Comments on the Management Plan for the Historic Centre of Vilnius are expected by mid-January

On 9 January 2024, a public event was held at Vilnius City Municipality to present the draft management plan for the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Vilnius Historic Centre. This was the 4th public consultation on the Management Plan for the Historic Centre of Vilnius since the start of the preparation of this strategic document in May 2023. The meeting was attended by 28 citizens and was webcast. A recording of the meeting can be found on the Vilnius City Municipality YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmjyyAcFyng The draft Management Plan for the Historic Centre of Vilnius as presented can be found on the project website: www.vilnius.lt/unesco During the meeting, the authors of the Management Plan for the Historic Centre of Vilnius presented the developed parts of the Management Plan. Eugenijus Kaminskis, Head of Research at The Critical, talked about the structure of the management plan part, the action plan, which is based on the model proposed by the Stockholm Resilience Centre, a research institute in Stockholm. Based on the model, the actions in the Action Plan are prioritised according to their critical importance and interdependence. The content of the management plan was then presented by the experts who prepared it. Giedrė Filipavičienė, urban architect and heritage protection specialist, presented the Cultural Heritage Protection section. Aida Štelbienė, an architect, presented the Education, Inclusion and Awareness part. Dr. Rasuolė Andrulien, Tourism Expert, presented the Sustainable Tourism theme of the Management Plan. Dr Tadas Šarūnas, a sociologist, presented the economic and social aspects of the management plan. Rugilė Balkaitė Puodžiūnienė, coordinator of the Management Plan for the Vilnius Historical Centre, spoke about how the Management Plan addresses risk management and sustainable urban development. After the presentation of the management plan, participants were invited to discuss, comment and ask questions to the authors of the management plan. This was the last scheduled public consultation on the Management Plan for the Historic Centre of Vilnius. The organisers invite anyone wishing to comment on the draft management plan as presented to do so in writing until 16 January. Suggestions should be sent by e-mail to Rugila Balkaite Puodžiūnienė, the coordinator of the management plan, at rugile.balkaite@gmail.com or to the Head of the Cultural Heritage Department of Vilnius City Municipality. Donata Armakauskaite: donata.armakauskaite@vilnius.lt. At the end of January, the final version of the Management Plan for the Historic Centre of Vilnius will be sent to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre. The final version of the Management Plan for the Historic Centre of Vilnius will also be made available to the public.