PUBLISHED IN
REGIONAL CONTEXTUALISATION IN ARCHITECTURE
The Spirit of Place – Cultivating Identity in the Built Environment
BOOK OF PROCEEDINGS
AUTHORS:
prof. dr. Uģis Bratuškins
Riga Technical University, Riga, Latvia, e-mail: [email protected]
prof. dr. Sandra Treija
Riga Technical University, Riga, Latvia, e-mail: [email protected]
assist. prof. dr. Alisa Koroļova
Riga Technical University, Riga, Latvia, e-mail: [email protected]
ABSTRACT
Urban identity – a subject in various academic fields – is usually discussed in the
context of historical urban landscapes, psychological and social factors. However,
concerns about the urban identity of modernist large-scale housing estates arise,
because of their lack the long-lasting historical development and traditions both in
spatial and social terms. Maintaining and renewing their viability is a pressing
problem for many cities and towns worldwide. Although the large-scale housing
estates mostly correspond to modern paradigms of spatial planning and functional
fulfilment, such as the 15-minute city and the compact city, their decline in reputation
requires new approaches to revitalisation. This position paper deals with the question
of urban identity of modernist large-scale housing estates, which is largely shaped by
the contradiction between the uniformity of environmental design and the diversity of
their inhabitants. On the one hand, modernist large-scale housing estates are
characterised by repetitive architectural forms, standardised materials, and strict
zoning principles — products of a top-down planning logic that sought efficiency,
order, and equality. On the other hand, the social reality of these estates is
characterised by demographic and cultural diversity. Residents bring with them
different experiences and values, creating the prerequisites for the substantive
diversity of the spatial environment. The methodical chronological overview about the
most significant stages of the development of large-scale housing estates in the
capital city of Latvia, Riga, emphasises the methods for empowering spatial identity
historically, and highlights what the tools are for promoting the urban identity today.)
Keywords: Public open space, Urban Transformation, Sustainable Cities and
Communities
