City in Transition: How to Plan Riga in 21st Century

It is clear that the social-economic and political reality of the 21st century has undermined most of all the expectations from the current (2006-2018) planning vision of the city of Riga, the capital city of Latvia and the largest historical and economic canter of the Baltic States. It is time to restart the necessary instruments (evaluating the current state, defining goals and needs of interested parties, developing planning tools and supplementary documents – like visions, normative acts, data bases, etc.) in order to be “well-prepared” in planning, as well as in preserving the most important values of Riga (such as the number of residents, infrastructure, cultural sites and buildings) for the next 12 years (2018-2030).[9] [10] The modern thinking for spatial planning strategies is based on principles of urban intelligence and on the development of the new concept of smart cities, in which the integration between contemporary reality and the historical city becomes an important factor and were urban “smartness” has been also reached through historic (cultural) elements within “the virtual world” of ICTs.[19] This paper will discuss the most important aspects (problems and possible solutions) in the planning of the most internationally well-known part of Riga - Riga's Historical Center and its protective zone (HCR and its PZ), which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site [11], noted for its architectural qualities – outstanding urban space, Art Nouveau and 19th century wooden architecture. [15] [20] The paper will also note what kind of modern instruments would be necessary (still not efficiently used) for the planning process of the most internationally well-known part of Riga (Riga's Historical Centre and its protective zone) smart (more and more uses of ICT tools for creation, updating and publication of spatial planning related information)

L’enseignement de l’architecture à l’École polytechnique de Riga jusqu’en 1914

Fondée en 1862, l’École polytechnique de Riga (RP) a été le premier établissement d’enseignement technique supérieur des pays baltes à former des spécialistes dans les disciplines concernées. S’inspirant du modèle d’institutions occidentales (en particulier allemandes et suisses), l’École polytechnique était en mesure de dispenser un enseignement dans des secteurs économiques clés. Riga était en effet en train de devenir un centre ferroviaire important. Confrontée à une croissance rapide de l..

Arhitektūras izglītība Rīgas Politehnikumā līdz 1914. gadam

1862. gadā izveidotais Rīgas Politehnikums (RP) bija pirmā augstākās izglītības iestāde Baltijas reģionā, kurā apmācīja speciālistus tehniskajās disciplīnās. Balstoties uz Rietumeiropas valstu, īpaši Vācijas un Šveices pieredzi, RP spēja nodrošināt izglītību galvenajās tautsaimniecības nozarēs – inženierzinībās, mašīnbūvē, ķīmijā, lauksaimniecībā un tirgzinībās. Rīgai kļūstot par nozīmīgu dzelzceļa mezglu, strauji augošās rūpniecības apstākļos radās pieprasījums pēc izglītotiem speciālistiem ..

Non-formal education in architecture: Latvian experience

A wide selection of informal and non-formal learning options has been developed during the last couple of decades by many schools of Architecture and non-educational bodies to accumulate creative potential of students and give them the opportunity to express themselves in alternative learning environments. These options include summer schools, short-term brainstorming actions, competitions, and other activities focusing on interdisciplinary approach, teamwork and intense discussions with professionals from various fields not directly involved in the formal education process.Considering high popularity of non-formal learning activities and many students involved, it is important to evaluate the respective experience to estimate whether and how abilities and skills acquired through non-formal learning could benefit to those requested by the formal education programmes.The paper discusses the role and methods of non-formal education in Architecture with an aim to identify particular goals achieved using each form of learning. The case study presented in the paper is based on more than 12 years’ experience accumulated by Riga Technical University, Faculty of Architecture, in organizing non-formal educational courses for the students of Architecture and the related fields considering the experience students gained participating in the activities organized by themselves or other parties

Green open space in large scale housing estates: a place for challenge

The renewal of urban areas by developing green open spaces increases the overall quality of life and helps to reduce social exclusion. Urban green open space can help to constitute a framework where urban society and culture can develop, and to increase identity and a sense of community. It can be used to provide a ground for education and raise an awareness of the way ecosystems function and how urban functions can be integrated into the natural system. Despite the known socio-economic benefits resulting from it, considerations regarding sustainable land use planning often occupy a secondary role when designing city quarters. There exist many pressures – essentially market-related and driven by short-term thinking – for unsustainable development. Housing ownership reform, carrying out denationalization and privatization, along with a core capital for many inhabitants has also created a range of problems – one of them: as a result of denationalisation of land properties, when the land in large-scale residential districts was returned to the previous owners and then provided as the minimum required land to the privatised buildings, the original spatial composition of districts was completely destroyed, creating a legal basis for new construction in large-scale residential districts