Urban Densification of Large Housing Estates in the Context of Privatisation of Public Open Space: the Case of Imanta, Riga

Abstract

Urban regeneration with a view to efficient use of urban areas has been a strategy for urban development for decades. Densification is used as a planning approach to promote the implementation of the compact city model and to discourage urban sprawl. The central parts of the city are usually of high density, so the areas outside the city’s historic centre are seen as potential sites for urban densification. In many European cities large-scale residential areas built after the Second World War occupy a significant part of the territory outside of the city’s historic centres. Today, these housing areas are in most cases sleeping areas with great potential for development. Densification of urban areas outside of urban nuclei is not an easy task, and deals with a whole series of challenges. The paper examines the existing approaches focused on densification in large housing estates. In order to define the typical challenges of this process, the examples of infill developments in large housing area Imanta in Riga are analysed. The analysis of infill development in Imanta showed four possible approaches. Some approaches contribute to the improvement of public space for neighbourhood inhabitants in general, still some approaches tend to isolate the new development and inhabitants from the surrounding territory.

A Spatiotemporal Analysis of Urban Densification in an Organically Growing Urban Area

“…Urban densification has generated a lot of discussions among scholars (Amer et al, 2017;Chandrabose et al, 2019;Chhipi-Shrestha et al, 2017;Curie et al, 2010;de Oliveira e Sousa & Celani, 2018;Haaland & van den Bosch, 2015;Schmidt-Thomé et al, 2013;Treija et al, 2018;Wang et al, 2019). For example, urban densification is conceived as an urban regeneration method (Broitman & Koomen, 2015;.…”

“…For example, urban densification is conceived as an urban regeneration method (Broitman & Koomen, 2015;. Treija, Bratuškins, and Koroļova (2018) considered it as an infill development approach in a large housing area. Vuckovic et al (2019) see it as heat island mitigation for the improvement of outdoor thermal conditions where it was argued that vertical extensions of existing buildings provided solar shielding.…”

“…It also leads to the loss of public and private urban open and green spaces (Haaland & van den Bosch, 2015;Kyttä et al, 2013). Urban densification policy also leads to the privatisation of public open spaces (Treija et al, 2018). Ghadami & Newman (2019) suggests that urban densification policies change the urban spatial structure.…”

The Role of the Visual Aesthetic Quality of Public Space in Appropriation Processes of Large-Scale Residential Areas = Lielmēroga dzīvojamo rajonu publiskās ārtelpas vizuāli estētiskās kvalitātes nozīme tās izmantošanas procesos

“…Latvijas arhitekti pievērsušies arī jautājumiem, kas saistīti ar telpiskās organizācijas izmaiņu pieejām un to sekām. (Treija, Bratuškins, Koroļova, 2018) Gan padomju laikā, gan mūsdienās tapušajos pētījumos nereti mijas socioloģisko, telpiskās organizācijas, funkcionālā zonējuma un ainavas kvalitātes aspektu izpēte. (Lūse, 1971;Бронер, 1980;Ušča, 2010;; Hess, Tammaru, (eds.)…”

“…(Mierkalne, 2012) Reforma pavēra iespēju būvniecībai rajonos, mainot sākotnējā plānā paredzēto telpiskās organizācijas un funkcionālā zonējuma ieceri. (Treija, Bratuškins, Koroļova, 2018) 2006. gadā Rīgas pilsēta aizliedza būvniecību lielmēroga dzīvojamo rajonu pagalmos, bet 2009. gadā aizliegums tika atcelts. (Treija, Bratuškins, Suvorovs, 2010) Būvniecība lielmēroga dzīvojamajos rajonos bieži tiek izskaidrota ar publiskās ārtelpas estētikās kvalitātes uzlabošanas un sakārtošanas iespējām.…”