| dc.description.abstract | In the beginning of the article various interpretations of the term “life quality” ant its specificity in the sphere of territorial planning are presented. The author points out to limited capabilities to operate with all the possible parametres usually used by the Western investigators. It is caused by a relatively narrow list of data regularly registered by the local Governmental Department of Statistics. Nevertheless, both the actually used list of data and their quantitative interpretation absolutely correspond with the practices of employing them by the EUROSTAT and other international organisations. In the article the technique of the above mentioned investigation is presented in detail. Apart from a usual collection of primary statistical information this procedure contained opinion poll of experts which was directed to establish specific “weight” of different and hardly comparable indicators. The next step of this investigation was transformation of the statistical data from an administrative-territorial allocation to a system based on an intensivity of life-quality parametres. And the final step was forming queues (ranks) of the homogenuous parametres (from the best to the worst ones). The investigation was completed by establishing an integrated queue (rank) of cities, towns and their regions according to the “weighed” and summarized grades (or numbers in the queue). The total amount of the used life-quality parametres (officially fixed) and the contained number of 20, was allocated into six groups: I - demografical characteristics of population, II - education, employment of people, III - income, IV - habitual supplying of people, “second home” possession, number of cars, number of home telephones, V - health protection, level of services usage, VI - situation of criminogenity. Generalization of “row” statistical material and the following ranking of the administrative units according to their separate life-quality parametres has disclosed an existence of essential differences in various parts of Lithuania according to the living standard of people. It may successfully serve as a serious base for numerous suggestions for the master plan of the country and may stimulate effective solutions directed to an improvement of this situation. A summarized, integrated queue of all the 20 parametres mentioned above defined a group of the “leaders” among the Lithuanian cities. Vilnius, Klaipėda, Kaunas, Šiauliai, Alytus, Panevėžys, Marijampolė and Neringa are at the top of this queue. The administrative regions surrounding the cities of Vilnius, Panevėžys, Šiauliai are at its bottom. The proportional allocation of the entire composition of the 56 administrative units of the Republic enabled to establish five categories of its territories (and separately - cities and towns) what was illustrated in the article by corresponding tables and cartograms. | eng |
