Mežaparks residents take city to court over tree felling for bike infrastructure
Residents of Riga's Mežaparks neighborhood have filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn a municipal decision allowing 87 trees to be cut down for new cycling infrastructure. The claim targets Riga City Council's Urban Development Department.
Residents of the Mežaparks neighborhood in Riga have launched legal action against the city's Urban Development Department over a decision permitting the removal of trees to make way for planned cycling infrastructure.
The lawsuit seeks to fully annul the administrative act issued by the department, which authorized the felling of 87 trees. Local residents argue the decision should be reversed entirely.
The dispute highlights tension between the expansion of urban cycling infrastructure and residents' desire to preserve green space in Mežaparks, one of Riga's largest and most popular forest parks.
The outcome of the court proceedings will determine whether the planned expansion of the cycling network in the area can proceed as approved by the municipality, or whether the project will be halted while the court reviews the residents' claim.
