Changing character of town form during the XX−XXI c.: the case of Lithuanian small towns

Abstract

Although towns are constantly changing, changes may have a major impact on town character. Town character reflects the distinctiveness of town form and there is a risk that town may change unrecognisably. This issue is particularly close to small towns, which characters are especially fragile. Additionally, small towns are often neglected or undeservedly underestimated, though people already are searching for slower life and more authentic experiences. Nevertheless, small towns can offer close community, sense of place and attachment to it, local production, cheaper real estate and safe, sustainable environment. Undoubdetly, counterurbanisation processes are underway and Lithuania has a lot of resources for slow town concept development. Lithuanian urban settlement system consists of mostly small towns, so the research of changes of town form and their impact on the town character is extremely important. The article discusses what causes changes in small towns, paying the particular attention to the Lithuanian context. Initial methodological guidelines and insights give basis for further investigation and levels of changes are categorised. Preliminary findings state that due to the level of maturity, completeness of town form in relation to the ideology of the period and on the consequences of World War II, transformations had a different impact on town form during the second half of the XX c. and the extent of changes differ. The concept of the research is illustrated with a case study of Anykščiai town which analysis of changes of town form allows to define main transformations and actions for nurturing the character of the town. The article presents the assumption that the complex research of changes of town form may enable a possibility to identify the model of the town form character and define the townscape capacity.