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

5. Neighbourhood strategy

5.1. Neighbourhood consolidation

Development of co-operation between sectors and their institutional organisations through OTRA is viewed as one of the external instruments initiating neighbourhood consolidation. Open debates among city politicians, representatives of municipal departments, OTRA, HOAs, UF, AC, the area businessmen and residents on various actual issues is gradually becoming a habitual way of work. Current OTRA communication means with communities are:

1. leaflets - with wider explanations of the VOTRS, CCB and VOTRP and conditions of financial support for private owners

2. flyers - frequently used mean to inform about activities

3. questionnaires - are disseminated during the meetings in OTRA or together with leaflets with the objective to define particular attitudes, opinions or needs of residents/ interest groups/ neighbourhoods

4. announcements or articles in newspapers - promotion of the VOTRS, CCB and VOTRP, their positive results and discovering of conflicts and their reasons

5. OTRA Internet site - interactive site allowing regular and quick communication

6. consultancy meetings, debates and negotiations.

Lead personalities, interest groups and HOA intending to join the CCB program are regular target group of OTRA. After defining groups of common interests among the applicants or potential partners to the VOTRP, OTRA search for possible wider interested parties for PP co-operation, which on the area basis could commence or support various networking schemes. These OTRA efforts still rarely give results because of conflicting interest natures of businesses, residents, public or other groups. For instance, there was a two years long discussion and negotiations held by OTRA with Užupis resident group and Belarus Church priest seeking to found a small and intimate square in a picturesque courtyard. Finally, even the city Mayor join the negotiations to persuade the priest in founding the square for the benefit of the church, local neighbourhood and the whole area. Consequently head of the church stopped negotiations arguing that such a public space can damage quietness of the close church environment.

Such and similar experiences of misunderstanding of a long term use and wider public benefits in developing neighbourhood initiatives forced OTRA to start working more and more actively with the younger generations who can sooner indirectly and later directly influence positive change of the conflicting attitudes arising due to social tensions in the neighbourhoods.

It is planned to attract and develop wider communication with youngsters and elderly people who are expected to become partners in improving climate of public-private partnership in the area in a longer prospective.

4. FUTURE VISION OF THE AREA    5.2. Economic strategy