What is the role of a Chief Architect of a city and what are the main responsibilities associated with this position?
The role of a city architect or chief architect is to promote architectural quality in the city by advising projects, participating in building approvals, reviews, design competitions, etc. I am also heading planning board meetings that make decisions on many important development and planning issues. Architects are unique problem solvers. We need to use this potential. Therefore, I often suggest ideas to improve our public spaces and built environment, encourage interdepartmental cooperation and understanding about it so that our ideas become actions. Besides, I do try participating in public discourse and international events to promote positive developments in Riga.
What are the key principles and ideas behind Riga’s urban planning policy today? How do you envision the city in 10–20 years?
Riga has a development strategy document that states key focus of our planning development. It is a broad document that covers many aspects of city life. Riga is Latvia’s economic engine, and it should become a city of opportunities for its residents to fulfil their aspirations. There are three pillars of development – economy, society, and urban environment. It is an aspirational document. Meanwhile I am interested to see how we can convert those aspirations into actions, planning decisions, and real projects.
This will take time, and we need a bold vision. We should be able to see population growth again, increase in wealth and to become more international, attracting talent and businesses. We will fix some of our transport bottlenecks allowing the city to function more efficiently. By more efficient connectivity we should be more integrated with our surrounding suburban regions and expand economic and job opportunities. We also have a massive opportunity to convert our drab soviet era housing estates into well-functioning neighbourhoods by renovating those buildings and their surroundings. I am positive about the future, except that I wish it would come a lot sooner.
What roles do sustainability, environmentally friendly solutions, and natural spaces play in Riga’s urban development strategy? Are there any specific projects you are particularly proud of?
Our natural environment and sustainability play a central role in our planning and project decisions. Environmental aspects also start to shape commercially developed projects across the city. People are more knowledgeable and demand more consideration and the environment and energy or resource efficiency thus reducing our impact on the natural world. We see new office projects, such as Verde, one of the best sustainable projects on the market also being one of the most desired locations. It indicates the trend for the foreseeable future.
How is Riga becoming a more comfortable and liveable city? What is being done to make streets, neighbourhoods, and public spaces more people-friendly, rather than car-oriented?
Here our work is louder than words. To make the city more comfortable we need to fix our streets. I would point to some of the projects we are currently engaged in to transform our streets. We are starting to renovate streets in the old town to make them more comfortable, accessible, and attractive. We will also upgrade infrastructure that is underground and make them more resilient. The first phase will be renovating Valnu street and transforming it into a nice pedestrian street with new lighting and amenities. This will serve as a prototype or trial for other streets in the old Riga. We expect this will help revitalise the historic heart of our city. Also, we plan to renovate 13. Janvara street and improve walkability towards the central market. We also have plans to renovate Brivibas street. Many streets will be repaired, bike infrastructure expanded, and sidewalks improved. I believe it was long overdue to fix our streets, but this will take time as the undertaking is massive.
Chart by Elina Mieme
Also, we have started to study possibilities to improve our riverside along the old town. This is not an attractive place, with high transit traffic and poor walkability. This place needs new ideas on how to transform it into a lively public space, similar as in many other European cities.
Sketch by Jānis Ruciņš
How do you balance the preservation of historical heritage with the need for growth and transformation?
This is a contentious issue for the city and for design professionals. Riga have always evolved and changed as a kind of living organism. At the same time, we realise that parts of our built environment shape the identity of our city, its value, and its character. So, we need to be mindful. But I do believe in some aspects we have been overprotective by preventing adopting historic buildings to new uses and making development in the old town challenging. As a result, we saw an outflow of activity to suburbs. But we need to revitalize the city centre, and this will require reevaluating the right balance between transformation and preservation.
What personally inspires you about Riga? Is there a place, building, or district that you especially love?
I was always fascinated by overlapping layers of history that shaped the city, by the mix of build forms and stories behind them. When looking through old city plans you can read the evolution of each place and street. You can see juxtapositions and roles of each place that often persist until now. You can discover a depth of meaning in the city structure.
I grew up in the historic centre of Riga and miss the time when it was more dynamic and populated. Due to the structure of its streets, the city centre is like a crossroad for the city, where our movements overlap. By bringing back vitality and focus to the core of the city, to its heart, we will make the whole city more attractive and alive.
