In order to develop the public space of Old Riga, which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, the Riga City Council plans to carry out the reconstruction of Vaļņu Street, Teātra Square and related streets by the end of 2029, improving, developing and creating a pedestrian-friendly street space in the Old Town. The project involves rebuilding engineering networks, installing amenities and improving pedestrian safety through traffic management.
The reconstruction of Vaļņu Street, Teātra Square and related infrastructure is one of the most significant public space development projects in Old Riga that the municipality plans to implement in the coming years. The aim of the project is to develop the public space of Old Riga, which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, in order to ensure high-quality pedestrian infrastructure, accessibility of environmental and cultural objects for various groups of residents, as well as opportunities for entrepreneurs to develop diverse cultural and tourism services.
Inese Andersone, Chairwoman of the Riga City Council's Urban Development Committee, explains: "This project is an important step towards making Old Riga attractive to tourists, residents and entrepreneurs. It will be a challenging task, as it is important to preserve the cultural and historical landscape of Old Riga by protecting and restoring the protected areas. Vaļņu Street has long been in need of change, and our goal is to transform it into a high-quality, modern pedestrian street that complies with European principles for a high-quality urban environment."
The project aims to promote Old Riga as a UNESCO heritage site and its cultural sites for pedestrians, including connecting the infrastructure of the old town with the city center and public transport. The central project area is Vaļņu Street along its entire length from Smilšu Street to 13. janvāra Street. The reconstruction work will also affect Teātra Square and the 1991 Barricade Square, Meistaru Street, Kaļķu Street from Meistaru Street to Aspazijas Boulevard, Audēju Street (from Kalēju Street to Aspazijas Boulevard), a small section of Amatu Street, and it is also planned to rebuild the connections between Vaļņu Street and Aspazijas Boulevard and 13.janvāra Street.
The project involves the construction of new pedestrian infrastructure on Vaļņu Street and adjacent streets, as well as changes to traffic organization to adapt the infrastructure to the needs of pedestrians. It is also planned to renovate the street surface, combining historical paving with modern solutions to ensure accessibility. At the same time, it is planned to partially rebuild the engineering networks. In order to make the environment more pleasant for residents and tourists, modern amenities, greenery and lighting will be installed, and it is planned to create an interactive stand and uniform design information signs.
The project "Phase 1 of the Development of Public Outdoor Spaces in Old Riga" was submitted in April to the Central Finance and Contracting Agency's limited selection for the European Union's 5.1.1.5. measure "Restoration of unique European cultural heritage to promote their accessibility by developing cultural services" with a planned total funding of more than EUR 8.6 million. Of this, EUR 5 million will be co-financed by European Union funds. In addition, approximately EUR 3.1 million is planned for the reconstruction of the infrastructure of SIA "Rīgas ūdens" (Ltd.).
A positive decision on the implementation of the project was adopted by the Riga City Council City Development Committee on June 27 this year. The proposal will also be evaluated by the Finance and Administration Committee, but the final decision will be made by the Riga City Council.
Additional information:
Tatjana Smirnova, Project Coordinator, External Communications Division, Riga City Council,
Tel.: +371 26846472,
E-mail: tsmirnova11@riga.lv
(Translated with the help of DeepL Translate)
