| dc.description.abstract | Considering the statistical data about the dwelling situation in Lithuania, the results of numerous sociological surveys and indicators of housing stock development, the author concentrates his attention on the problems arising in the programmes of habitation development. A very polarized composition of new house-seekers is disclosed in the article. The first category of them consists of families possessing no houses of their own. The second one includes people intending to improve the standard of their accomodation, while the third category comprises very rich people intending to invest their capital profitably, as much as it is possible (very often to launder it). The first category of house-seekers are people with very limited financial capabilities: they are hardly capable to build a new house without the state support. Therefore their requirements for house quality (size, type, architecture, venue) are of a minimal level. On the other hand, representatives of the second and particularly of the third categories are very exacting towards the mentioned features of houses. They prefer, as a rule, only expensive, large, comfortable houses built in super-prestigious locations. Unfortunately, very often they present samples of a bad taste "kitsch" architecture (several photos illustrate their outlook). Actually, construction of houses of this category prevails in the Lithuanian cities, and this fact makes an impression that such a type of housing will become a mass phenomenon in future. This concept (boosted by short-sighted populist-like public activists), that if command economy was associated only with multistoried housing, market economy, on the contrary, must certainly be paved only by single-family housing, is wrong and misleading. Multistoried houses comprise an important and necessary part of housing doctrines in countries with very high habitual standards. Therefore, the problem of dwelling deficit being still very acute in Lithuania, cannot be solved. without the development of an up-to-date multiapartment and multistoried housing construction programme. Social, functional, even urbanistic privileges of detached houses are not disputable: they are evident. Unfortunately, a difficult economic situation of our country actually does not permit to develop only this type of housing. The author sketchy looks over the necessity to build all types of houses in socially and economically balanced proportions, discloses reserves to increase housing stock without extending the territories of cities. One of such possible ways is to "cover" the flat tops of thousands of houses (built during the post-war period) with sloped roofs and arrange attic storeys for apartments. | eng |
