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)

Challenges in the preservation of Riga’s architectural cultural heritage / Iššūkiai, su kuriais susiduria Rygos architektūrinio kultūros paveldo apsauga

Historical buildings are the most visible part of cultural heritage. They make up Latvia’s historical landscape that has been centuries in the making. In the vast majority of cases these buildings are included in the historical cultural heritage of Latvia. However, the practical mechanisms of their preservation (ownership preservation, maintenance, renewal opportunities) and, consequently, their economic potential, still have not yet been fully evaluated. Does cultural value interact with market value? What factors affect urban planning in the Historic Centre of Riga and its PZ – a UNESCO World Heritage site? Answers to these questions, as well as the main challenges in the preservation of values of Riga’s architectural heritage will be discussed in the paper. Santrauka  Istoriniai pastatai – matomiausia kultūrinio paveldo dalis. Jie išryškina šimtmečiais kurtą Latvijos istorinį kraštovaizdį. Dauguma tokių pastatų įrašyta į Latvijos istorinio kultūros paveldo sąrašus. Vis tik praktiniai jų apsaugos mechanizmai (nuosavybės apsauga, priežiūra, atnaujinimo galimybės), o kartu ir ekonominis potencialas dar nėra visapusiškai įvertinta. Ar yra kultūrinės vertės ir rinkos vertės tarpusavio sąveika? Kokie veiksniai turi įtakos Rygos istorinio centro urbanistiniam planavimui – ar tai, pavyzdžiui, buvimas UNESCO pasaulio paveldo sąraše? Bandoma atsakyti į šiuos klausimus, aptariami Rygos architektūrinio paveldo vertybių apsaugos srityje kylantys iššūkiai. Raktiniai žodžiai: sukurta kultūrinė aplinka, istoriniai pastatai, kultūrinė vertė, rinkos vertė, istorinis Rygos centras, UNESCO paveldas