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On Thursday, 15 May, the second forum dedicated to topics and fields related to evening and night time “On the Way to the Balance” took place at Splendid palace bringing together a broad circle of private, public and non-governmental sector.
Representatives from Berlin, Vilnius and Tallinn shared experience stories about evening and night time management planning, search for night-life and quiet of the night balance, as well as support programmes for entrepreneurs.
Nadja Clarus, representative of the Berlin Ministry for Economic Affairs, Energy and Entrepreneurship, admitted during the forum that night-life is recognised in Berlin a significant part of economics - it provides jobs and supports entrepreneurship. After the negative consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, the city introduced a co-funding programme helping the nightclubs to improve acoustic insulation and thus reduce disturbance to the residents. This initiative helps building balance between tenacious night-life and quality quiet of the night.
The experience of Vilnius stresses the office staff mediator training as the most significant contribution to the development of the night economics, where the employees have acquired conflict resolution skills to serve as mediators between the entrepreneurs, residents and local government acting according to clear and structured action scheme for the resolution of differences. Whereas, in Tallinn, one of the most significant aspects in the development of the evening and night-time economics is introduction of night bus routes in Friday and Saturday nights.
After the presentations, it has been concluded that searches for night-life and quiet of the night balance go on in all three cities, and Berlin has not managed fully resolve the issue of entertainment noise over a period exceeding 20 years.
Representatives of various sectors from Riga also shared their experience on matters related to topics of evening and night time. Conversations raised the safety aspect of residents during the dark hours of the day, youth activities, field of culture, night work, noises and the caused light pollution. It was concluded that there was lack of data and searches in many sectors of the evening and night time – for example, about the real number of performers of night work and the situation in Latvia and Riga, or the habits of night merry-makers.
Representatives from the Riga municipal forum informed participants on the evening and night time planning and management – results of the performed feasibility study and further directions of development. Information on the participation of municipality in the international project “2nite” was also provided explaining the public involvement in contribution to the feeling of safety in their neighbourhood. Whereas, Riga Municipal Police informed participants of the forum on safety in Riga in the night time.
"Riga is ready to learn not only from the good, but also from the bad experience of other cities and prevent the factors preventing other cities from finding a balance between so different parties involved in the evening and in the night. This forum and the presentations conducted therein serve as a confirmation that there are many sectors, and the municipality takes the right direction by addressing them to plan evenings and nights in Riga in a balanced, inclusive and comprehensive way. Riga needs at least temporary centralised planning and management in this field to make us able to contribute to various, even opposite fields – to highlight the good examples of night life, start focusing more on resolution of quiet of the night issues, set the outdoor space to improve safety circumstances and address also the issues of work, “invisible” members of society", indicates Mārtiņš Eņģelis, Chief Project Managers of the Riga Municipality City Development Department Strategic Management Board Sectoral Policy Planning Unit.
In the final stage of the forum, participants had an opportunity to join the “Explanatory Walks” in the Riga urban environment, in the Central and Purvciems neighbourhoods, and feel on their own skin the night experience of racial minorities and women.
Riga Municipality has already informed that, as of 17 May, residents and visitors of the capital will have available the first three night bus routes during the weekends and holidays running from the centre of Riga towards direction of Mežciems, Imanta and Dārzciems. More details on the routes and the running times are available here.
Information was prepared by Sabīne Solovjeva, Project Coordinator for External Communications Department of Riga City Council Communication Administration, e-mail: sabine.solovjeva@riga.lv.
