Nordic cities are widely regarded as examples of sustainable and climate-resilient urban planning that puts people at the centre. When developing new districts, they are deliberately planned as convenient and accessible places for all groups of residents, businesses and tourists, with people’s well-being and care for nature taking precedence over the visual ambitions of those implementing the projects. To bring Nordic knowledge and experience in urban planning to Latvia, this autumn the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Office in Latvia launched a new urban development project – the Future Districts Challenge.
The project’s first stop is Liepāja. In cooperation with the Liepāja City Municipality and local businesses, around 60 students of architecture, urban planning and landscape architecture from four Latvian universities – the University of Latvia, Riga Technical University, RISEBA and Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies – are taking part in the “Liepāja Future Districts Challenge”. Their task is to develop future development concepts for four important areas in Liepāja.
The project includes a number of activities. The first was a study visit to Liepāja on September 18, during which the students explored all four project areas on site: Northside Business Park industrial park, the Kursas Quarter area, the surroundings of Liepāja Railway Station and the Pērkone Canal area.
At Northside Business Park, Development Manager Inese Kurviņa, introduced the students to the area and its development, while the visit to the Kursas Quarter area was organised in cooperation with SIA “Kursas kvartāls”. Liepāja City Architect Uģis Kaugurs also joined the visit and shared the city’s vision for future development with the students. In the coming weeks, students will take online classes with Nordic experts, who will share their knowledge and expertise for developing high-quality proposals for the future development of Liepāja’s districts.
The challenge will conclude on November 3 at the Chamber Hall of the Great Amber Concert Hall, where the students will present their ideas to a jury, site owners, decision-makers, city representatives and other industry professionals. The closing date coincides with the culmination of the annual Nordic Days. The aim is to establish this urban planning challenge as a tradition continuing in another Latvian city next year.
Read more about the project here.
