GEO RIGA: A Geospatial Data Publishing Platform

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GEO RĪGA is a geographic information system established by the Riga Municipality that brings together and publishes geospatial data held by the local government. It is a platform that provides access to information about the administrative territory of Riga for residents, businesses, researchers, neighbourhood activists, and other interest groups, facilitating data usage and promoting transparency in municipal operations.

The Significance of the Platform for Riga

GEO RĪGA allows residents and businesses to access up-to-date geospatial information that reflects the city’s current situation. This increases transparency in municipal processes, supports public participation in urban development, and provides valuable data for research, investment, and planning.

Target of the Platform

The goal of GEO RĪGA is to provide convenient online access to the geospatial data managed by the Riga Municipality. It enables individuals and organizations to view and use data without the need for licensed software or in-person visits to municipal offices.

Benefits for Residents

✔ Easy access to data – users can view and use information at any time, from anywhere in the world, as long as they have internet access;
✔ Resource efficiency – reduces the need to contact the municipality in person for information or consultation;
✔ More opportunities – users can combine data and perform analyses without special software or additional costs;
✔ Civic participation – GEO RĪGA supports public consultations, surveys, and participatory activities, strengthening resident involvement in city development.

Results for Riga

✔ Increased transparency – open access to geospatial data fosters trust and clarity in municipal operations;
✔ Resident engagement – the public can use the data to participate in planning processes and contribute to improving their living environment;
✔ Support for innovation – the platform serves as a foundation for the development of data-driven solutions and innovations in Riga.

Contact Information

E-mail: georiga@riga.lv

Platform Link

https://georiga.eu/

Multimodal Cities (cities.multimodal) – The First Mobility Point Established in Riga

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Multimodal Cities (cities.multimodal) – The First Mobility Point Established in Riga

The project “cities. multimodal” fosters the development of solutions for sustainable and smart mobility in Riga and the Baltic Sea region. A first mobility point in the vicinity of VEF, which connected different sustainable modes of transport, facilitated micro-mobility opportunities and provided innovative data-based solutions in the urban environment, was created and tested in Riga.

The Significance of the Project for Riga

In cities, transport intensity has a negative impact on quality of life, causing traffic congestion, air and noise pollution and increasing greenhouse gas emissions. Alternative modes of transport, such as public transport, cycling and micromobility, need to be developed to mitigate the consequences of private road transport. As well as improving infrastructure, the project also helps residents choose more environmentally friendly modes of transport.

Target of the Project

Develop and implement multimodal mobility solutions that connect different modes of transport and improve sustainable mobility opportunities in Riga, while reducing CO2 emissions and air pollution.

Benefits for Residents

✔ Easier travel: Mobility point provides connections between public transport, cycling network and shared vehicles;
✔ Environmentally friendly solution: fostering alternative modes of transport that reduce CO2 emissions and noise pollution;
✔ Innovative infrastructure: VEF Mobility point offers bicycle parking, repair station, electric scooter and bicycle rental points, as well as a smart bench with Wi-Fi and device charging capabilities;
✔ Data-based improvements: data collected on air quality, traffic intensity and other parameters to further improve the urban environment.

Project Activities

✔ Developed a conceptual Mobility point model adapted to the specifics of Riga;
✔ A mobility point has been created in the VEF neighbourhood with innovative micro-mobility options, including bicycle parking sites, a cycling repair station and smart benches;
✔ The Mobility point became a pilot area for trials of various data-driven solutions, including Internet of things (IoT) and machine vision solutions;
✔ Information events and training materials on sustainable mobility were organised for the involvement of residents.

Testbed Territory in Riga

The developed solution is tested in the selected research area of the project, creating a “mobility point” pilot project in the living lab of VEF.
The VEF Mobility point opened on 1st of July, 2020.

Project Results

✔ Infrastructure: a prototype has been created, which will serve as the basis for the creation of new mobility points in Riga and other cities of Latvia;
✔ Data collection: the mobility point is equipped with sensors that collected data on more than 10 different parameters, including air pollution, traffic intensity and solar radiation;
✔ Promotion of sustainable mobility: the project helped reduce the intensity of private road transport and fostered alternative modes of transport;
✔ Experience and knowledge: the results of the project were summarised as a “Baltic Sea Region Roadmap for Urban Mobility,” which served as guidelines for other cities.

Funding, Duration, and Partners

Funding source: Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme 2014 – 2020
Total project budget: EUR 3.8 million
Total budget for Riga:
EU funding for Riga municipality: EUR 212 500
Co-financing by Riga municipality: EUR 37 500

Implementation Period: 1.10.2017 – 31.03.2021

Project Partners: lead partner of the project – Rostock (Germany). Cooperation partners: Gdansk (Poland), Vilnius (Lithuania), Tartu (Estonia), Aarhus (Denmark), Guldborgsund (Denmark) and other cities

Contact Information

Evita Riekstiņa
Project Manager
Riga Energy Agency
Email: evita.riekstina@riga.lv

Project Links

Official website of the project (in English) — http://www.cities-multimodal.eu/materials/publications
Animation video on project results (in English) – https://youtu.be/5G13weOkzC4
Final Report (in Latvian): https://rea.riga.lv/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/a5e6a31c4961aa2e5e85fb6684052b063abaa531.pdf