Priorities
In our rapidly advancing digital age, cities across the globe are embracing cutting-edge technologies to elevate the quality of life, enhance public services, and address modern-day challenges. As we continue on this transformative journey, we have identified seven key areas of focus that will shape our strategic initiatives. These priorities reflect our commitment to innovation, sustainability, and ensuring that our urban infrastructure meets the demands of the future.
Mobility
Efficient and sustainable mobility is a key factor shaping urban quality of life, economic growth, and environmental sustainability. Modern mobility means the ability to move quickly, conveniently, and in an environmentally friendly way—reducing congestion and minimizing environmental impact.
Riga is actively modernising its public transport system, improving service quality and accessibility. In parallel, the city is expanding its electric vehicle charging infrastructure to promote the uptake of low-emission transport solutions. Micromobility—such as cycling, scooters, and walking—plays an essential role in the city's sustainable mobility strategy, enabling residents to reach their daily destinations efficiently and with minimal environmental impact.
The city is also developing green infrastructure, including cycling lanes, landscaped pedestrian routes, and green corridors along urban streets. These measures help mitigate the urban heat island effect and improve air quality.
Riga is enhancing its logistics and last-mile delivery systems to improve traffic flow and reduce congestion and emissions.
Looking ahead, the city will focus on smart mobility solutions—optimising traffic management, ensuring more efficient use of infrastructure and resources, and advancing the digitalisation of urban mobility. Emerging technologies will be explored and introduced, including autonomous vehicles and drones for both goods and passenger transport.
Focus areas
Digital solutions and IoT
In today’s cities, effective data flow and analytics are essential for good urban governance—enabling better decision-making, improved public services, and more efficient use of resources.
As part of its smart city strategy, Riga is investing in the development of advanced digital infrastructure, including the Internet of Things (IoT)—a network of sensors, transmitters, and cameras that enhances the city’s responsiveness to the needs of residents and urban systems.
The city is expanding its data processing capabilities and increasing data accessibility through solutions such as the GEO RĪGA integrated geospatial data platform. IoT sensors are being gradually deployed to enable real-time monitoring of key urban indicators, including air and water quality, and noise levels.
Smart infrastructure is also being developed across core services such as public lighting, waste management, and intelligent parking systems.
Looking ahead, Riga will focus on exploring and implementing artificial intelligence (AI), digital twins, and predictive analytics. These technologies will enable more proactive management of urban systems, foster the use of open data, and support the creation of integrated digital platforms for the development of innovative public services.
Focus areas
Connectivity and 5G
Reliable and high-speed connectivity is a foundational enabler of digital transformation and innovation. Continuous 5G coverage is essential for the development of advanced digital services.
In Riga, the number of 5G base stations is being expanded to ensure broader and more consistent coverage across the city.
In the future, 5G will serve as a critical backbone for testing autonomous mobility, enabling real-time data analytics, and deploying augmented reality services—making connectivity one of the cornerstones of digital urban governance and innovation ecosystems.
Focus areas
Safety and Resilience
Building a secure and resilient urban environment is essential for safeguarding citizens’ well-being and strengthening trust in both digital and physical urban solutions. Within Riga’s smart city development, security encompasses both cybersecurity and physical safety—key elements in enhancing the city’s capacity to withstand disruptions, including natural disasters, public safety risks, cyber threats, and to recover swiftly from crises and emergencies.
Riga is expanding its network of video surveillance and early warning systems, enabling timely alerts for residents in hazardous situations such as severe storms or fires. The municipality is also strengthening digital security by protecting personal data and ensuring safe access to e-services for communication between citizens and local authorities.
To support the work of emergency services, the city is deploying advanced technologies, including drones for crowd monitoring at public events or during evacuations, traffic surveillance, and rapid response during emergencies.
Looking ahead, Riga will invest in digital tools for crisis and evacuation management, further develop early warning systems, and introduce wearable technologies to improve the safety of first responders. With the help of artificial intelligence, the city will enhance its ability to anticipate threats, while residents will be engaged through virtual and augmented reality-based training tools to improve preparedness.
Focus areas
Smart Energy and Innovative Environmental Technologies
Adapting to climate change is essential for Riga’s development—reducing carbon emissions, improving urban air quality and energy efficiency, and enabling the deployment of environmentally friendly solutions. A clean environment, green spaces, and energy-efficient infrastructure contribute to healthier living conditions for all residents.
Riga is actively developing solutions to make the city greener, more energy-efficient, and better prepared for the impacts of climate change. Public lighting systems are already being modernised, energy-efficient infrastructure is expanding, and digital tools are being introduced to support climate data analysis. To reduce flood risks, the city is implementing innovative rainwater management and filtration systems.
Waste management processes are becoming smarter, with real-time data on sorting and recycling supporting the shift toward a circular economy. At the same time, digital tools are being developed to predict and manage environmental risks—enabling timely adaptation to environmental changes and ensuring a safe and sustainable urban environment for residents.
Looking ahead, Riga will enhance climate data forecasting and deploy digital solutions for environmental risk management. IoT sensors will provide real-time environmental monitoring, while urban infrastructure will become more efficient and climate-resilient. Energy consumption monitoring and control will be further improved to minimise losses and ensure more efficient resource use.
The city also plans to expand green areas and implement smart solutions to improve air quality, helping to mitigate the impacts of climate change.
Riga remains committed to implementing measures that will enable the city to reach climate neutrality by 2030.
Focus areas
Healthcare and Wellfare
Health and well-being are deeply interconnected pillars of urban life, directly impacting residents’ quality of life and the city’s long-term development. An effective healthcare infrastructure and high-quality, people-centered, and integrated medical services are essential to ensuring public well-being.
Riga is advancing smart health and well-being solutions to improve access to medical services, personalize healthcare, optimize resource use, enable faster response in emergency situations, and promote preventive care. A key priority is the digitalization and accessibility of health data to support service quality and development, including the creation of integrated health and well-being data systems.
The city is also developing a range of innovative technologies, such as the use of artificial intelligence in diagnostics and rehabilitation, and patient navigation systems in hospitals to improve the care experience.
Looking ahead, Riga will continue to invest in virtual assistants to support patient communication and guidance, digital tools to automate healthcare processes, and systems that streamline appointment scheduling with specialists. In addition, the city will explore new technologies for health and well-being monitoring, as well as the automation of physical healthcare operations, such as the use of autonomous robots for transporting sterilised instruments.
Focus areas
Education
Education—including digital skills—is the foundation for the successful development of a smart city and a sustainable economy. The rapid advancement of technology and digitalization requires that residents, academic institutions, businesses, and public authorities are equipped to adopt digital solutions, foster innovation, and adapt to the evolving demands of the labor market.
In the context of Smart Riga, the education priority goes beyond schools and universities. It encompasses lifelong learning, adult education, and professional upskilling—all critical to enhancing competitiveness and promoting social inclusion.
Digital tools are being integrated across Riga’s educational institutions, including smart boards, interactive learning materials, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality solutions. Opportunities for remote learning are expanding, and innovation labs and tech hubs are being established to support the development, testing, and application of digital technologies.
Looking ahead, Riga will further develop personalized learning programs, deploy digital tools for safe routes to school, and expand the use of virtual reality and AI in the learning process. Education will become increasingly technology-driven, preparing all residents—young and old—for the future of work in a digital and innovation-based economy.
Focus areas