Landscape and urban planning workshop
Valmiera Municipality invites residents of Valmiera and Pārgaujas Quarter (the area covered by Zvaigžņu, Meža, Nākotnes and Stacijas Streets), as well as representatives of institutions and companies operating in this area on 22 April at 9.30-15.30 at the Valmiera Pārgaujas State Gymnasium for a landscape and urban planning workshop on the environmental challenges of the Pārgaujas Quarter.
In 2023 and 2024, studies have been carried out in Valmiera on the problem areas of Valmiera related to climate change impacts – heat waves and flooding caused by heavy rainfall. The Stacijas Street area, bordering Meža, Nākotnes and Zvaigžņu Streets, has been identified as one of the significant areas affected by such challenges, where both overheating and flooding during extreme weather events are observed.
The impacts of climate change and associated extreme weather events can be mitigated by incorporating various nature-based solutions in urban design. These are solutions that simultaneously contribute to human well-being (e.g. bicycle parking, benches, car parking) and protect and restore threatened natural ecosystems.
The Landscape and Urban Planning Workshop will co-create solutions to the environmental challenges of the Pārgaujas Quarter, addressing the different needs of the area’s users. The participation of interested users and their opinions are very important for the future development of the area, as the solutions developed by the participants will contribute to the thematic master plan “Valmiera State City Green Infrastructure Development Plan” currently under preparation and will form the basis for the municipality’s future actions for the development of this urban quarter.
The workshop is expected to provide an educational introduction to the climate change and urban development challenges of the Pārgaujas Quarter. It will also introduce the concept of nature-based solutions, which of them and how they can be applied to improve the Pārgaujas Quarter. The workshop participants will also go on a short nature tour of the area, listening to the Valmiera Municipality Development Authority specialists’ assessment of the various development issues and needs of the area. Afterwards, participants will work in groups, create a vision for the development of the area in an environmentally friendly way and select the most suitable nature-based solutions and locations for their deployment.
The municipality invites interested parties to read more explanatory information on the environmental challenges and nature-based solutions of the territory and to actively participate in the workshop on 22 April!
Participation is by prior reservation. The deadline to register for the event is 13 April. To apply, please fill in the questionnaire HERE. For more information about the event, please contact Līga Bieziņa, Development Planner at Valmiera Municipality Government (tel. 37126495997).
The workshop is organised in cooperation with the association “Baltic Environmental Forum” and experts from the Ministry of Smart Administration and Regional Development within the project “Development and demonstration of a portfolio of nature-based and smart solutions for improving urban climate resilience in Latvia and Estonia” (LIFE LATESTadapt) co-financed by the European Union LIFE Programme, State Regional Development and Valmiera Municipality.