Small stories of the urban villages: the wooden Šnipiškės neighbourhood, Vilnius

Abstract

Alongside with the official narrative of the “growing city”, which is common both for the period of modernization and for the market-driven development, in cities there is a wide range of micro-narratives embedded in different urban forms, connected to different historic layers and to the different systems of values and visions of the city. A phenomenon of “urban village” as a result of collisions between the redevelopment of the urban-rural areas and the everyday rituals of the residents contributes to the urban diversity (which is an essential condition for the liveable and vibrant city). Drawing on the experience of urban games and research Lab “Laimikis” that specializes in the inclusive cultural development of the neighbourhoods and public spaces, this paper explores the situation and characteristics of the historical wooden Šnipiškės neighbourhood in Vilnius, Lithuania. A suburbia, known for its ceramic and glass workshops in 16th-18th centuries, nowadays is referred as “urban village” with the high-rise business area just next to it.