The first ever competition “Give Vilnius a Vision” has ended, for which Vilnius schoolchildren submitted more than 50 ideas for how the capital could look like in 10, 20 or even 50 years.
Students of 9-12 grades and 1-4 grades of gymnasiums from 34 Vilnius schools participated in the competition. The students of Vilnius Lyceum (as many as 8 visions), Žirmūnai, Mykolas Biržiška and Fabijoniškiu gymnasiums were particularly actively involved in the initiative.
Students – individually, in classes or groups of students – submitted video and text visions “Vilnius 2050: our vision, our city”. Young Vilnius residents proposed ideas on how to turn the capital into a greener, more convenient to move, more creative and more attractive city for young people, with less congestion, more public spaces and innovative solutions.
The prize fund of the competition amounted to 8,000 euros, which was established by EIKA Group.
May 22 Robertas Dargis, chairman of the board of EIKA Group, and the mayor of Vilnius at the “Give Vilnius a Vision” award event Mayor Valdas Benkunskas announced the winners of the competition and awarded the authors of the best visions of the future of Vilnius. During the event, the strongest teams presented their ideas for the future of the capital.
“We are creating the future today. The municipal team and I are constantly thinking about what Vilnius will be like in 20 or 30 years, what decisions we make today will determine the future of the city in a few decades. However, only a small part of the population really thinks about the future of their city. Therefore, we are very happy that young people are so actively involved in building their future homes. We were very interested to see how Vilnius is seen by your generation. The results exceeded expectations – an abundance of ideas, active participation and creativity shows that you care about your city and its future. I have no doubt that in the future you will dedicate part of your talent and ideas to the development of Vilnius,” said Valdas Benkunskas, the mayor of the city, congratulating the students.
Congratulating the participants and winners of the competition, Robertas Dargis, Chairman of the Board of EIKA Group, emphasized that even in difficult times it is important to maintain the ability to create the future.
“Wars don’t last forever. They end, and people go back to their lives and continue building the future. Therefore, never give up and move forward. If you want to predict the future, you have to create it now. I believe that this competition will grow to several thousand ideas every year in the future. Today, I look at you and see the people who will build Vilnius in a few decades – future city leaders, architects, entrepreneurs or even the mayor. Don’t forget that the world is not ruled by money, but ideas, and the most important part of success has always been and will be creativity and the ability to dream. You yourself are responsible for your future and the implementation of your ideas. And most importantly, create Vilnius here, because without you, the author of this idea, R. Dargis, emphasized.
Reflections of today’s urban problems and future solutions were reflected in the students’ works: challenges of mobility in the city, changes in the education system, Vilnius as a green and sustainable city, visions of self-propelled transport, community spirit, cultural and sports infrastructure. Many ideas were also presented on how modern technology could help solve urban problems and improve the quality of life.
Contest winners:
- 1st place – Aistis Verkauskas and Paulius Sargūnas (Vilnius Lyceum);
- II place – Smiltė Kaduševičiūtė, Agnetė Sabulytė, Jurgis Devėnas, Vytautė Pšikockaitė, Jokūbas Čepaitis, Anupras Žabas, Adomas Dapkūnas and Mykolas Narkevičius (VGTU Engineering Lyceum);
- III place – Simonas Kirdeikis (Vilnius Žvėrynas Gymnasium).
The special award of the mayor of the city of Vilnius for the most active participation is dedicated to the Vilnius Lyceum. The students of this school submitted as many as 8 visions, and as many as 7 works were among the 25 best works of the competition.
Readers of the portal 15min.lt also chose their favorite. The joint work of the students of Vilnius Žirmūnai Gymnasium and Vilnius “Santaras” Gymnasium – Agata Raksa, Diana Kazakovosi and Giedrė Naginytė – collected the most votes (as many as 1025).
The best 25 works of the competition can be seen here.
Students from more than 30 Vilnius schools and high schools participated in the competition: Vilnius Lyceum (8 works), Vilnius Žirmūnai High School (4 works), Mykolos Biržiška High School (4 works), Vilnius Fabijoniškių High School (2 works), St. John Paul II Gymnasium (2 works), Vilnius Žemyna Gymnasium, Vilnius Jesuit Gymnasium, St. Joozaps School, VGTU Engineering Lyceum, Vilnius Žvėrynas Gymnasium, Vilnius District Bezdonii Saulėtekios Elementary School, Vilnius Pilaitė Gymnasium, Vilnius Santara Gymnasium, Vilnius Lev Karsavinas School, Juventa Gymnasium, Vilnius International School, Vilnius Karoliniškii Gymnasium, Vilnius Sholom Aleichem ORT Gymnasium, Fabijoniškii Gymnasium, Kačialovs School, Šiauliai Liepori Gymnasium, Vilnius Vytautas the Great Gymnasium, Vilnius Lazdynai School, Vilnius Oz Gymnasium, Vilnius Lazdynai School, Vilnius Builders Training Center, Vilnius Christian Gymnasium, Vilnius Prince Gediminas Pro-gymnasium, Vilnius Senvagės Gymnasium, Contemporary School Center, Vilnius Simon Daukantas Gymnasium.
The competition was organized by EIKA Group, one of the largest real estate project development and management groups in Lithuania, in partnership with Vilnius City Municipality. The aim of the initiative is to encourage young people to be more actively interested in the future of the city and to involve them in the discussion about how Vilnius should look in the coming decades.