The study of urban form in Lithuania during the second half of the twentieth century

Abstract

This paper discusses one of the most significant and productive periods of urban form studies in Lithuania. Research activities during the second half of the twentieth century, compared to the evolutionary stages of other urban morphological schools in Europe, represent a period of mature development. Research activities can be divided into three phases which followed each other and later overlapped: emergence of morphological thought in the primary studies of settlements; development of a morphological approach within the formation of the national urban heritage system; and application of morphological techniques for modelling the spatial composition of towns and cities. Despite its local focus, the Lithuanian urban form research has the potential to complement the global landscape of urban morphology and contribute to the development of the field’s scientific and practical methodology. Therefore, the paper presents the development of national tradition of urban morphology, which evolved throughout the twentieth century, as well as comparing the Lithuanian experience with features of other European morphological schools.