Institute of Human Geography and Demography

This article pays attentions to the rural population and rural settlement’s system
regional changes during the period since 2001 till 2011. The analysis is based on the 2001
and 2011 population and houses census data provided by Statistics Lithuania. The performed
analysis revealed that the number of population decreased in the majority of settlements
independently on their size. However, the distinct regional changes could be stressed.
Besides, it was estimated the increasing infl uence of “centre-periphery” factor. Around
the biggest cities (in the territories of Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipeda districts) the number of
inhabitants was rapidly growing in 40% of the settlements’ and the tempos of growth
in these settlements have exceeded several times the tempos of decrease of population
in those settlements where the number of population decreased. In the territories of
municipalities (Trakai, Elektrėnai, Jonava, Kazlų Rūda, Kretinga districts) that neighbour
the biggest cities and the municipalities close to smaller Lithuanian cities (Panevėžys,
Marijampolė, Druskininkai, Utena) the tempos of settlements’ number increase/decrease
were similar, meanwhile, the number of inhabitants in these municipalities was increasing
only in 20-30% of rural settlements. Therefore, such situation led to the general negative
population change. In peripheral municipalities that are located further from bigger cities
(Pagėgiai, Akmenė dis., Pakruojis dis., Joniškis dis.., Skuodas dis.., Radviliškis dis. and
others) the rapid depopulation appeared in the majority (>83%) of rural settlements. Also,
the tempos of depopulation in these municipalities were several times higher. Therefore,
this situation infl uenced especially fast depopulation in the peripheral rural territories.
The analysis allows to underline that the increasing importance of the “centre-periphery“
factor will further determine the decline of rural settlements in peripheral territories.

This article describes the main trends in the changes to the system of rural settlements in Lithuania and determines the
regional peculiarities of these changes. The analysis was carried out using data collected during the censuses of 2001 and
􀀕􀀓􀀔􀀔􀀏􀀃􀁄􀁑􀁇􀀃􀁌􀁑􀁉􀁒􀁕􀁐􀁄􀁗􀁌􀁒􀁑􀀃􀁗􀁋􀁄􀁗􀀃􀁚􀁄􀁖􀀃􀁊􀁄􀁗􀁋􀁈􀁕􀁈􀁇􀀃􀁇􀁘􀁕􀁌􀁑􀁊􀀃􀂿􀁈􀁏􀁇􀀃􀁗􀁕􀁌􀁓􀁖􀀃􀁗􀁒􀀃􀁕􀁘􀁕􀁄􀁏􀀃􀁖􀁈􀁗􀁗􀁏􀁈􀁐􀁈􀁑􀁗􀁖􀀃􀁄􀁆􀁕􀁒􀁖􀁖􀀃􀁗􀁋􀁈􀀃􀁆􀁒􀁘􀁑􀁗􀁕􀁜􀀃􀁌􀁑􀀃􀀕􀀓􀀔􀀖􀀃􀁄􀁑􀁇􀀃􀀕􀀓􀀔􀀗􀀑􀀃􀀲􀁘􀁕􀀃􀁄􀁑􀁄􀁏􀁜-
sis showed that the population decreased in the majority of settlements independently of their size. However, distinct regional
􀁇􀁌􀁉􀁉􀁈􀁕􀁈􀁑􀁆􀁈􀁖􀀃􀁆􀁄􀁑􀀃􀁅􀁈􀀃􀁌􀁇􀁈􀁑􀁗􀁌􀂿􀁈􀁇􀀃􀁄􀁑􀁇􀀃􀁗􀁋􀁈􀁖􀁈􀀃􀁚􀁈􀁕􀁈􀀃􀁈􀁖􀁓􀁈􀁆􀁌􀁄􀁏􀁏􀁜􀀃􀁈􀁙􀁌􀁇􀁈􀁑􀁗􀀃􀁚􀁋􀁈􀁑􀀃􀁆􀁒􀁐􀁓􀁄􀁕􀁌􀁑􀁊􀀃􀁗􀁋􀁈􀀃􀁇􀁄􀁗􀁄􀀃􀁆􀁒􀁏􀁏􀁈􀁆􀁗􀁈􀁇􀀃􀁉􀁕􀁒􀁐􀀃􀁗􀁋􀁈􀀃􀁕􀁘􀁕􀁄􀁏􀀃􀁖􀁈􀁗􀁗􀁏􀁈􀁐􀁈􀁑􀁗􀁖􀀃
􀁏􀁒􀁆􀁄􀁗􀁈􀁇􀀃􀁆􀁏􀁒􀁖􀁈􀀃􀁗􀁒􀀃􀁗􀁋􀁈􀀃􀁆􀁄􀁓􀁌􀁗􀁄􀁏􀀃􀁆􀁌􀁗􀁜􀀃􀀋􀀹􀁌􀁏􀁑􀁌􀁘􀁖􀀌􀀃􀁒􀁕􀀃􀁕􀁈􀁊􀁌􀁒􀁑􀁄􀁏􀀃􀁆􀁈􀁑􀁗􀁕􀁈􀁖􀀃􀀋􀀮􀁄􀁘􀁑􀁄􀁖􀀏􀀃􀀮􀁏􀁄􀁌􀁓􀆡􀁇􀁄􀀏􀀃􀃢􀁌􀁄􀁘􀁏􀁌􀁄􀁌􀀏􀀃􀀳􀁄􀁑􀁈􀁙􀆡􀃥􀁜􀁖􀀃􀁄􀁑􀁇􀀃􀀤􀁏􀁜􀁗􀁘􀁖􀀌􀀃􀁚􀁌􀁗􀁋􀀃􀁗􀁋􀁈􀀃􀁇􀁄􀁗􀁄􀀃
collected from the peripheral areas located further from cities or roads of regional importance. The survey showed that the
north-eastern and southern parts of Lithuania are depopulated most, whereas in the western part of the country the number
of residents was stable until 2000, and only in the 21st century did it start to decrease due to the increasing emigration rates.
Also, the analysis of the structure of settlements allowed us to point out the historical circumstances as the cause of regional
differences. In the north-eastern part of Lithuania the settlements are smaller than in the western part of Lithuania. The analysis
shows that the increasing importance of the centre-periphery factor will further determine the decline of rural settlements
in peripheral territories in Lithuania.

Welcome to the book of blogs, a collection of diverse works from researchers across the globe who all have something important to say about the way in which our world is changing and how we can strive towards a more sustainable future. This book emerged from an International Social Science Council (ISSC) meeting in November 2014 of early career researchers, who gathered in Taiwan to discuss transitions to urban contexts from a social science perspective. The seminar involved weeklong discussions about sustainable urbanisation and the contribution of social science research to sustainable urban futures. Yet a week was not long enough to hear the diverse perspectives within the room, let alone incorporate the plethora of viewpoints beyond it. Within the ISSC discussions we concluded that one definition of sustainable urbanisation is not possible and that sustainable urbanisations are in play. The transitions to urban contexts taking place, and those that are anticipated within our futures, were characterised in terms of their plurality, diversity, fluidity, and change. This book embraces such uncertainty by welcoming dialogues, rather than a monologue, on the urbanisation processes taking place across the world and what to do about the places we build, and the impacts of human activity on the environment, health and climate.

The collapse of the Soviet utopian world, where the government sought to plan and control economic and social processes, caused a wave of significant changes in the post-socialist countries. The territorial regrouping of citizens is one of the hard to control changes that started at the end of the 1990s in Lithuania. This article identifies the major changes in the settlement system in Lithuania and its effects on peripheral areas. The main scope of this article is an analysis of the potential of residents from peripheral areas to adapt to the rapidly changing socioeconomic environment. For the analysis, we used data and information gathered during field trips to peripheral rural areas throughout the country between 2013 and 2014. This study found that the residents who remained in peripheral areas had several opportunities in rapidly changing environment after Lithuania gained its Independence in 1990. Interviews with local authorities allowed us to define three groups of residents and their potential to adapt to the labour market: those who are active, those who are passive and those who choose social benefits instead of a work salary. The survey results allowed us to predict that the 'central-peripheral' spatial structure will be one of the main factors influencing regional development in Lithuania in the near future.

The depopulation process in Lithuania is rapid, and the gap between the centre and periphery in the country is increasing, which allows one region to grow and others to ‘fight’ for survival. The main demographic indicators show particularly unfavourable trends in sparsely populated territories (SPTs) and deviate markedly from the countrywide average. To confirm these statements, this study presents the changes in the demographic and socioeconomic situation in Lithuania during the period of restored independence. The authors place special emphasis on rural SPTs of the country, and use statistical data as the main instrument to present the tendencies of sociospatial development. The analysis shows that Lithuania is experiencing territorial polarisation, with the greatest gap being between the major cities and the regions in Southern and North-Eastern Lithuania. Additionally, the results indicate that in the meantime, the western and central regions became the ‘generators’ of demographic and socioeconomic problems due to increasing depopulation. The sharpest results of depopulation are the decline of social networks and, simultaneously, the growing number of social problems. This situation increases residents’ social and territorial exclusion, meaning that institutions are receding from those who remain in rural peripheral regions, leaving them to fight the consequences of peripheralisation alone without any clear regional policy strategies.

... Athens Log In. Vous avez oublié votre mot de passe ? ... Copier et coller ce lien : http://www.necplus. eu/action/displayAbstract?aid=2427032. Copier et coller cette citation. Irina Troitskaia, Alexandre Avdeev, Irina Badurashvili, Ekaterine Kapanadze and Vaida Tretjaküva (2009). ...