Case Studies   Vilnius Old Town: Užupis – Paupys Area Case study

3.5. Participating in local activities

There are variety of local activities organised by Užupis Fund and the Angel Club in which local community activists, OTRA and municipal authorities take part. Most of the locally organised activities are largely of entertainment character. But there were significant attempts to stimulate local leaders to get focused on actual social problems in the area. With the financial support of UNDP Vilnius’ Office the seminar “Crime prevention in the Old Town” was organised in November 1999. Užupis Fund and representatives from the Old Town communities took part in discussing the issues with professionals: Centre for Crime Prevention (CCP), Old Town Police Office, Public organisation “Stop the Crime”. Special publication on the occasion of the seminar was edited and published by OTRA and CCP.

In July 2000, seminar “The City in Dialogue – Public Participation in Užupis" was organised by European Academy (Berlin) and OTRA in the City Hall. Theme “Revitalisation of Užupis Area” was discussed among the participants. Various ideas were raised during the brain storming sessions. Most important public sites in Užupis and Paupys that community would like to develop first were defined: Wood Market square and Bekesas Hill with most beautiful sightseeing location to the Vilnius Old Town. It was suggested to construct a sightseeing platform on the Bekesas Hill and UF suggested organisational and financial facilitation schemes for implementation of the idea. Principal proposals how private investors can improve the abandoned publicly visited site and at the same time to set up his business for the sake of both.

Užupis Day celebration in 2003

These public seminars, where Užupis – Paupys activists took a leading role representing residents of the Old Town were a good reflection of the prime potentials and community perceptions towards establishing PPP initiatives. Essential conclusions of the seminars, stating obstacles of the PPP development were following:

1. public sector haven’t yet developed legal, economic or other means which would initiate and stimulate PPP;

2. there is no confidence built which would allow closer, transparent and economically effective co-operation between the sectors;

3. public management and solution making process remains close and not accessible to the private sector;

4. lack of incentives or other financial means and low free market maturity suppress private sector from investing for the benefit of wider common private-public uses.

3.4. Interviews with local residents and stakeholders    3.6. Connections to the city strategy