Riga Pursues Ambitious Plans for Greener City Landscapes

Riga's Greening Plan: A Comprehensive Approach to Urban Greenery

Riga, the capital city of Latvia, is set to embark on an ambitious urban greening initiative, known as the Greening Plan. This plan, which is scheduled to come into force in 2027 and expected to be fully implemented by the end of 2031, aims to adapt to climate change and transform the city's landscape.

The Greening Plan, which is still in development, has received approval from both the Housing and Environment Committee and the Urban Development Committee. Janis Usča, the head of the council's sectoral policy planning department, has outlined the details of the plan.

The plan encompasses a wide range of activities, including tree and shrub planting, additional bed creation, and a focus on promoting the development and maintenance of green spaces. Notably, the plan extends beyond municipal projects, also providing support instruments to encourage the public and property owners to create and develop green infrastructure on their own territory.

The main focus of the Greening Plan is on Riga's historic centre, but the plan is intended to cover the entire city. Green elements such as greened building walls are planned to be introduced in the coming years. The specific details of what the municipality plans to do under the Greening Plan will be known after its completion.

The cost of the Greening Plan is expected to be several million euros. The goal is for the municipality to have the Greening Plan in place by the end of summer 2026, with final approval scheduled for the upcoming Riga City Council meeting.

The European Union's 2030 Biodiversity Strategy mandates cities with over 20,000 inhabitants to develop urban greening plans. Other European cities have already initiated similar plans, but no new information about these cities or the EU's 2030 Biodiversity Strategy is provided in this context.

It's worth noting that Andris Dzenis, the head of the sector planning department of the Riga City Council, focusing on the planning of Riga's greenery, is also involved in the development of the Greening Plan.

The Greening of Riga pilot project on Tērbatas Street is not mentioned in this paragraph, but it is a testament to the city's commitment to urban greenery. The Greening Plan is a significant step towards making Riga a greener, more sustainable city.