Riga Begins Developing New 25-Year City Development Strategy
Riga City Council has launched the process of creating a development strategy for the next 25 years, with key priorities being business growth and population increase.
Edgars Bergholcs, head of Riga City Council's City Development Committee, emphasized that the new strategy should focus on attracting people and investments. Without these, he warned, the capital risks becoming a museum. Bergholcs noted that Riga must clearly define its advantages to convince both local and foreign investors.
Public participation is a key part of the strategy development. The first forum for entrepreneurs, "See Riga. See Opportunities," took place on June 11, where participants discussed competitiveness and the business environment. Experts highlighted the need for a targeted strategy to attract international talent, creating an environment where highly skilled professionals can develop businesses and innovations. They also stressed the importance of continuing to develop the "Knowledge Mile" as a priority area, concentrating universities and research institutions there.
Discussions on industrial development pointed to the need for a clear strategy to support manufacturing, including quality infrastructure, logistics, and faster business start-up processes. Experts noted a lack of properly developed industrial zones within Riga, leading companies to choose municipalities outside the city. They also recommended planning residential areas near industrial zones.
Regarding business centers, experts called on the municipality to think like a developer—creating entire quarters with integrated infrastructure. Riga's advantage lies in its undeveloped central areas, offering more flexibility than Vilnius or Tallinn. At the same time, construction processes must be faster and more transparent.
The forum brought together entrepreneurs, experts, academics, and real estate developers. Their proposals will be considered in drafting the new strategy, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2028 and approved by the Riga City Council.
