Municipal Housing: Development Possibilities of Uninhabited Buildings

Abstract

Since the mid-twentieth century Riga has been experiencing the phenomenon of migration to suburban communities, thereby allowing the city to grow physically, but at the same time leaving the city centre deserted. The aim of this research is to find out the possible causes of the empty building formation process and to discover ways that reduce the number of these buildings.

The research paper explores the urban development strategy with the associated planning tools created by the Municipality of Riga and examples of revitalization program development strategies of two other European cities that offer insight into how to lead rehabilitation projects successfully. The following methods are applied in the context of the research subject: historical sources, economic analysis and analysis of the real-life situation aimed at examining the reasons why a building is not exploited. In order to assess the potential of uninhabited buildings in the creation of a local government housing fund, Maskavas Forstate has been chosen as the study subject.

According to the study, it is concluded that, although the Municipality of Riga has conducted several studies and has highlighted recommendations on favourable development of the city by prioritizing neighbourhoods in need and by indicating the structure of the housing stock and its distribution, the city itself at the moment is unable to present a common action plan and an example that would lead to sustainable urban development; the future result is based on unknown strategies.