Vilnius faces criticism over tree cutting and urban projects

Vilnius is facing criticism over tree-cutting linked to street repairs and other urban development projects, with some scientists and civic activists calling the Lithuanian capital the “firewood capital”, LRT reports.

In the Pilaitė neighbourhood, residents are concerned about the impact of a planned high-rise development near Nadruvos Park, known locally as “the Hollow”. They fear that access roads and utility networks could damage greenery maintained by the local community.

“Residents can see the enormous danger facing the greenery developed through community efforts,” Pilaitė resident Algirdas Kelpša said. He added that the neighbourhood had very few green spaces and that the park had already faced threats from a proposed golf development.

Students from the nearby Vilnius Christian Gymnasium visit Nadruvos Park almost every day, including for physical education classes. School principal Jūratė Bernotienė said she hoped the area would remain undeveloped and that infrastructure would not be built through it.

Vilnius chief architect Laura Kairienė said “the Hollow” would not be affected because the city’s master plan does not allow construction there. The section belonging to a private developer would remain part of the park and would not be fenced off, she said, while construction could take place separately in an area designated for residential or mixed use.

Residents are also concerned about a planned rowing facility on the Neris riverbank near the Tuskulėnai Peace Park Memorial Complex. City anthropologist Jekaterina Lavrinec said the site formed part of a landscape park linking the river with a manor.

Lavrinec said the project included a parking lot for 40 cars and the cutting of 300 trees, 200 of them protected. Kairienė said the rowing facility had been planned for many years and that changes to the detailed plan were intended to reduce the number of trees removed. She said the city had to balance ecological concerns with the public need for river infrastructure and a facility sought by the rowing community for 20 years.