Multifunctionality and urban form: A nature-inspired approach to sustainability in Lithuanian cities and towns

Kęstutis Zaleckis; Indrė Gražulevičiūtė-Vileniškė; Milda  Sutkaitytė; Danielius Jurčiukonis; Mindaugas Pakalnis; Gediminas  Viliūnas; Rūta Marija  Slavinskaitė; Kamilė  Kisieliūtė

doi:10.31648/aspal.11260

Published: 2026-04-30

Vol. 25 No. 1 (2026)

Multifunctionality and urban form: A nature-inspired approach to sustainability in Lithuanian cities and towns

Kęstutis Zaleckis

, Indrė Gražulevičiūtė-Vileniškė

, Milda Sutkaitytė

, Danielius Jurčiukonis

, Mindaugas Pakalnis , Gediminas Viliūnas , Rūta Marija Slavinskaitė , Kamilė Kisieliūtė

Acta Scientiarum Polonorum Administratio Locorum

Section: Articles

https://doi.org/10.31648/aspal.11260

Abstract

Motives: Urban form plays a crucial role in achieving sustainability, shaping accessibility, multifunctionality, and resilience within cities. However, the challenge remains in quantifying sustainable urban form in a way that captures both its spatial characteristics and its apacity to foster multifunctionality.
Aim: This study explores the sustainability of urban form in Lithuania through a nature-inspired approach, integrating biomimicry principles with quantitative modeling and simulative mathematical graph-based analysis. The research draws from established urban theories, including New Urbanism, the compact city, the 15-minute city, identifying multifunctionality and bottom-up self-organization as fundamental characteristics of both natural and urban systems. Literature analysis highlights the growing interest in urban form and sustainability, revealing strong thematic linkages between land use, transportation, and public health. Empirical analysis is conducted at multiple scales, from the national level to individual city comparisons, employing graph-based spatial modeling to assess walkability, accessibility, and functional distribution. The methodology integrates GIS-based tools, simulative urban network modeling, and weighted centrality measures to identify urban structures that inherently support sustainability principles. Results demonstrate that Lithuanian cities exhibit distinct patterns of multifunctionality, influenced by their historical evolution, urban morphology, and planning paradigms. Findings reinforce the hierarchical and emergent nature of sustainable urban form, validating the concept of pervasive centrality in urban networks. Moreover, the study highlights the importance of spatial configuration over function quantity in fostering walkable, accessible, and resilient urban areas. While the proposed model successfully identifies clusters of 15-minute city neighborhoods, it also reveals limitations, including the role of large-scale infrastructure interventions and administrative boundaries in shaping urban accessibility.
Results: This research contributes to the ongoing discourse on sustainable urbanism by providing a quantitative, spatially explicit framework for evaluating urban form sustainability. It highlights the need for integrated planning approaches that balance bottom-up urban evolution with strategic policy interventions to create cities that are both sustainable and functionally diverse.

Keywords:

biomimicry, GIS, multi-functionality, simulative mathematical graph-based modeling, sustainable urban form, 15-minutes city

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Zaleckis, K., Gražulevičiūtė-Vileniškė , I., Sutkaitytė, M. ., Jurčiukonis , D., Pakalnis, M., Viliūnas , G. ., Slavinskaitė , R. M. ., & Kisieliūtė , K. . (2026). Multifunctionality and urban form: A nature-inspired approach to sustainability in Lithuanian cities and towns. Acta Scientiarum Polonorum Administratio Locorum, 25(1), 209–245. https://doi.org/10.31648/aspal.11260

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Kęstutis Zaleckis

kestutis.zaleckis@vda.lt
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9223-9956

Affiliation:

Vilnius Academy of Arts, NEB Research Center, Vilnius Lithuania

Bio Statement (e.g., department and rank)

Vilnius Academy of Arts, NEB Research Center, chief investigator

Vilnius Academy of Arts, Vilnius Faculty, Department of Architecture, professor

Indrė Gražulevičiūtė-Vileniškė

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4396-4657

Affiliation:

Vilnius Academy of Arts, NEB Research Centre, Vilnius Lithuania

Bio Statement (e.g., department and rank)

Senior researcher

Milda Sutkaitytė

https://orcid.org/0009-0000-5365-9536

Affiliation:

Construction Sector Development Agency (SSVA), Vilnius & Vilnius Academy of Arts, Institute of Art Research, Vilnius Lithuania

Bio Statement (e.g., department and rank)

Construction Sector Development Agency (SSVA), Urban Planning Department, senior specialist

Danielius Jurčiukonis

https://orcid.org/0009-0004-1071-7432

Affiliation:

Construction Sector Development Agency (SSVA) & Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Vilnius Lithuania

Bio Statement (e.g., department and rank)

Construction Sector Development Agency (SSVA), Urban Planning Department, specialist

Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Faculty of Architecture, Department of Urban Design, PhD student

Mindaugas Pakalnis

Affiliation:

Construction Sector Development Agency (SSVA), Vilnius Lithuania

Bio Statement (e.g., department and rank)

Construction Sector Development Agency (SSVA), Urban Planning Department, leader

Gediminas Viliūnas

Affiliation:

Vilnius Academy of Arts, NEB Research Center, Vilnius Lithuania

Bio Statement (e.g., department and rank)

Vilnius Academy of Arts, NEB Research Center, researcher

Rūta Marija Slavinskaitė

Affiliation:

Construction Sector Development Agency (SSVA), Vilnius Lithuania

Bio Statement (e.g., department and rank)

Construction Sector Development Agency (SSVA), Urban Planning Department, senior expert

Kamilė Kisieliūtė

Affiliation:

Construction Sector Development Agency (SSVA), Vilnius Lithuania

Bio Statement (e.g., department and rank)

Construction Sector Development Agency (SSVA), Urban Planning Department, specialist