Peculiarities of Rural-Urban Interface in Lithuania and Implications for Landscape Management

International audienceThe ongoing territorial urbanization changes the character of the rural-urban interface both in the so-called devel-oped/developing countries and post-Soviet territories in transition as Lithuania. Even if the rurban landscapes, having the features of both urban and rural environment, are the global phenomenon, the local-national, regional, local etc. peculiarities can also be distinguished. The aim of this research was to analyze the rural-urban interface in Lithuania and to distinguish the global trends, local peculiarities, and the factors that determine or could determine the identity of the country's rurban landscapes. The research has demonstrated such global trends as metropolisation, industrialization, commercialization, uniformity or internationalization and local distinctive aspects related with the character of the natural landscape, urbanization patterns, and history of the rural landscape in the rural-urban interface in Lithuania. In the concluding section we have presented some management guidelines for the rurban landscapes of the country based on our findings: view the question of the rural-urban interface in the context of overall country's regional development and in the context of the development strategy of a particular urban settlement, follow the strategy of "brown urbanism", maintain historic continuity together with innovation, encourage multifunctionality and self-sufficient communities, use the ecological and recreational benefits of these areas, maintain their distinctiveness, develop unique image and aesthetics with optimal visual diversity