Spatial Development of Riga: From Medieval Town to Modern Capital

Spatial Development of Riga
Past, Present and Future
Miguel Oliveira
(Geographer/Town Planner from Lisbon Nova University)
Center for Urban History, 17 September, 2013
Contact: migueloliveira87@gmail.com
Special Credits to Andis Kublacovs (University of Latvia)

Summary
Introduction
 Location and Population
Past
 Spatial Development of Riga throughout it s history
Present and Future

 Riga Current Spatial Development
 Historic Centre of Riga – Art Nouveau and Wooden Heritage
 Riga Spatial Plan 2006-2018
 Riga Planning Issues Today
Location of Riga
Location in Europe Location in Latvia

Riga Location
Daugava river (1005 km)
Flows through Russia, Belarus and
Latvia, and has been a major
penetration route into the large land
mass of extreme Easter Europe since
ancient times” (Grava, 1993)
Different Rulers:
German (12-15th century)

Polish (16th century)
Swedish (17th century)
Russian Empire (1721-1917)
German (1917-1918)
Independent (First Period 1921-1940)
Soviet Union (1940-1941)
Nazi Germany (1941-1944)
Soviet Union (1944-1991)
Independent again since 1991
Riga Aerial View nowadays

Population of Riga
 Population of 697 374 –

(about 30% of the national
population)
 1.15 million people in Riga

agglomeration
 Total area of the city is about

304,2 km2
 The third largest city in the

Baltic Sea region
Source: Riga City Council (2013)

(13th century – 16th century)
Founded in 1201, the city was
initially established between the
Riga canal and the River Daugava
Riga assumed considereable

proeminence during the Middle
Ages as Hanseatic Town
The old town got it s present

shape during the 14th to 16th
centuries and it covers 35 hectares
By this time the town

surrounded by a wall with towers
extended across almost all of the
area between the two rivers
Source: Kublacovs (2012)

(13th century – 16th century)
The old town had a medieval urban fabric – narrow and winding streets, low
and closely-attached buildings market and gathering places. Churches were the
main features
St. Peter s Church (built in 1209) Dom Cathedral (1211)

(17th century)
Swedish Times
The first professional urban

planning in Riga started
in the year 1641, by Swedish
war engineer J. Rodenburg
together with the colonel
Werenscheld
Plan included a fortification

plan with 12 new bastions, a
moat and regular street
network (this project was
implemented partly just in
the current area of Moscow
neighborhood)
Source: Kublacovs (2012)
(19th century)
Russian Empire
In accordance with Russian military

regulations, only wooden buildings were
permitted in the suburbs.
 In the possibility of war, the suburbs

could be detroyed, something that did
actually take place in 1812.
When they were rebuilt, the suburbs

generally retained their previous plan
In the mid-nineteenth century, Riga

was a fortress surrounded by suburbs of
wooden houses
Source: Kublacovs
Riga in 1840 (2012)
(19th century)
Russian Empire
In 1856, the Russian Tsar gave

permission to demolish the ramparts,
and it was prepared a plan for
transforming the area of the former
fortress into a new area called
“Esplanade”
One of the most important features of

the urban plan was the canal
The plan also included boulevards that

were created around Old Riga, which
were lined with blocks of apartment
buildings alternated with parks and
public buildings (Krastins, 2006)
Master plan (1856) by city architect Johann
Daniel Felsko and architect Otto Dietze for the
area of the former fortress of Riga Source: Krastins
(2006)
(19th and 20th century)
Russian Empire
First railway line opened in Riga in 1860 marked the beginnings of

industrialization period and the development of suburbs and factories
 At the beginning of the twentieth century, Riga experienced the most rapid
economic growth in the history of the city and the Port of Riga at that time had the
highest turnover in the Russian Empire
Prosperity in industry, trade and culture generated an unprecedented expansion of

building activity, namely multi-storey buildings in the former suburbs
Most of the masonry buildings here were constructed on the site of earlier wooden
buildings, nevertheless, many nineteenth century wooden buildings have been
preserved
Riga First Railway Bridge (1872)

(19th century)
Russian Empire
Source: Kublacovs
(2012)
Industrialization and development of suburbs in Riga (1879)

(19th century)
Source: Kublacovs
(2012)
Bird s eye view of Riga (1895)

(20th century)
Russian Empire
In the beginning of the XX century was created the first garden city in Europe, called
Mežaparka г“Forest Park”) with an area of 11,821 km²
During the WWII a concentration camp г“Kaiserwald”) was located in this park
Today it s residents are among the wealthiest of the city and it s a popular destination for
sport and leisure activities
Spatial Development of Riga – XX Century
Second World War
Almost one third of the most valuable buildings of Old Riga were destroyed
Source: Kublacovs
(2012)
Heritage of the Period of Soviet

occupation (1944 – 1991)
New urban master plans

(GenPlan)
That included spatial changes

namely:
Construction of large scale

housing project “mikrorayons”
(Imanta Case Study)
Industrial and Railroads Belts (VEF

Factory Case study) and Green Belts
Construction of regime symbols

and impressive landmarks in the
skyline
Source: Grava (1993)

Riga GenPlan 1985
Heritage of the Period of Soviet
General Plan (GenPlan)
New urban master plans (GenPlan)

were approved in 1955, 1969 and in
1983
The Genplan was almost entirely

physical in nature it was secret and
there was no public review of the
Genplan
In the case of a capital of a Soviet

republic, regulatory bodies in Moscow
were directly involved in the approval
(Grava, 1993)

Period of Soviet
Mikrorayons
(neighborhood unit)
They were created outside

the city’s railway ring in
accordance with the GenPlans
The five mikrorayons of

Imanta new community at the
western periphery of Riga.
The schools (H-shaped
buildings) tend to be located
in the interiors of mikrorayons;
the service centres are found
along the edges (Grava, 1993)
Imanta Mikrorayon Source: Grava (1993)

Imanta Mikrorayon - Population of 49 698 (2010)
Industrial Belt - Case Study of VEF Factory (State Electrotechnical Factory)
Founded in 1919, it specialized in

manufacturing electrical and electronic
products
Before WWII it manufactured large

different products mostly related to
communication
After the WWII war it was the

leading communication technology
producer in the Soviet Union
In its peak in 1991, VEF employed

20,000 people
Street View Soviet first transistor

radio produced in VEF
“Spidola” г1960)
Period of Soviet occupation (1944 – 1991)
Town Hall Square
One basic concept of Soviet city

planning was to have a central square
that could be used for mass gatherings,
rallies and parades
In Riga, the Soviets made the Town Hall

square into their central square
This square was never successfull or

popular among locals (Wilson, 1993)
Source: Wilson(1993)
Period of Soviet occupation (1944 – 1991)
Skyline Landmarks
Construction of Riga
Radio and TV Tower
(1986), with a height
368 metres
Construction of the
Latvian Academy of
Science (1956), with a
height of 108 metres
Evolution of Population in Riga during the 19th and 20th Century

Spatial Development of Riga – XX and XXI Century
After Latvia Independence (1991)
After Latvia regaining its independence, Reconstruction of the

and after the second half of the 1990s a “House of Blackheads”
construction boom started in the city
 Efforts have been made to build and

restore historical buildings in the old town
and an attempt to regain cultural symbols Museum of
lost after Second World War Occupattion former
Museum of Riflemen
Building in the suburbs increased, including

Office and Commercial shopping centers
In 1995 and 2006 new master plans were

created by Riga City Council
Office and Shopping Center

Swedbank Central Office
“Valdemara юentres”
Riga Current Spatial Development
The spatial structure of the city of Riga (area of 304.05 km2) is highly mono-
centric with the main city core on the right bank of the Daugava, where the historical
centre of the city is located
The inhabitants not residing in the city centre have often to come to the centre,
because the centres at the proximity of their places of residence do not provide full
service function
Data:
 Residential area covers 26% of the land in Riga, and it is mostly

concentrated in the central part of the city on either side of the railway ring that
is located on both sides on the Daugava
 In 2004, about 44% of the city area is covered by the natural areas
(including waterways), which is more than Stockholm (40%), Helsinki (35%)
Tallinn (20%), Dublin (12%) or Amsterdam (7%)
 Only the land water sites together occupy almost 16% of space of the city
(Riga City Council, 2005)
Comparative Spatial Development of Riga and other cities
Source:Betraud (2003)
Riga Density Profile
Population Density Profile in the Built Up Area
Source: Betraud (2003)

The Historic Centre of Riga UNESCO World Heritage Site
On 6 December 1997 the historic centre of Riga with
an area of 435 hectares and about 4000 buldings (1.43 per
cent of the total area of the city and its protection area
(5.13 per cent of the total area of the city) were inscribed
in UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
Riga has unique urban and architectural features:
High quality medieval urban structure and well preserved
Unparallel wooden architecture from the 19thcentury
Art Nouveau architecture (from the end of the 19th century

and beginning of 20th century)
Riga Present - Old Town
Freedom
Monument
Riga
Canal
Livu
Square
Dome Square
Town Hall Square

Riga wooden heritage - Map
Source:(Dripe, Janis)
The wooden heritage of Riga
Examples
The wooden heritage of Riga
Examples
The wooden heritage of Riga - Examples
The wooden heritage of Riga - Examples
Art Nouveau heritage of Riga - Map
Art Noveau/Jugendstil
centre was created in the
end of 19th century and
beginning of the 20th
century
Art Nouveau architecture of Riga
Height
limitation of
21.3m (5
storey)
Because of
Riga City
regulations
before WW2
Art Nouveau architecture of Riga
Riga Spatial Plan for 2006-2018
Strategic Priorities:
Creative city based on European

values
High quality culture life
Educated and skillful society
Economic growth based on

international cooperation
Life in the city with high quality

neighbourhoods
Long Term Development Vision - “Riga is an opportunity for everyone”

Riga Spatial Plan 2006-2018
Perspective of Spatial Structure of the city
Source: Riga City Council (2005)

Old Town District
The Old Town of Riga, which is included in the list of

the world heritage of UNESCO, is the urban historical core
of the city
It has specific regulations defined by the

Comprehensive Plan of the Historical Centre of
Riga and Its Protection Belt
In this territory there is a big variety of functions. They

should be maintained, with an emphasis on the
representative, cultural, tourism and housing functions
New centre of Riga
Planned as the contrasting, modern accent on the left bank of

the river Daugava on the opposite side to Old Riga.
It is the territory, which is similar to the historical centre as concerns

the variety of functions, though business functions take more
important role.
Facilitate development on the left bank of the river Daugava

and to create some new vertical accents in the generally calm city
skyline,
Decrease the transport load on the existing city centre that

has very limited capacity as the historical street network may not be
changed
Planned that this area will house the new National Library, the
Swedbank
Central office
Acoustic Concert Hall and also the Administrative Complex of (2004)
Riga City Council
New National
Library of Latvia
“юastle of Light”
Architect
Gunart Birkerts
Scheduled to
open in 2013
New development areas around inside of the railway ring in the

territory of former port or industrial territories.
Territories whose current economic use of

which does not correspond to their potential
use, and there is a need for their revitalization.
Urban regeneration of the city centre

and the old industrial belt areas into
mixed-use residential, commercial, services
and recreational environment (Riga City
Council, 2005)
Example of Skanste and Andrejsala
Skanste recent
buildings (top right)
and Arena Riga (right)
Example: Andrejsala Project
Currently being developed and it has become a creative cluster, bringing

together the professionals of audio, visual arts, architecture, information
technology, design and other industries
New cultural centrality in the city including business, residential, tourist and
recreational activities
New development areas or centre building territories outside the

railway ring
To a great extent is the same as to the territories mentioned previously, but they are
located a little bit distant from the city centre in the nodes of the perspective transport
junctions
The basic functions in these areas should be commercial, services and residential
functions
Very flexible construction regulations are provided for these territories –

e.g. higher building intensities, bigger number of storeys etc. According to the plan.
such an approach should attract attention of investors to otherwise
rundown and geotechnically problematic areas
Example: Podrags neighbourhood г„Northern centre”), Lucavsala neighbourhood and

Ciekurkalnsneighbourhood г„Ezermala centre”)
Local Centres
Predominantly residential neighbourhoods

of Riga, where more various services would
be preferable, thus improving the functionality
and attraction of these areas.
Most of these centers allow multifunctionality

and high building intensity but also demand to Agenskalns historical neighbourhood
the new projects to have at least 30% but
no more than 70% of the buildings as
housing stock.
Goal:
Decrease demand for the movement to the other
districts
Central axis of Purvciems neighbourhood (G.Astra street)
Souce: Kublacovs (2012)

Other building territories
For example, industrial territories, some

residential areas, commercial areas, utility areas
etc.)
The industrial territories are being diminished

and the main goal is to transform them into
mixed-use areas, that may contain also some
manufacturing functions.
One of the few new areas planned for the

development of manufacturing industries, is located in
the noise zone of the Riga Airport.
Another goal is the relocation of Port territory,

closer to the estuary of the river Daugava, into a
smaller area.
Riga Airport (top) and Riga Port (bottom)

Nature and greenery area
It is formed of different units such

as parks, squares, forests, specially
protected nature territories,
cemeteries, water objects or
allotments
The biggest of these areas are

located in the periphery of the city
Mezaparks (top), Riga Canal (bottom left) and Uzvaras Park (bottom right)
System of highways and arterial

roads of the city
Problem:
Existence of congestion, namely in the

Daugava River bridges and railway
crossings
Access to Riga port mainly through the

historical center
Fragmented network of streets drag

traffic in the city center;
“Northern Corridor” Project
New 30km long inner city highway
Source: http://www.ziemelukoridors.lv/
“Northern Corridor” Project
Source:
http://www.ziemelukoridors.lv/
Riga Planning Issues
Environment and sustainable mobility Policies
Environment:
The Riga Flooding Plan includes the

development of a digital 3D model for the
whole territory of Riga
Sustainable Mobility
Riga has an elevated cycling potencial

(Riga City Council, 2010)
Modernization of Trams
First Park-and-Ride (P+R) facilities opened

in 2012
Riga Planning Issues - Identity
Riga's 58 neigbourhoods
(apkaimes)
Delimitation based on factors

such as type of construction, the
physical limits of the landscape,
and local sense of identity.
Goals:
Compare statistic data and

improve social infraestrutucure
Reinforce a sense of identity

(Miklasa, 2010), and stimulate
indirectly the public participation
in city planning issues.
Д ку за у а у!
Thank you for your attention!
Obrigado pela vossa atenção!
Any additional questions or suggestions contact me:

migueloliveira87@gmail.com
Bibliography:
Bertraud (2003), Alain. "Note on Riga Spatial Structure."

Dripe, Janis, “A Competitive identity for Riga,” Advisor to the Ministor of Culture
Grava(1993),S “The Urban Heritage of the Soviet Regime. The Case of Riga, Latvia.”
Journal of the American Planning Association, Vol. 59 No. 1 (Winter).
Wilson (1992), Richa, “The Purpose of the Past: Riga Faces it's Future [Transformation and Conservation in Historic.
Environments]”. Journal Issue: Places, 8(1).
Kublacovs (2008), Andis, “Urban Regeneration and Strengthening of Local Neighbourhoods –the Way of Riga”, 44th
ISOCARP Congress “Spatial Planning Challenges and Ideas of Riga”.
Kublacovs (2011), Andis, “Riga Northern Transport Corridor –project that respects liveability and resilience of the city” ,
Head of Project Management and Development Unit, City Development Department, Riga City Council , Open Session
“яelivering better and resilient cities” at ITA-AITES World Tunnelling and Underground Space Congress in Helsinki, May 24
Krastiņš (2006), Jānis, “Architecture and Urban Development of Art Nouveau—Metropolis Riga” International Review of
Sociology: Revue Internationale de Sociologie Volume 16, Issue 2,
Miklasa (2010), Margarita “Planning: Latvia, Riga, Neighbourhood”.:Presentation at Tallin City Development, Student of
spatial development planning. argarita from University of Latvia
Riga City Council (2005), “Spatial Plan for Riga 2006 – 2018” , Rigas dome.
Riga City Council (2010), “юycling development in Riga”, by Askolds Kļaviņš and Igors Zujevs
Riga City Council (2013), “Riga Economic Profile”, Rigas dome.

Spatial Development of Riga: From Medieval Town to Modern Capital

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Spatial Development of Riga: From Medieval Town to Modern Capital

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Spatial Development of Riga

Past, Present and Future

Special Credits to Andis Kublacovs (University of Latvia)

Present and Future

Location in Europe Location in Latvia

German (12-15th century)

Riga Aerial View nowadays

 Population of 697 374 –

 1.15 million people in Riga

 Total area of the city is about

 The third largest city in the

Source: Riga City Council (2013)

Riga assumed considereable

The old town got it s present

By this time the town

Source: Kublacovs (2012)

St. Peter s Church (built in 1209) Dom Cathedral (1211)

The first professional urban

Plan included a fortification

In accordance with Russian military

 In the possibility of war, the suburbs

When they were rebuilt, the suburbs

In the mid-nineteenth century, Riga

In 1856, the Russian Tsar gave

One of the most important features of

The plan also included boulevards that

First railway line opened in Riga in 1860 marked the beginnings of

Prosperity in industry, trade and culture generated an unprecedented expansion of

Riga First Railway Bridge (1872)

Industrialization and development of suburbs in Riga (1879)

Bird s eye view of Riga (1895)

Second World War

Heritage of the Period of Soviet

New urban master plans

That included spatial changes

Construction of large scale

Industrial and Railroads Belts (VEF

Construction of regime symbols

Source: Grava (1993)

General Plan (GenPlan)

New urban master plans (GenPlan)

The Genplan was almost entirely

In the case of a capital of a Soviet

Source: Grava (1993)

They were created outside

The five mikrorayons of

Imanta Mikrorayon Source: Grava (1993)

Founded in 1919, it specialized in

Before WWII it manufactured large

After the WWII war it was the

In its peak in 1991, VEF employed

Street View Soviet first transistor

One basic concept of Soviet city

In Riga, the Soviets made the Town Hall

This square was never successfull or

Source: Grava (1993)

After Latvia Independence (1991)

After Latvia regaining its independence, Reconstruction of the

construction boom started in the city

 Efforts have been made to build and

Building in the suburbs increased, including

In 1995 and 2006 new master plans were

Office and Shopping Center