As the population of the capital city increases, the concept of a “15-minute city” proposed by urban planners is gaining ground here. Real estate experts note that this is not a distant vision of the future and point their finger at the Pašilaičiai microdistrict of Vilnius, which in terms of its size and infrastructure could be compared to the seventh largest city in the country.
15 minutes from a city worthy of its name
The 15-minute city concept aims to create a human-friendly and easily accessible urban environment, and this idea is based on the principle that all daily services – educational and health institutions, shops, restaurants or cafes, sports, beauty and entertainment venues, and green areas – should be accessible within 15 minutes on foot or by bicycle.
The actual implementation of the idea is a rather long and complex process, requiring large investments, careful planning, and public and private sector involvement, but urban planners note that we already have such territories in Lithuania – and not only in the central parts of large cities. One such place is Pašilaičiai, one of the largest microdistricts in Vilnius.
Over the course of 70 years, Pašilaičiai has grown from a small village with 200 people to the second largest microdistrict in the capital, and the population has grown by as much as 225 times during this period. Today, about 45 thousand people live here, and if Pašilaičiai were a separate city, it would be the seventh largest in Lithuania in terms of population, significantly ahead of Marijampolė, Mažeikiai or Jonava.
Not only are new houses being built in Pašilaičiai, but the existing infrastructure is also being renovated: Čikagos aleja, Ugnijos aikštė, Medeinos street square, Pavilnionių parkas, Šiaurinė street. A new junior high school, a kindergarten, business centers are also being built here, some shops and shopping centers, public transport stops are being renovated, and new businesses are opening their doors.
Newcomers appreciate improving infrastructure
Statistics from EIKA Development show that settlers are also discovering Pašilaičius – over the past decade, the number of residents in Pašilaičius has been growing by 850 people per year. Last year, 7 percent of all new apartments in Vilnius were sold here, and the average price per square meter has increased by more than 50 percent over the past five years – from 1,910 euros per square meter in 2020 to 2,990 euros per square meter in 2025.
According to Tomas Žiaugra, development director of EIKA Development, the company that sold the most apartments in the capital in 2024, although Pašilaičiai is not a separate city, the district almost perfectly corresponds to the 15-minute city concept, which is not found in many other Vilnius microdistricts.
“Vilnius is constantly growing, we spend more and more time in traffic jams. In pursuit of a better quality of life, Vilnius residents are looking for housing in places where everything is within easy reach – both nature, entertainment, and social infrastructure. Pašilaičiai is exactly like that, having become a kind of “15-minute city” due to its versatility, service offering, jobs, and the growing number of public spaces and educational institutions,” says T. Žiaugra.
“For some time, Pašilaičiai was truly forgotten, but now it is attracting more and more public and private investments, thanks to which the infrastructure and quality of life are only improving even more. I would predict that in the near future, Pašilaičiai will remain in the top three most sought-after residential areas in Vilnius,” adds T. Žiaugra.
EIKA Development is one of the companies contributing to the new face of Pašilaičiai. The company is currently developing the project of five low-rise A++ energy class houses “Medeinos namai” in the heart of the district. The project, distinguished by its high-quality architecture and spacious courtyard, is currently particularly popular among home buyers – more than half of the 138 apartments have already been sold, and only two of the 11 commercial premises remain vacant. The project is scheduled to be completed next year.