The paper focuses on the actual state of architecture and planning practices in Lithuania and Latvia stating the common features and differences as well as identifying a number of challenges and possible solutions and their impacts on academic research carried out by junior fellows of the universities. The transition from a planned socialist economy to a free market and the following change in the structure of social order has objectively caused radical changes in the need and the offer of professional services where the largest market share is held by relatively small or very small architectural companies. Limited resources lead to dominance of the fulfillment of primary functional and aesthetical needs of the customer while the broader dialogue with public is usually delayed or missing. This often leads to public dissatisfaction of the results of implementation of development projects. The authors of the paper stress that the enhanced dialogue between architect and urban community supported by local governments and citizens could radically improve the situation and simultaneously contribute to the quality of architectural solutions. The share of responsibility for the future quality of built environmental goes to an academic education and especially to research systems. Multi-professional collaboration and integrated cross-border research practices should be encouraged as more beneficial for accumulating the experience of different cultures and to achieving optimal qualities in the future urban environment.

Article in English