European landscape architects choose Aizkraukle over Kuldīga and Rundāle
Participants of an international landscape architecture conference in Riga chose to visit Aizkraukle instead of Kuldīga or Rundāle Palace, drawn by its visible Soviet-era urban heritage and planning challenges. Twice as many people signed up for the trip as originally planned.
An international Landscape Architects' Congress took place in Riga from September 2 to 4, gathering around 200 professionals from across Europe. This year's theme focused on the changes affecting European landscapes, including climate challenges, declining biodiversity, and social, economic and cultural shifts, with discussions centered on how landscape architecture can support resilient, inclusive and regenerative environments.
As part of the conference, participants were offered a choice of thematic excursions on one of the days — to Kuldīga, Rundāle Palace, or Aizkraukle, a town noted for its strong Soviet-era imprint on urban design and architecture. According to Ansis Bogustovs, a journalist who led the group, twice as many people signed up for the Aizkraukle route as initially expected, with Estonian and Lithuanian participants being the first to register, since many towns in their countries face similar issues.
Visits to Salaspils and Aizkraukle
Before reaching Aizkraukle, the group visited Salaspils to learn how the town sought to establish a center after redevelopment. In Aizkraukle, the architects met with representatives of the municipality's Development Department and the History and Art Museum, who presented the town's history and the construction of its power plant, along with its impact on the surrounding environment. At the "Kalna Ziedi" museum, guests learned in more detail about the town's formation.
Strong interest was also shown in outdoor space projects currently underway in Pļaviņas and Koknese, as well as participatory budget projects implemented across the municipality. Latvia was described as one of the few countries running such a broad community-involvement support system.
Discussions also touched on future territorial planning, including climate-related risks such as forest fires, since forests cover about 60% of the municipality's territory. Local specialists noted, however, that greater emphasis is currently placed on identifying flood risk zones, as flooding is considered a more immediate threat in the area.
After the Aizkraukle visit, the delegation traveled to the Garden of Destiny in Koknese, designed based on a sketch by renowned Japanese landscape architect Shunmyo Masuno.
