On 29 October, the Spīķeri Concert Hall will host the “RIGA 2050” conference, which will mark the start of the development of Riga’s new sustainable development strategy up to 2050 and the Riga Development Program for 2028–2034. These urban planning documents will set out Riga’s long-term development vision, goals, priorities and main areas of action for the coming decades.
To encourage a broader dialogue on the future of Riga and to develop a shared understanding of the kind of city we want to see in 2050, the conference will bring together representatives of national and local government institutions, the business community, academia, the cultural sector and civil society organisations.
Edgars Bergholcs, Chairman of the Riga City Council’s Urban Development Committee, says: “Riga’s strategy for the next 25 years is being developed at a time when cities must be able to adapt to demographic changes, tackle climate challenges, capitalise on opportunities offered by technological developments, compete for investment and talent, and respond to growing geopolitical uncertainty. Therefore, we have initiated an active dialogue with entrepreneurs, international entrepreneurs’ organisations and the diplomatic corps in order to jointly define the prerequisites for Riga’s development and the actions needed to achieve it. Our goal is to strengthen Riga as a sustainable, resilient and liveable metropolis in the Baltic Sea region. I invite anyone who wishes to contribute to the city’s development to take part in the conference.”
In the first part of the conference, experts and local authority representatives will discuss Riga’s long-term development goals and the city’s role in Latvia and the Baltic Sea region. The second session, meanwhile, will focus on the prerequisites for future development, examining issues relating to human capital, the economy and sustainability. The programme also includes a special session dedicated to discussing everyday life in the city of the future, during which representatives from various sectors will share their visions of how the city might change by 2050, and will discuss what makes a good, people-friendly city.
A detailed conference program and registration form are available on the Riga City Council website, riga.lv.
The development of strategies and development programs is based on active public participation, ensuring that the city’s development planning documents reflect residents’ needs, are drawn up through a transparent process, and are based on both data and the experience of the city’s communities.
Further information on the process of developing the strategy and development programme, as well as opportunities for public engagement, is available on the website of the Riga City Council’s City Development Department: www.rdpad.lv.
Further information: Tatjana Smirnova, Project Coordinator at the External Communication Department of Riga Municipality, e-mail: TSmirnova11@riga.lv.