IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/cog/urbpla/v8y2023i1p52-66.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Towards Liveability in Historic Centres: Challenges and Enablers of Transformation in Two Latvian Towns

Author

Listed:
  • Margarita Vološina

    (Faculty of Geography and Earth Sciences, University of Latvia, Latvia)

  • Evija Taurene

    (Faculty of Geography and Earth Sciences, University of Latvia, Latvia)

  • Pēteris Šķiņķis

    (Faculty of Geography and Earth Sciences, University of Latvia, Latvia)

Abstract

This article describes two Latvian towns, Cēsis and Bauska, which have medieval origins and noticeable layers of subsequent historic periods. Both of their town centres have historic heritage protection status and a complex mixture of values, needs, and opportunities for the locals and visitors. The towns have recently had some physical improvements implemented in their public spaces, with key differences in the interplay between local governments and stakeholders. The Cēsis case was a municipality-initiated and public-led intervention to build awareness. The Bauska case was mainly a plea from active inhabitants that was only partially realised by the municipality, with limited support. In both cases, the introduced changes tackled some accumulated challenges, such as insufficient walkability, degraded public space, and car-centric town centres, but they also provoked discussions about the quality of the achievements, which raised questions about collaboration culture and practice between stakeholders. This study evaluates the interventions initiated by the municipality and the initiatives by nongovernmental organisations from the point of view of the tools applied and from the point of view of the civil process. This research contributes to discussions about the challenges of different approaches in spatial planning and provides recommendations about possible integrated planning solutions, as well as about the formation of the civil process.

Suggested Citation

  • Margarita Vološina & Evija Taurene & Pēteris Šķiņķis, 2023. "Towards Liveability in Historic Centres: Challenges and Enablers of Transformation in Two Latvian Towns," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 8(1), pages 52-66.
    • Handle: RePEc:cog:urbpla:v8:y:2023:i:1:p:52-66
    DOI: 10.17645/up.v8i1.6035
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.cogitatiopress.com/urbanplanning/article/view/6035
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.17645/up.v8i1.6035?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. James Evans & Tomáš Vácha & Henk Kok & Kelly Watson, 2021. "How Cities Learn: From Experimentation to Transformation," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 6(1), pages 171-182.
    2. Peter J. Ellery & Jane Ellery, 2019. "Strengthening Community Sense of Place through Placemaking," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 4(2), pages 237-248.
    3. Peter J. Ellery & Jane Ellery, 2019. "Strengthening Community Sense of Place through Placemaking," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 4(2), pages 237-248.
    4. James Evans & Tomáš Vácha & Henk Kok & Kelly Watson, 2021. "How Cities Learn: From Experimentation to Transformation," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 6(1), pages 171-182.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Christian Scholl & Joop de Kraker, 2021. "Urban Planning by Experiment: Practices, Outcomes, and Impacts," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 6(1), pages 156-160.
    2. Michael W. Mehaffy & Tigran Haas & Peter Elmlund, 2019. "Public Space in the New Urban Agenda: Research into Implementation," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 4(2), pages 134-137.
    3. Daneesha Ranasinghe & Nayomi Kankanamge & Chathura De Silva & Nuwani Kangana & Rifat Mahamood & Tan Yigitcanlar, 2025. "CityBuildAR: Enhancing Community Engagement in Placemaking Through Mobile Augmented Reality," Future Internet, MDPI, vol. 17(3), pages 1-36, March.
    4. Margarita Vološina & Evija Taurene & Pēteris Šķiņķis, 2023. "Towards Liveability in Historic Centres: Challenges and Enablers of Transformation in Two Latvian Towns," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 8(1), pages 52-66.
    5. Julia Nerantzia Tzortzi & Ishita Saxena, 2024. "Bridging Matera’s Fragmented Identity: Unifying Disconnected Urban Spaces," Land, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-37, November.
    6. Lennert Verhulst & Corneel Casier & Frank Witlox, 2023. "Street Experiments and COVID‐19: Challenges, Responses and Systemic Change," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 114(1), pages 43-57, February.
    7. Meetiyagoda, Lakshika & Mahanama, P.K.S. & Ley, Astrid & Amarawickrama, Susantha, 2024. "Relationship between sense of place and co-creation process: A systematic literature review," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 136(C).
    8. Ahmed Rezeg & Stéphane Roche & Emmanuel Eveno, 2025. "Toward a Sense of Place Unified Conceptual Framework Based on a Narrative Review: A Way of Feeding Place-Based GIS," Land, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-36, January.
    9. Michael W. Mehaffy & Tigran Haas & Peter Elmlund, 2019. "Public Space in the New Urban Agenda: Research into Implementation," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 4(2), pages 134-137.
    10. Zohar Fingerhut & Nurit Alfasi, 2023. "Operationalizing Community Placemaking: A Critical Relationship-Based Typology," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-16, April.
    11. Amirzadeh, Melika & Sharifi, Ayyoob, 2024. "The evolutionary path of place making: From late twentieth century to post-pandemic cities," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:cog:urbpla:v8:y:2023:i:1:p:52-66. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: António Vieira or IT Department (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.cogitatiopress.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.