Development and management of green area systems is important to both the environment and a person. It bears social, economic, and ecological significance. This system must comply with principles of sustainable spatial development. Therefore, well-developed systems of green areas must become the basic aim of all cities. Marijampolė, the seventh biggest city of Lithuania was selected as the research object. In the article the system of Marijampolė city green areas is analysed. Two surveys, which included questionnaires, were conducted, i.e. city inhabitants and territory-planning and management specialists were interviewed. It was identified that the system of Marijampolė green areas is not balanced and there are enough green areas only in part. However, the current parks, squares and other green spaces do not ensure full-fledged citizens’ life. Marijampolė lacks equipped, applied to various activities local green areas for different age groups of the community, the development and maintenance of which must primarily be the inhabitants’ concern.

The aim of the research is to assess the system peculiarities in terms of green areas and plantations in Kaunas. Together with the analysis of Kaunas recreational system, the problems of the system of green areas functioning in the city emerged, because urbanization in the city has split up the system of green plantations into small areas and violated their functions. The available General Plans of the city have already attempted to improve the current situation. However, the real endeavours or actions taken, which could shape or structure the unified system of the territorial greenery are very insignificant. The location of territorial green plantations in Kaunas is not equivalent, the majority of them coincide with the green plantations of the local residential areas, but in the newly developed neighbourhoods could be vividly witnessed the shortage of green areas. To optimize the system of green plantations of the city it is suggested, when designing new residential areas to be developed, to plan areas for greenery, introduce green connections into the system of green plantations, to create migration corridors and structure the integral system of green areas.