Public consultation on local plan of the area adjacent to Mezaparks begins

The local plan was ordered by “Jaunais Mežaparks” LLC. The company is the owner of the largest land parcel included in the territory of the local plan – it measures 31.6 ha. A land parcel of 0.5 ha is owned by the City of Riga Local Self-Government. The local plan has been produced based on the development concept of design bureau “Arhis” which envisaged development of few-story residential buildings on the former territory of military warehouse, also some mixed-type development, a large public outdoor space and green environment.The local plan provides changing the permitted use prescribed in Riga Land Use Plan, i.e., replacing the downtown development by three other types of use – private houses development area, residential development area, and mixed-use development area with a residential function. It is intended also to decrease remarkably the permitted development density and intensity while, concurrently, several essential urban environment improvements would be made. It is also planned to amend the number of floors specified in Riga Land Use Plan and the detail plan in force – instead of the permitted 4–25 floors just three would be admitted as the maximum.“The planned development area lies between Mezaparks and Ciekurkalns, yet Mezaparks is its most direct link, therefore the envisaged character and structure thereof should constitute an extension or part of the Mezaparks Neighbourhood. For this intention to be implemented, it is planned to use the scale and composition techniques similar to Mezaparks, and the same principles of street development. The local plan provides creation of interesting public outdoor spaces which would be actively used, and areas of greenery. There will be an attractive natural element – the visual and sound barrier along Gustava Zemgala Avenue – an artificial mound six or more meters high, with tree plantations,” explains an architect and the Planning Projects Manager at “METRUM” LLC Mara Kalvane.The local plan of the area among Gustava Zemgala Avenue, Kisezera Street, Kokneses Prospect, and the historical development of Mezaparks is the first local plan produced by “METRUM”, and one of the first local plans in Latvia. Development of a local plan is permitted by the Law on Spatial Development Planning in effect as of the end of 2011.“The opportunity of developing a local plan is a significant improvement of the spatial development planning procedure. This gives a chance for local self-governments to change the fixed territories without any amendments of the entire land use plan of the respective self-government. Moreover, the local plan is an additional tool for attraction of investments, especially in the major cities. The previous procedure of making amendments of the land use plan often caused investors give up their intentions in development of some area,” emphasizes Martins Truksans, the Head of Spatial Planning Branch at “METRUM”.“METRUM” started working on the local plan of the area adjacent to Mezaparks in the end of 2012. Professionals of other companies such as “Aqua–Brambis”, “BRD projects”, “Daina EL”, “Euro Water”, “Keystone”, “Labie koki”, “Rumba”, were also involved in production of the local plan.The local plan is available on the web-site of “METRUM” www.METRUM.lv, as well as on the web-page of Riga Council City Development Department www.rdpad.lv under the section Sabiedrības līdzdalība (Public participation).