Towards sustainability with improved transportation system

Since the second half of 1990 when the development of Latvia economy restarted, Riga has increased its role in the national economic and social processes at a considerably faster speed than other regions of Latvia. Undoubtedly, this period marks the beginning of the continuous movement towards qualitative and sustainable urban development of the city.

Today about half of Latvia's GDP has been generated in the capital of Riga. 80 % of foreign direct investment (FDI) to Latvia is concentrated there and has reached 4.314 billion EUR. The city together with the region agglomeration is the largest among the Baltic countries with more than 1.2 million inhabitants. Businesses located in Riga produce almost 60% of the total industrial production of Latvia.

Over the last 20 years Riga has experienced very rapid and intense economic growth. The national infrastructure networks like transport, energy (electricity, gas, oil) and ICT (information and communications technologies) are concentrated in the capital. Transport system of Riga city provides an appropriate infrastructure base to facilitate the growing trade flows between the EU and Russia, the Commonwealth of Independent States, as well as to serve the needs of local export/import operators.

Recently the Mobility Plan of Riga has been elaborated providing solutions for the traffic and transport problems on inter-municipal and inter-stakeholder scale, which the Ministry of Transport of Latvia is facing, contributing to spatial, ecological, economic, social and institutional optimization.

Development of large public infrastructure projects has been set forward as the key priority of the city. One of the most important infrastructure projects since Latvia regained its independence is the Southern Bridge that considerably contributes to improving the city transport system and reducing traffic jams. Realization of the Southern Bridge and its runways is divided into three stages: first two stages have already been carried out and the last one is planned to be completed by the end of 2012. Another important infrastructure project is the Riga Northern Transport Corridor that will create new transit highway through the city in West-East direction by passing the historical centre of the city and will include Riga Port into the Trans-European Transport Network and will improve the competitiveness of Latvian East-West transport corridor.

The city attractiveness, territorial competitiveness, governance of large-scale urban development projects with particular attention to the different modes of financing, and attractive cultural background are the key factors that determine the city development today and in the future.