Spatial Planning and Urban Sprawl in Latvia: A Case of ‘Pierīga’ Status, Opinions and Future Perspectives

Since 2000, a rapid but poorly planned and managed urban expansion process has been observed around Riga, the capital of Latvia. The article reflects the opinions and efforts of municipalities in spatial and social transformation, residents’ rating of the urban and social environment and the results of spatial and morphological analysis, studying three suburban areas. It states that the spatial development policies of all levels have not been adequately implemented in local government spatial plans, creating a suburban built environment with low accessibility, availability, density, diversity and nodality, and outlines the first attempts of urban sprawl repair, calling for planning at the neighbourhood scale and activation of communities.