Riga: Square transformation – the heart of the neighbourhood instead of a parking lot

Reversing car-centric urban development in a historic neighbourhood

The historic Āgenskalns Market has always been the heart of the Āgenskalns neighbourhood in Riga. The nearby school, shops, banks and post office provide a rather large flow of people and traffic through the centre of the neighbourhood. The market is located next to a busy traffic intersection where public transportation, bicycles, pedestrians and cars meet.

Over the years, the square in front of the main entrance of the market had transformed to primarily accommodate cars. It was a parking lot and worked as a shortcut for drivers who wanted to skip waiting for the green light at the intersection. This meant that entering the market was challenging and unsafe for pedestrians.

Empowering citizens to design a more accessible and safer urban public space

The residents of Āgenskalns took up the challenge themselves to transform the car park into a safe, appealing and accessible public space for all visitors of the marketplace.