Study of the development of Vilniaus street and the surrounding area in the central part of Šiauliai

Straipsnyje pateikiamos Vilniaus gatvės ir jos prieigų Šiaulių miesto centrinėje dalyje vystymo galimybės, straipsnio autorės rengtos magistro studijų metu. Teritorijos urbanistinė architektūrinė koncepcija remiasi viešųjų erdvių struktūros plėtojimu detaliau nagrinėjant miesto istoriniame centre esančią Vilniaus g. atkarpą ir jos prieigas. Kadangi ši teritorija istoriniu požiūriu ypač jautri, pateikiamos įžvalgos apie jos istorinę vertę, saugotinus urbanistinės struktūros elementus bei pristatomas viešųjų erdvių proporcijos senamiesčio teritorijoje tyrimas pasitelkiant lyginamąją analizę. Apibendrinamoje straipsnio dalyje glaustai pristatomas teritorijos vystymo galimybių pasiūlymas, išryškinant istorinio centro struktūros saugotinus elementus.The history of the city of Šiauliai with the figure of Antoni Tyzenhaus in the forefront inspires us to think about the future of the city’s development. With the aim to increase the economic importance of the city, Antoni Tyzenhaus launched radical economic and urban reforms. Šiauliai was reconstructed according to the principles of Classicism: the former radial town acquired a grid structure preserving its focal point – the Cathedral, the market square and the main routes – Vilniaus and Tilžės streets and their intersection. Traces of the 18th century urban structure have survived and were not erased by the destruction of the First and Second World Wars only because of the concern of Šiauliai residents, by whose efforts it was restored. A study of the development of the territory of the Šiauliai historical city next to Vilniaus Street is presented in the article. A segment of Vilniaus Street and the surrounding area is analysed in detail. The concept is based on the development of the structure of public space, expanding the network of public space and strengthening the links among the existing public spaces. The author of the article focuses on the structure of the oldest part of the city, which is not yet preserved as a cultural heritage site, aiming to define the valuable features of the urban structure that are important for the territorial development. A study of the proportion of public spaces in the old towns of different Lithuanian and European cities is described with the aim to assess the quality and quantity of the structure of the public space of the Šiauliai historical centre and to establish the development principles of the structure of public space applicable to the Šiauliai case. The analysis of the examined parameters of the structure of public space has revealed the principles of the concept of development of urban structure, which aims to preserve the traditional features of urban structure and development according to its characteristic parameters. The concept brings out the territorial resources of the structure of the Šiauliai historical centre: reconstructing the built area and adjusting it to the scale typical of the city allows increasing the building density and raising the quality of the structure of the public space. The core point of the concept – Vilniaus Street, one of the main public spaces of the city – is identified as the starting point for the regeneration of the surrounding territories. The author aims to highlight the uniqueness of the Šiauliai historical centre and suggests the principles of its development, management and preservation