Urbanization is one of the most significant global trends – according to UN data, by 2050, around 70% of the world's population will live in cities. This shift poses fundamental challenges to urban systems, ranging from mobility and accessibility to food and waste cycles, energy supply, and social inclusion. All these factors directly impact residents' quality of life, social connections, and movement within the city.

Moreover, we are living in a time of rapid innovation, with significant advancements taking place in energy, transportation, traffic management, digitalization, automation, and the circular economy. These innovations not only transform individual sectors but also shape a new vision for cities. What should the city of the future look like—one that adapts to these changes and fully utilizes the potential of innovation? Many projects developed at the Department of Urban Planning aim to answer this question.
 

Currently, urban planning as a discipline is shifting towards nature-inspired solutions that help create healthier and more efficient cities—sustainable and livable spaces. The climate crisis, increasing social diversity, and urban segregation are just a few reasons why certain urban elements or city districts often require new transformation strategies.
 

Since 2019, the Architecture integrated master's program has included the module Urbanism and Innovation in the fifth year of study. This module frequently tackles unconventional issues, particularly those explored by other leading urban research centers and schools worldwide. We have tested multiple methodologies that propose solutions to specific urban challenges. Some of the most frequently discussed approaches include the 15-minute city concept, promoting public transportation, developing urban public spaces, creating green areas, and improving engineering infrastructure.

If you and your team could initiate one sustainability initiative to help combat climate change challenges, what would it be?

In the Lithuanian context, the most pressing sustainable development challenges are (1) balancing the urban structure of cities and (2) controlling urban sprawl. The latter is directly linked to the former, as an inefficient and unbalanced urban structure fuels chaotic suburban expansion. The "hidden" costs of this process negatively impact not only the suburbs but also all city districts.

In the long term, managing urban sprawl should be based on a compact city model with an efficient service and infrastructure system—key objectives for improving urban structure.

Our team's goal is to contribute to balancing the urban structure by:

FACULTY OF ELECTRONICS
Dean of the Faculty, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Artūras Medeišis

What are the main environmental challenges in your field, and how does your field, along with the innovations you develop (or research conducted), contribute to building a more sustainable future today?

The primary environmental challenge in the electrical and electronics industry is the excessive and continuously growing, yet inefficient, electricity consumption. For instance, rapidly expanding data centers consume vast amounts of electricity, with a significant portion wasted simply on hardware cooling—in other words, much of it is used just to heat the air.

This challenge is being addressed in two ways. On one hand, efforts are being made to reduce electricity demand by making hardware more energy-efficient. On the other hand, hybrid solutions are being explored, such as integrating renewable energy sources, redirecting excess heat into urban district heating systems, and improving electricity distribution efficiency through Smart Grid technologies.

When discussing innovations for a more sustainable future, it is essential to highlight the crucial role of electronics and information and communication technologies. These technologies enable the implementation of smart solutions—from smart homes to smart manufacturing processes. Smart solutions often optimize system performance and significantly reduce energy consumption.

If you and your team could initiate one sustainability initiative to help combat climate change challenges, what would it be?

At the moment, the Faculty of Electronics is developing a new initiative focused on innovative electricity supply solutions, utilizing artificial intelligence systems and networked batteries to more effectively harness the potential of renewable energy.

LITHUANIAN MARITIME ACADEMY
Head of the Department of Port Engineering, Vilma Locaitienė

What are the main environmental challenges in your field, and how does your field, along with the innovations you develop (or research conducted), contribute to building a more sustainable future today?

One of the main environmental challenges in maritime transport is reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the impact of shipping on marine ecosystems, and ensuring the harmonious operation of ports with the environment. Additionally, congestion in the port access areas of freight transport flows not only increases air pollution but also energy consumption.

At the Lithuanian Maritime Academy, scientific research is directly contributing to the creation of a more sustainable future for maritime transport.

Researchers at the Department of Navigation (led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vytautas Dubra) specialize in increasing shipping efficiency and safety. Using modern ship navigation simulators (led by Arvydas Jankauskas), various ship traffic parameters in the port are studied, helping optimize ship movement, reduce fuel consumption, and decrease emissions. Additionally, alternative development models for Klaipėda port are being simulated in the context of ship traffic, which allows the assessment of the future infrastructure’s environmental impact and port operation efficiency. Notable studies conducted in our laboratories include the simulation of the LNG carrier Independence's entry and the simulation of large container ships entering the Klaipėda port.

Researchers at the Department of Port Engineering are conducting studies on “Improving the Efficiency of Maritime Transport through the Implementation of Sustainable Development Strategies,” focusing on sustainable logistics, green technologies, and optimizing port infrastructure to reduce environmental impact.

I am currently preparing my dissertation on "The Development Opportunities of Regional Seaport Access Using Environmentally Neutral Intermodal Solutions." One of the main objectives of the research is to assess how environmentally friendly transport modes, such as inland waterway transport, can be sustainably integrated into port logistics systems. This integration could help reduce congestion in port access areas, contribute to reducing carbon dioxide emissions, and improve the efficiency of transport chains.

These studies contribute to shaping a more sustainable maritime transport future, helping Klaipėda port achieve its green port strategic goals and ensure efficient, environmentally friendly shipping in the Baltic region.

If you and your team could initiate one sustainability initiative to help address the challenges of climate change, what would it be?

If there was an opportunity to initiate one sustainability initiative, it would be the "Integration of Green Navigation Solutions in the Port of Klaipėda." The goals of this initiative would be: to implement digital tools (artificial intelligence, sensor systems) to optimize shipping flows and reduce carbon footprint; to expand the infrastructure for alternative fuels, particularly encouraging the use of hydrogen and electricity; and to create an integrated "Green Port Digital Twin," enabling the modeling of different operational scenarios and predicting the most efficient and environmentally friendly solutions.

This initiative is important because it would help strengthen the Port of Klaipėda's green port strategy by reducing its ecological footprint. At the same time, it could attract international investments related to sustainable shipping and green technologies. The Port of Klaipėda has already demonstrated leadership in the Baltic Sea region, and by implementing such an initiative, it could set an example for other ports in the region, striving toward net-zero emission goals.

CREATIVE INDUSTRIES FACULTY
Head of the CIF Citizen Science Center, Associate Professor Dr. Monika Mačiulienė

What are the main environmental challenges in your field, and how does your field and the innovations (or research, projects, and activities) you're working on today contribute to creating a more sustainable future?

One of the biggest environmental challenges today is not only physical pollution or the use of fossil fuels but also information pollution – the spread of false or manipulative information about climate change. Disinformation that undermines scientific evidence, misleads the public, and obstructs decision-making is a major barrier to building a sustainable future.

The research conducted by our team at the Faculty of Creative Industries helps address this problem in several ways. First, we analyze how false information about climate change spreads through social media and other forms of media and how it influences public attitudes. Second, we are developing tools to detect, expose, and effectively refute misleading information. This includes fact-checking methods, algorithms that can identify disinformation narratives, and educational initiatives designed to increase public resilience.

If you and your team could initiate one sustainability initiative to help address the challenges of climate change, what would it be?

If we could initiate one sustainability initiative, it would be a citizen science-based climate disinformation monitoring system. Instead of leaving algorithms alone to combat fake information, we would involve the public – so people are not just consumers of disinformation but active neutralizers of it. Imagine a platform where anyone can report observed climate disinformation – on social media, in political campaigns, or in traditional media. This data would be analyzed in real time, and experts, working together with artificial intelligence, would help identify the main spreaders, most commonly used narratives, and their dissemination methods. Citizen science here would not only involve data collection but also real societal mobilization, helping reduce the impact of climate disinformation.

FACULTY OF CIVIL ENGINEERING
Senior Researcher, Associate Professor Dr. Robertas Zavalis, Department of Reinforced Concrete Structures and Geotechnics, Civil Engineering Center

What are the main environmental challenges in your field, and how does your field and the innovations (or research, projects, and activities) you're working on today contribute to creating a more sustainable future?

In civil engineering, particularly in the field of structural design, one of the main challenges is reducing CO2 emissions. Currently, structural designers aim to create rational designs, but these are often driven by economic considerations. As a result, a design that may be economically rational might not necessarily be the most sustainable. Designers use materials and construction technologies that are available on the market today, so researchers in civil engineering are exploring new materials, combinations of materials, innovative structural solutions, and technologies to ensure that future buildings have as minimal an environmental impact as possible.

Researchers at VILNIUS TECH are no exception. I believe our scientists have been working in this direction for many years, although it hasn’t always been explicitly highlighted. In laboratories, new materials are being developed using industrial waste, which, for example, allows us to reduce the amount of cement in concrete without compromising its basic properties. Innovative reinforcement technologies for structures are being developed, which significantly extend the lifespan of buildings, bridges, and other constructions. This means there is no need to demolish and rebuild, contributing not only to economic benefits but also to overall CO2 emission reductions. We are also focusing on building renovation and modernization. Research is being conducted with innovative prefabricated façade elements, combining traditional masonry materials with pre-crushing technology. This allows us to significantly thin the outer brick layer, enabling us to cover a larger area of the building façade with the same amount of material. Additionally, by shifting production off the construction site, we can more precisely control the manufacturing processes, leading to less waste and consequently lower CO2 emissions.

FACULTY OF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
Head of the Department of Business Technologies and Entrepreneurship, Prof. Dr. Ieva Meidutė-Kavaliauskienė

The logistics sector faces many environmental challenges. For example, in the transport sector, the main issue continues to be various pollutants entering the environment, including particulate matter and carbon dioxide emissions. Another key challenge is the handling of waste and packaging throughout the supply chain, as excessive plastic use in packaging, insufficient recycling, and underuse of secondary raw materials pose environmental risks and contribute to pollution. In warehousing, energy consumption is very high. As for manufacturing processes, the sector faces challenges related to resource use and environmental contamination (air, water, and soil).

The logistics sector bears significant responsibility for building a more sustainable future because it is and will continue to grow, given that we live in a global market where the movement of people and goods happens constantly. Therefore, the logistics sector is already contributing to a more sustainable future by implementing innovations, modernizing both internal and external business processes, and investing in research that helps reduce the environmental impact. For example, the use of alternative fuels and eco-friendly transport vehicles, smart logistics systems and digitalization, artificial intelligence (AI), and big data analytics help optimize and efficiently manage supply chains, providing real-time data that enables more sustainable decision-making. Smart warehouse management systems help reduce energy consumption and optimize warehouse space usage. Significant attention is also being paid to reducing packaging waste and developing alternatives, such as biodegradable and recyclable packaging, which can replace traditional plastics.

If you and your team could initiate one sustainability initiative to help address the challenges of climate change, what would it be?

There are many initiatives that could be proposed, but whether they will be implemented is another question. In my opinion, we should start with small steps – responsible consumption.

You can learn more about the innovations and research from other faculties in the second part of this article, which will be published on the occasion of International Mother Earth Day, April 22.