internally apartments in these estate will always remain somewhat obsolete27. To summarize, all presented data indicates that as a housing stock the vast majority of soviet housing estates are: unappealing, lacking infrastructure development, have poor spatial layout and fail to meet both: the needs of their inhabitants and the current architectural standards.

Figure 6. Typical Soviet multi-apartment block floor plan, built in 1968, source: (courtesy of Virginijus Gerdvilis)

25.Xavier Bonnefoy and others, ‘Housing conditions and self-reported health status: A study in panel block buildings in three cities of Eastern Europe’, Journal of Housing and the Built Environment, 18:4 (2003), 329-352 (p. 333).

26.Henrikas Karvelis and others, Renovation of large-panel residential houses. Technical solutions for renovation of first generation large-panel residential buildings, (Vilnius, The Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Lithuania, 1998), p. 76.

27.Petras Dzervus, ‚Postmodern Discourse of Post-Soviet Large Housing Districts: Modelling the Possibilities‘, Architecture and Urban Planning. Vol. 7, (2013), p. 51-58 (54).

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28.Saulius Raslanas and others, ‘Residential Areas with Apartment Houses: Analysis of the Condition of Buildings, Planning Issues, Retrofit Strategies and Scenarios’, International Journal of Strategic Property Management, 15:2 (2011), 157-172 (p.

162) 29.Ibid 30.Ronald van Kempen and others, Restructuring large housing estates in Europe (Southampton, Hobbs the Printers, 2005), p. 278 31.Ilona Tamutienė, ‘Kriminalinė viktimizacija ir rizikos kaimynystė Vilniaus, Kauno ir Klaipėdos skirtingo tipo mikrorajonuose’, Philosophy/Sociology, 23:4 (2012), 228-236 (p. 234) (In Lithuanian) 32.Alice Coleman, Utopia on Trial: Vision and Reality in Planned Housing (London, Hilary Shipman, 1990), p. 22 33.Anne Power, Estates on the Edge: The Social Consequences of Mass Housing in Northern Europe (London, Macmillan Press, 1999), p. 93-94 34.Ibid., p. 95 35.Ilona Tamutienė, ‘Kriminalinė viktimizacija ir rizikos kaimynystė Vilniaus, Kauno ir Klaipėdos skirtingo tipo mikrorajonuose’, Philosophy/Sociology, 23:4 (2012), 228-236 (p. 228229) (In Lithuanian)

In addition to previously discussed issues, this paper will also discuss the social conditions in the post-war housing estates. Even though social problems might not be as evident as structural or technical defects, they are arguably even more important issues that should be addressed. Demographic trends, housing policy changes, social and spatial polarisation in Lithuania have all contributed to the restructuring of the housing sector and unbalanced social structure in the major cities. One of the key issues in Lithuania’s urban sector was the emerging differences in the quality of living between the central and peripheral urban areas28. According to S. Ruslanas, the central parts of major cities with the highest quality residential environment also had higher concentration of jobs, traffic and infrastructure however suffered from pollution and issues of social environment, whereas peripheral areas with lower quality residential environment (mainly soviet housing districts) were facing issues of social infrastructure and lack of transport29. These differences have ignited suburbanisation, caused social and economic segregation, as well as dereliction of separate areas. This lead to a concentration of deprived households and lower class families in the soviet housing estates which are at the bottom of Lithuania’s housing market. Consequently, high rates of unemployment and low living standards in these estates created feelings of frustration, social tension between residents, evoked anti-social behaviour and unlawful activities30. In fact, research by I. Tamutienė reveals that the soviet housing estate districts have the highest crime, vandalism and victimisation rates in major Lithuanian cities and are considered to be an unsafe living environment31.

However, the origins of social problems in the soviet housing estates are not simply spatial concentrations of more general problems of society but are also directly linked to the estates themselves and their design32. Study by A. Power suggests that most social problems in the post-war estates were directly related to their architecture and the nature of construction: the overwhelming scale of the estates and concealed areas like underground basements, internal corridors and enclosed entrances were difficult to manage, they made the estates seem unwelcoming to outsiders and newcomers, they created a sense of fear and anonymity33. The collective structure of the apartment blocks made residents feel overwhelmed; the spatial separation of the estates from surrounding areas evoked ghettoization; common and shared spaces reduced the sense of privacy and made it difficult to keep out strangers and feel secure34.

Many soviet residential areas in Lithuania face problems ranging from social issues like high unemployment rates, vandalism, tension between residents, crime and other anti- social behaviour to spatial disorder, such as derelict outdoor spaces, dark and secluded stairways and corridors accompanied with noise and littering35. This kind of social disorder reduces the status and popularity of most housing estates; they become stigmatised and fail to attract new residents and investors, consequently, inducing their further neglect and obsolescence. In summary, due to socio-economic and demographic changes that occurred in Lithuania and poor architectural design decisions many housing estates have resulted in an array of social problems and are in a dire need of attention.

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2. Analysis of the current strategy Recently published data36 suggests that there are around 35 000 soviet apartment houses built throughout Lithuania in the period of 1960-1993, that should be renovated. Thus, to address the unsatisfactory condition and problems implicated by soviet residential housing stock, Lithuanian governing bodies launched a national housing renovation programme, supported by the European Commission (EC) and the European Investment Bank (EIB) in 200537. One of the main objectives of the housing strategy and urban regeneration plan, confirmed by the government, was to promote the effective usage of the present housing stock, increase its maintenance, sustainability and to modernise soviet residential estates to meet the current living standards38. The housing regeneration strategy states that by the year 2020 at least 70% of existing housing estates (which is around 28 000) will be renovated39. This means that annually around 1800 estates should be renovated, however, recent statistics show that presently only around 74 multi-apartment buildings are being modernised each year40. Since the start of the housing regeneration scheme, a total of 542 housing blocks were renovated, with about 900 in the process of renovation and 3300 pending. It is evident, that if current renovation rates remain unchanged, Lithuanian government will fail to meet their initial goals, that were set in 2005. Considering the fact that 66% of the Lithuania’s population live in Soviet multi-apartment estates and there are still more than 30 000 estates, that are in need of renovation, makes this the single largest and most important urban regeneration scheme since the restoration of Lithuanian independence in 199041.

The existing quality of most soviet housing is unsatisfactory and does not comply with the current technical requirements. However, the soviet housing stock value accounts for a major share of national assets, with a market value of around 11.6 billion €42. Thus, considering the scale and importance of this urban regeneration scheme, all measures should be taken to assure its maximum effectiveness and success. Unfortunately, increasing number of studies by P. Dzervus, J. Ruseckas, D. Bieksa, I. Urbonaite, D. Bardauskiene, M. Pakalnis and others, suggest that the current renovation scheme is slow, incomprehensive and ineffective. Based on the previously done research and reported statistics this paper will argue that the current renovation scheme is an inefficient urban regeneration strategy, because it does not have a clear and well researched regeneration concept; it does not substantially increase the energy efficiency, sustainability or the market value of the estates. In addition, the quality of renovations is often unsatisfactory; it does not considerably improve the quality of life for the residents; it does not improve surrounding infrastructure; and it does not address socio-economic issues in the estates. The following paragraphs will discuss and evaluate the effectiveness of the current soviet residential housing renovation in how it addresses and deals with previously discussed problems, related to their physical state, energy efficiency, architectural design and social conditions.

2.1 Physical condition and energy efficiency 43.Government of the Republic of Lithuania, Lithuanian Housing Strategy (2004) <http://www.been-online.net/ Lithuanian-Housing-Strategy.415.0.html> [accessed 5th January 2015].

44.Ibid 45.Kristina Buidovaite, Daugiabučių šiltinimas – tik darbų pradžia http://sa.lt/daugiabuciu-siltinimas-tik-darbu-pradzia [accessed 8th January].(In Lithuanian) 46.Viktoras Sirvydis, The Residential Energy Efficiency Program in Lithuania (2014) <https:// www.energy-community.org/ portal/page/portal/ENC_HOME/ DOCS/3282026/ATTA8XEK.pdf> [accessed 5th January 2015] 47.Ibid 48.Edmunas K. Zavaskas and others, ‘Evaluation of investments into housing renovation’, Evaluation of investments into housing renovation, 8:3, (2004), 177-190 (p. 181) 49.Edmunas K. Zavaskas and others, ‘Evaluation of investments into housing renovation’, Evaluation of investments into housing renovation, 8:3, (2004), 177-190 (p. 181)

The most evident and significant problems in the soviet apartment blocks are their high energy consumption rates, lack of sustainability and poor thermal performance, which does not meet any current standards43. Hence the main goal of Lithuanian housing renovation strategy44 was to modernize the majority of soviet housing estates by reducing their heat energy costs by at least 30% by the year 2020. As a result of such policy, the renovation of these estates was primarily focused on thermal performance and energy savings rather than any architectural, social or life quality issues45.

Typical estate renovation includes improvements such as: addition of new roof covering, heating and hot water system modernisation, insulation of external walls and roofs, (Figure 7) replacement of windows, repair and glazing of balconies and façade restoration46. The average investment for one multi-apartment estate renovation is approximately 290 000 €, which could be considered as a basic packet of investments47. According to investment evaluation by E. K Zavadskas, this type of renovation is aimed at energy savings, thus only the building elements that are in the worst condition are replaced or repaired48. It is attractive to the residents because of its low financial obligations, however, it does not provide any significant improvements to the estate 49 . Renovation does not considerably improve the architectural appearance and outdoor spaces nor does it help to improve the comfort levels and life quality for the majority of residents.

Figure 7. Soviet apartment block under reconstruction, external wall insulation and façade renovation, source: (Miestai.net Forum, courtesy of aviDer)

36.The Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Lithuania, Renovation Statistics (2013) <http://www.am.lt/VI/index.php#a/13581> [accessed 25th November 2014].

37.ManagEnergy, Learning from JESSICA in Lithuania, (2014) <http://www.managenergy.net/article/95#.VK5_ eCusX5A> [accessed 3rd January 2015].

38.Viktoras Sirvydis, The Residential Energy Efficiency Program in Lithuania (2014) <https://www.energy-community. org/portal/page/portal/ENC_HOME/DOCS/3282026/ATTA8XEK.pdf> [accessed 5th January 2015] 39.Government of the Republic of Lithuania, Lithuanian Housing Strategy (2004) <http://www.been-online.net/Lithuanian-Housing-Strategy.415.0.html> [accessed 5th January 2015].

40.Juozas Antanaitis, Daugiabučių renovacijos realijos - kodėl Lietuvoje vis dar gyvename kiauruose kaip rėtis namuose? (2008) < http://www.lsta.lt/lt/events/view/194> [accesse 8th january 2015]. (In Lithuanian) 41.Daiva Matoniene, Promotion of Energy Efficiency through the Housing Modernisation in Lithuania (2013) <http:// cor.europa.eu/en/events/Documents/Matoniene.pdf> [accessed 5th January 2015].

42.Government of the Republic of Lithuania, Lithuanian Housing Strategy (2004) <http://www.been-online.net/Lithuanian-Housing-Strategy.415.0.html> [accessed 5th January 2015].

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In terms of financial savings and reduced energy costs, the current renovation strategy could be considered relatively successful, as the vast majority of modernised buildings do meet the set standard50. In fact, current studies show that energy efficiency and savings in the modernised estates could reach up to 59%, which is almost a two-fold increase compared to the initial government standards51. However, the benefits and success of the renovation scheme should not be considered just in terms of energy savings and reduced costs. The modernisation of the soviet estates should also be used to upgrade the condition of all building elements, improve the living conditions, as well as prolong the lifespan of the building52. Such physical and architectural improvements and an increase in property market value would allow the soviet housing estates to become an attractive housing option and strengthen their position in the housing market.

50.Daiva Rapceviciene, ‘Evaluation of Multi Residential House Renovation Efficiency’, Science – Future of Lithuania, 2:2, (2010), 83-89 (p. 88) 51.Ibid., p. 85 52.Edmundas Zavadskas and others, ‘The selection of effective retrofit scenarios for panel houses in urban neighbourhoods based on expected energy savings and increase in market value: The Vilnius case’, Energy and Buildings, 40:4 (2008) 573-587 (p. 573)

2.2 Architectural value, infrastructure and landscape Besides the previously discussed energy efficiency alterations, some enhancements were made to the actual façade, balconies and fenestration of these housing estates in order to ameliorate their visual properties and architectural value. Even though these measures did help to enhance the aesthetics of the estates and make them stand out due to the sharp contrast with the surrounding buildings, an inspection by T. M. Milstead revealed that neither the quality of the building materials nor the renovation quality itself was particularly high53. This brought up another issue, frequently reported by the majority residents, which was the poor quality of renovation works. Research suggests that this is mainly due to a lack of qualified workforce and specialists, rising costs of building materials and corrupted quality control54. Reportedly, the recent supervision and construction quality has improved, however, the situation in many renovated estates is still far from satisfactory55.

As has been noted in the previous chapter, when considering modernisation of the soviet housing estates, not only technical and economic reasons, but major factors like social infrastructure, residential territories and increased architectural value should be included. G. Stauskis argues that landscape and infrastructure surrounding the estate is a very important factor of residents’ life quality and a principal component in the spatial composition of the soviet residential territories that should be considered when upgrading the existing residential housing stock56.However, according to S. Raslanas, the present legal acts of government lack a coherent and normative basis for the territorial and spatial planning of soviet housing areas and neighbouring landscapes57. Consequently, the surrounding areas, infrastructure and outdoor spaces of the vast majority of apartment blocks are degraded and insufficiently landscaped; they are not functionally exploited and they do not function as a pleasant or useful spatial environment for the residents58. Even though the majority of soviet residential areas have a great potential for enhancements, the current urban renewal strategy fails to successfully integrate these areas into general urban environment and make them an attractive and functioning part of the city59.

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53.Terence M. Milstead, ‘Housing and Urban Development in a Post-Soviet City: A Case Study of Vilnius, Lithuania’, Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations, paper 2398 (2008) (p. 87) 54.Ibid 55.Nora Mzavanadze, Energy poverty in Lithuania: diagnosis (part 2) <http://urban-energy. org/2014/01/29/energy-poverty-in-lithuania-diagnosis-part-2/> [accessed 7th January 2015].

56.Gintaras Stauskis, ‘Adaptable Landscapes in Housing Renovation: A Tool for Activating Local Territorial Communities’, Architecture and Urban Planning, Vol. 8 (2013) 22-27 (p. 27) 57.Saulius Raslanas and others, ‘Residential Areas with Apartment Houses: Analysis of the Condition of Buildings, Planning Issues, Retrofit Strategies and Scenarios’, International Journal of Strategic Property Management, 15:2 (2011), 157-172 (p. 155) 58.Una Ile, ‘Landscape composition development stages in multi-storey residential areasof the Baltic Sea region’, Science- Future Lithuania, 3:3 (2011) 16-22 (p. 16-17) 59.Inga Urbonaite, ‘Role of abandoned territories in formation of the urban recreation system’, Science- Future Lithuania, 4:2 (2012) 97-105 (p.

104) (In Lithuanian)

2.3 Social condition and spatial changes 60.Government of the Republic of Lithuania, Lithuanian Housing Strategy (2004) <http://www.been-online.net/Lithuanian-Housing-Strategy.415.0.html> [accessed 5th January 2015].

61.C. Ignatavicius and others, Modernization of Large-panel Houses in Vilnius <http://leidykla.vgtu.lt/conferences/MBM_2007/2pdf/Ignatav_Zavdsk.pdf> [accessed 7th January 2015].

62.Dalia Bardauskiene & Mindaugas Pakalnis, ‘Foresighted Urban Planning’, Environmental Research, Engineering and Management, 1:59 (2012) 63-72 (p. 63-64) 63.Saulius Raslanas and others, ‘Residential Areas with Apartment Houses: Analysis of the Condition of Buildings, Planning Issues, Retrofit Strategies and Scenarios’, International Journal of Strategic Property Management, 15:2 (2011), 157-172 (p. 155) 64. Ibid

It is important to understanding that Lithuania is facing a much wider spectrum of social and urban problems than just deteriorating residential housing stock. This is clearly stated in the Lithuania’s housing strategy, where suburbanisation, demographic changes due to migration and ageing along with social segregation were mentioned as key problems that should be tackled60. In spite of that, the ongoing housing renovation scheme, which is a major part of the overall urban regeneration plan, hardly addresses any of these issues. As the soviet residential housing is the predominant living environment, accounting for more than 32% of total housing stock that is going to be used for at least the next 20 to 50 years it is vital to address the needs of not only the present residents, but of the inevitable future occupants as well61.

Possibly one of the most evident urban development problems in Lithuania is the continuous and increasing household migration from the central parts of major cities to the suburbs (Figure 8). According to D. Bardauskiene, the ongoing suburbanisation is very problematic, as it is increases the spatial and social segregation, raises the need for new infrastructure and services and expands commuting, thus contributing to environment pollution and increasing energy resource consumption62. Such trends contradict the set norms of sustainable development of cities and do not assist in maintaining a mixed social structure in the urban areas63. Currently, Lithuania lacks an effective and coherent concept for territorial-spatial planning of soviet residential areas; urban renewal fails to incorporate the principles of territorial management and use, thus ongoing social, spatial and functional disintegration of urban spaces is left unresolved64.

Figure 8. Urban growth and disperse rate in Vilnius and Klaipeda metropolis, Lithuania (source: SE Register centre 2010)

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Present and Future of the Soviet Social Housing: case of Lithuania

Moreover, a recent study indicates that there is a tendency for young people (especially new families) to leave the densely populated city centres, clustered with soviet residential districts and move to more suburban areas to settle65. Graphic data (Figure 9) shows that the average residents’ age in suburban areas is between 1-30 and 31-40, whereas the majority of soviet housing districts is occupied by people aged 41-50 or 51 and above. M. Pakalnis argues that one of the major reasons of this suburbanisation and spatial segregation between different generations is the increasing dissatisfaction with soviet estates which due to their poor physical condition, aesthetics and inability to meet current living standards66. It is important to understand that the current urban regeneration scheme is going to be responsible for a new spatial future of Lithuania, therefore, the current modernisation should be more comprehensive, correspond well with the foresighted urban development and have a clear vision about the socio-economic changes it wants to implement67. Namely, the ongoing renovation should upgrade the existing soviet residential areas to sustainable social environments which could provide educational, healthcare, cultural, recreational and other essential needs of the future residents in order to attract and retain them in urban centres and to reduce the urban sprawl, as well as spatial segregation in the future68.

Figure 9. The average residents’ age in Vilnius Metropolis, Lithuania (source: VI urban planning forum)

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65.VI Lithuanian Urban Planning Forum, Šiuolaikiški miestai ir miesteliai: situacija, vystymosi tendencijos, vizija, <http://www.am.lt/VI/files/ File/Urbanistinis%20forumas%20tinklalapiui%20WEB.pdf> [accessesed 3rd January 2015]. (In Lithuanian) 66.Ibid 67.Dalia Bardauskiene & Mindaugas Pakalnis, ‘Foresighted Urban Planning’, Environmental Research, Engineering and Management, 1:59 (2012) 63-72 (p. 63) 68.Saulius Raslanas and others, ‘Residential Areas with Apartment Houses: Analysis of the Condition of Buildings, Planning Issues, Retrofit Strategies and Scenarios’, International Journal of Strategic Property Management, 15:2 (2011), 157-172 (p. 156) 69.Frank Wassenberg, Large Housing Estates: Ideas, Rise, Fall and Recovery – The Bijlmermeer and Beyond, (Amsterdam, Netherlands: IOS Press under the imprint Delft University Press, 2013), p. 183.

70.Government of the Republic of Lithuania, Lithuanian Housing Strategy (2004) <http://www. been-online.net/Lithuanian-Housing-Strategy.415.0.html> [accessed 5th January 2015].

71.Ibid 72.Inga Luksyte, Senų daugiabučių griovimas: problemos sprendimas ar dar didesnė bėda? (2013) <http://sa.lt/senu-daugiabuciu-griovimas-problemos-sprendimas-ar-dar-didesne-beda> [accessed 10th January 2015]. (In Lithuanian) 73.Inga Labutyte, A. Kaušpėdas: renovacija – nebe ekonominė, o socialinė šalies problema (2012) <http://grynas.delfi.lt/ gyvenimas/a-kauspedas-renovacija-nebe-ekonomine-o-socialine-salies-problema.d?id=60155819> [accessed 10th January 2015].

74.Inga Razmaite, Architektai: sovietmečio daugiabučius - ne šiltinti, bet griauti (2014) <http://vz.lt/ article/2014/4/28/architektai-sovietmecio-daugiabucius-ne-siltinti-bet-griauti> [accessed 10th January 2015]. (In Lithuanian) 75.Edmundas Zavadskas and others, ‘The selection of effective retrofit scenarios for panel houses in urban neighbourhoods based on expected energy savings and increase in market value: The Vilnius case’, Energy and Buildings, 40:4 (2008) 573-587 (p. 586)

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3. Recommendations for future improvements

Other country’s experience has proven that neither improved maintenance, increased energy savings, nor physical measures alone are sufficient enough to solve the majority of problems in large post-war housing estates69. The biggest problem in most soviet residential estates was, and still is, that several factors occur in combination. Consequently, in order to solve them and make the current urban regeneration successful, the renewal strategies should be implemented in combination as well. The following paragraphs will review theory on urban regeneration improvements and look at successful post-war estate modernisation examples in Western Europe to discuss how their experience could be used to enhance the current renovation scheme in Lithuania.

3.1 Demolition and Renovation debate The demolition and renovation of soviet residential housing has been an active policy area since the restoration of Lithuania’s independence in 1990. The debate on demolition has greatly intensified since 2004, when the Lithuanian Housing Strategy stated that ‘no conditions to modernise the existing residential areas by demolition of multi-apartment buildings exist’70. After a technical and economic feasibility analysis was made, it was concluded that in terms of financial obligations and return of investments it is more efficient to renovate and modernise the soviet housing estates71. Nevertheless, many researchers suggest that even if demolition is not implemented nationwide, it is still a very effective urban renewal alternative that should be used in certain cases. Therefore, it is very important to produce a comprehensive analysis system which would evaluate the existing soviet housing stock in terms of their current condition and potential for demolition. Furthermore, it should examine the expected social and economic effects of renovation and compare them with the costs and benefits of demolition along with construction of new buildings. Consequently, if the investment in a substantial, comprehensive and sustainable renovation exceeds the investment limit, it is more sensible to demolish the existing housing estates and invest in the construction of new ones.

Good examples where demolition is an effective urban renewal tool are cases where the soviet estates were built in unsuitable locations and are now interfering with the existing infrastructure and urban development, or if the estates are so deteriorated and neglected that their modernisation is no longer economical72. Correspondingly, A. Kauspedas argues that the majority of soviet housing estates, which were erected in prestigious developing areas with high land prices and demand should be demolished and replaced by new modern high-rise buildings, as this would be a better long-term investment73. This strategy would attract more investors and residents with higher income, helping to maintain mixed social structure and reducing present suburbanisation74.Moreover, with time and the increasing levels of deterioration, the exploitation costs of old buildings increase, consequently, occupants with average or higher income start looking for better, more economical housing options. The created vacancies are filled with occupants from lower social class with low income, who usually cannot afford to invest in the repair or renovation works in the building. Research suggests that majority of such occupants are not willing to join the homeowners’ associations, therefore, their participation in renovation project implementation is rather questionable75. Accordingly, a comprehensive renovation of these estates is not economically effective and cannot be recommended76. Additionally, large concentration of low income households usually leads to an increase in social issues and crime, which results in further abandonment and ghettoization of the estates77. J. Ruseckas argues that in such case a demolition and rebuild strategy should be used to restructure obstructive social and spatial patterns78. Research on social disorder and crime suggests that housing stock enhancements in low-income areas can significantly reduce illicit activity79.

76. Ibid 77.Matthew Freedman & Emily G. Owens, ‘Low-income housing development and crime’, Journal of Urban Economics, 70:2-3 (2011) 115-131 (p. 116) 77.Jonas Ruseckas, ‘Methodical Principles of Complex Multistorey Apartment Buildings Reconstruction’ Science – Future Lithuania, 1:5 (2009) 72-78 (p. 77) 78.Matthew Freedman & Emily G. Owens, ‘Low-income housing development and crime’, Journal of Urban Economics, 70:2-3 (2011) 115-131 (p. 116)

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3.2 The case of Netherlands: Bijlmermeer housing estate To continue the discussion about demolition as a possible method for crime control and urban regeneration a specific example of Bijlmermeer in Amsterdam was investigated.

The Bijlmermeer housing estate, which is the biggest and most expensive housing development plan in Netherlands, was built between 1965 and 1970 as a project to address the enormous housing shortage in the Netherlands and Amsterdam in particular80. Thirty angled 10 storey high tower blocks were set in a honeycomb layout (Figure 10; 11) in order to provide 14000 new apartments in the region81. Initially, the Bijlmermeer was promoted as a modern and forward-looking housing estate. However, soon after its short-lived success, the utopian housing estate became notorious for its numerous problems like social segregation, drugs and crime82.

There were three types of prevailing problems in the estate. Firstly, the unfinished character of the district: most of the amenities like shops, sport, education and recreation facilities were not realised due to lack of funding83. Secondly, the demographic trends and needs of future occupants were not considered by the architects and planners of the time84. In other words, all research suggested emerging public trends towards an increasing need for individual and family pursuits rather than collective living, in spite of that, Bijlmermeer was designed with neighbourliness and collective life in mind, incorporating many semi-public and communal facilities and shared spaces like entries, alleys and corridors, that turned into places for loitering, vandalism and crime, rather than cosy places where people could meet and socialise85. Thirdly, the demand and supply in the housing market did not match properly; the initially intended occupants were middle-class families, however they preferred single-family houses, hence, shortly after the first spring of problems, many of these middle-class inhabitants left the estate and moved to low-rise single-family dwellings in the suburbs, leaving the housing estate empty.

Figure 10. Bijlmermeer estate in Amsterdam, aerial view, source: (Eikongraphija.com)

Figure 11. Estate before demolition, source: (Projectbureau Vernieuwing Bijlmermeer)

80.Maarten Mentzel, ‘The Birth of Bijlmermeer (1965): The origin and explanation of high-rise decision making’, Netherlands journal of housing and environmental research. Jg.5 no. 4 p. 359. (1990), 359-375 (p. 359).

81.Thomas L. Blair, Designing Renewal on Europe’s multi-ethnic urban edge: The case of Bijlmermeer, Amsterdam. (Butterworth-Heinemann Ltd, 1993), p. 284.

82.Gerben Helleman, The renewal of what was tomorrow’s idealistic city. Amsterdam’s Bijlmermeer high-rise. (Great Britain, Elsevier Ltd, 2003), p. 3.

83.Ibid 84.Thomas L. Blair, Designing Renewal on Europe’s multi-ethnic urban edge: The case of Bijlmermeer, Amsterdam. (Butterworth-Heinemann Ltd, 1993), p. 284.

85.Gerben Helleman, The renewal of what was tomorrow’s idealistic city. Amsterdam’s Bijlmermeer high-rise. (Great Britain, Elsevier Ltd, 2003), p. 6.

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Present and Future of the Soviet Social Housing: case of Lithuania

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Many solutions were tried to fix these problems and renew the estate. The housing blocks underwent numerous renovations: the entrances and immediate surroundings were improved, the building façades were coloured and renewed, new elevators and security cameras were installed, the unsafe alleys and walkways were closed86. Rent prices were reduced and many social actions, such as welcoming of new inhabitants and co-operation between the occupants and the maintenance group were started to improve the life quality in these estates and attract new residents.

In spite of all the attempts, the Bijlmermeer remained unpopular and its liveability problems were not resolved. Neither the renovation, additional surveillance nor the increased management could address the massive scale of the estate, occupants’ housing preferences or their behaviour. Appropriately, the government bodies decided to conduct a radical yet comprehensive master plan that would totally restructure the existing area and environment of Bijlmermeer. The decision to demolish around 6500 flats and replace them with 7200 new mixed use low-rise buildings was made after many local resident survey results supported radical changes to the physical environment through demolition and rebuilding87. Even though the master plan was difficult and very costly, through its radical restructuring, the Bijlmermeer was transformed from a homogeneous housing estate with various social problems into a series of neighbourhoods and commercial areas of vibrancy, diverse use and unique urban character .(Figure 12; 13) In conclusion, Bijlmermeer housing estate could be viewed as a good example which illustrates how through radical means, such as demolition and rebuilding the estate managed to decrease crime, social segregation and increase its popularity amongst the general public. Furthermore, improvements in the surrounding infrastructure like the addition of social amenities and improved access to services helped to improve quality of life for the current residents while making Bijlmermeer an attractive housing option in the future as well88.

Figure 12. Bijlmermeer estate after major restructuring, source: (Archined)

Figure 13. Estate after Master plan implementation, source: (Projectbureau Vernieuwing Bijlmermeer)

86.Frank Wassenberg, Large Housing Estates: Ideas, Rise, Fall, and Recovery- The Bijlmermeer and beyond (Netherlands, Delft University Press, 2013), p. 141-143.

87.Frank Wassenberg, Demolition in the Bijlmermeer: lessons from transforming a large housing estate. (Building Research & Information, Published Online, 2011), p. 372-376.

88.Graeme Stewart, The Bijlmermeer: An Amsterdam Success Story (2008) <http://www.towerrenewal.com/?p=34> [accessed 19th December 2014]

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Present and Future of the Soviet Social Housing: case of Lithuania 19

3.3 Territorial principle of renovation It is important to understand that the current housing renovation scheme, is a crucial part of a much wider urban regeneration strategy which encompasses physical, social and economic changes to the urban environment. Thus, the housing renovation scheme should be seen as a comprehensive and a long-term strategy based on foresighted urban development and geared towards sustainable and high quality living. Unfortunately, the present Lithuania’s urban regeneration strategy is considered only in physical and energy efficiency terms, disregarding ongoing socio-economic developments89.

This is particularly apparent in the current housing renovation scheme which lacks coherent and normative basis for the territorial and spatial planning of the soviet housing areas and neighbouring landscapes90. The multi-apartment blocks are renovated separately, disregarding the need for social infrastructure, outdoor spaces, green areas and other amenities. E. Zavadskas argues that the ongoing multi-apartment modernisation should be integrated and encompass an entire housing district, instead of a single building91. A clearly defined planning method could effectively integrate the residential housing into the surrounding environment would be able change the whole image of the residential area, thus attracting new residents and increasing the value of land92. Correspondingly, an investment evaluation concluded that for the renovation scheme to be economically effective a ‘territorial principle’ of renovation should be adopted93. This means that modernisation should include improvements of many building components and the surrounding territory, making the districts more attractive for investments and strengthening their position in the housing market.

3.4 The Denmark experience: Gellerup Project in Aarhus To further the discussion about the challenges and benefits of ‘territorial renovation’, a specific example of Gellerup district redevelopment was examined. The intention to use this example was to show the developments made in this area and analyse their effectiveness, thereby allowing others to learn from the experience. The project could be considered as a piece of action research.

The Gellerup, which is the largest housing district in Denmark, was built between 1968 and 1972 to address the housing shortage problems that emerged in the late 1960s, it was designed by K. B. Petersen and M. Harbo who were influenced by the works and modernistic ideas of Le Corbusier96.

The estate had just under 1800 flats with about 4500 residents in two neighbourhoods, Gellerupparken and Toveshøj, with 1,824 and 624 apartments respectively97.

After its initial momentary success, the housing estate gradually developed into a socially disadvantaged residential area. The district was mono-functional: exclusively a housing area with very poor infrastructure, undeveloped transport network, no services, a lack of local businesses and public institutions. Due to physical decay, high unemployment, increasing crime rates and social problems like vandalism and social segregation, the estate stayed unoccupied with huge number of vacant flats98. This created a vicious cycle where the increasing abandonment and a spring of problems in the estate only reinforced the ongoing social stigma, making it even harder to attract new residents.

Figure 14. Gellerup estate - one of the bigest ghettos in Denmark, source: (Simon Bohr / Scanpix)

As territorial and spatial planning of soviet residential areas is crucial in development of sustainable and attractive urban environment in Lithuania, all ongoing renovation should comply with the sustainable development requirements by combining the physical, cultural, social and economic agendas94. J. Ruseckas argues that in order to minimise the potential technical, architectural and social problems in the future, the apartment blocks are in need of reconstruction, yet it is very important that it is done comprehensively: modernising not just a single estate but a group of buildings or an entire district95. This would help to produce better results both in terms of quality, aesthetics and social aspects. This approach would address a larger scale of urban and social issues such as crime, suburbanisation, resource management, lack of green spaces and social infrastructure, which are all part of sustainable future in the cities.

89.Kristina Buidovaite, Daugiabučių šiltinimas – tik darbų pradžia http://sa.lt/daugiabuciu-siltinimas-tik-darbu-pradzia [accessed 8th January].(In Lithuanian) 90.Saulius Raslanas and others, ‘Residential Areas with Apartment Houses: Analysis of the Condition of Buildings, Planning Issues, Retrofit Strategies and Scenarios’, International Journal of Strategic Property Management, 15:2 (2011), 157-172 (p. 155) 91.Ibid., p. 154 92.Una Ile, ‘Landscape composition development stages in multi-storey residential areasof the Baltic Sea region’, Science- Future Lithuania, 3:3 (2011) 16-22 (p. 21) 93.Edmunas K. Zavaskas and others, ‘Evaluation of investments into housing renovation’, Evaluation of investments into housing renovation, 8:3, (2004), 177-190 (p. 189) 94.Viteikienė, M. and Zavadskas, E. K. (2007) Evaluating the sustainability of Vilnius city residential areas, Journal of Civil Engineering and Management, 13: 2, 149–155 (p. 149) 95.Jonas Ruseckas, ‘Methodical Principles of Complex Multistorey Apartment Buildings Reconstruction’ Science – Future Lithuania, 1:5 (2009) 72-78 (p. 77-78)

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96.Henrik Hvidtfeldt, Peter Rohde and Erik Skov, New goals and methods in connection with the Reshaping of multi‐storey housing areas—The Gellerup project, Scandinavian Housing and Planning Research (Published online, 2007), p. 146-147.

97.Hedvig Vestergaard, Challenges for Large Housing Estates: Problems and solutions during three decades (Paper presented at overcoming the crisis -integrating the urban environment, Tarragona, Spain, 2013), p. 6.

98.Per Frølund, From Housing Estate to urban Area (2013) <http://www.aarhus.dk/sitecore/content/Subsites/CityOfAarhus/Home/The-international-perspective/Large-development-projects/From-Housing-Estate-to-Urban-Area.aspx> [accessed 10th December 2014]

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Present and Future of the Soviet Social Housing: case of Lithuania 21 To save the area from ghettoization and further abandonment, substantial changes to the physical environment had to be made to create a welcoming and attractive neighbourhood with businesses, educational institutions, attractive outdoor areas and well-developed network for transportation99. Consequently, in 2007 the City Council decided to launch a Gellerup Master Plan which looks 20 years into the future; the first physical changes commenced in 2013 with a demolition of several estates. The Master Plan took a ‘territorial renovation’ approach by redeveloping the entire district instead of modernising every building individually. The scheme includes: demolition of selected blocks in order to give room for new buildings and a parking area, establishment of more public institutions, development local business area in order to attract employers, renovation of outdoor spaces, expanding transportation links to the Aarhus city and establishing different architectural styles thus making the area more diverse and attractive for future residents100. (Figure 15) As the restructuring project is not finished it is difficult to summarize the benefits of ‘territorial renovation’ over the renovation of single housing blocks, yet it is evident that the former approach offers a more well-rounded solution to the prevailing problems in the estate. To recapitulate, in Gellerup’s case performing a large-scale ‘territorial’ redevelopment of an entire district helped to shift the focus from quite individual and limited problems related to specific estates to a much broader areas like social networks, crime, employment, education, infrastructure, culture and recreation101. (Figure 1)

Figure 16. The gellerup Master plan, including new pedestrian walkway, denolition, construction of new apartment buildings, infrastructure and social amenities, source: (Helhedsplangellerup)

In summary, the scientific research and the case studies in Denmark and Netherlands both support the theory that the renovation of housing districts should not be restricted to the renewal of single houses, but should be extended to the whole territory including: outdoor spaces, green areas, social infrastructure and other amenities to create a sustainable environment for present and future communities.

Figure 15. Render of the main street and surrounding infrastructure, source: (Helhedsplangellerup)

Conclusion

99.Vision: From being a disadvantaged urban area, Gellerupparken and Toveshøj will be transformed into an attractive urban district (2014) < http://www.helhedsplangellerup.dk/da/Gellerup-in-English/Vision.aspx> [accessed 11th December 2014] 100.Jacob Bundsgaard, General Plan –In brief: New section of Aarhus created from changes and commitment (2014) <http://www.helhedsplangellerup.dk/~/media/Subsites/Helhedsplan-Gellerup/Dokumenter/Pixi-engelsk-web.pdf> [accessed 11th December 2014] 101.Line Hille Laursen, ) Social Capital in Gellerup (Griffith University ePress, 2014) p. 27. <https://www104.griffith. edu.au/index.php/inclusion/article/view/256/447> [accessed 11th December 2014]

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To summarize, conducted research has shown that current soviet housing stock is suffering from a wide range of structural, thermal, architectural and social problems and is in dire need of regeneration. To resolve these issues, a housing renovation scheme was chosen as the main urban renewal strategy in Lithuania. Nevertheless, the current housing modernisation scheme is very limited and only focuses on energy savings and thermal efficiency of the buildings. There is a lack of attention towards physical deterioration, architectural design, infrastructure development and socio-economic problems, which are all vital in order to ensure a successful and lasting sustainable future. The current urban regeneration strategy could be considered ineffective as it is not based on foresighted urban development; it does not substantially improve living conditions for the residents or increase the market value of the estates, thus they cannot become competitive in the housing market. Research suggests that currently Lithuania lacks a coherent, normative and well researched concept regarding renovation and spatial urban development. Furthermore, demolition and rebuild strategy should be considered more often, when renovation is not an economical option. Based on foreign examples and theory a ‘territorial’ renovation principle should be implemented in Lithuania, meaning that housing regeneration should include surrounding territories, landscape, infrastructure and social amenities. Finally, while all soviet housing estates have problems and opportunities specific to their country, foreign strategies and examples should still be analysed and applied to improve the current urban renewal and housing renovation in Lithuania.

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Present and Future of the Soviet Social Housing: case of Lithuania 23

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