CONFERENCEDiversity of Riga's large-scale residential areas in terms of population composition and attractiveness of living environment
Rihards Provejs
University of Latvia, Faculty of Geography and Earth Sciences
Maris Berzins
University of Latvia, Faculty of Geography and Earth Sciences
Zaiga Krisjane
University of Latvia, Faculty of Geography and Earth Sciences
DOI: 10.22364/fg.15.36
Keywords: large-scale residential areas, attractiveness of living environment, socio-spatial diversity, post-Soviet cities
Abstract
Residential areas of the cities in the former Soviet Union and Central Eastern Europe have experienced substantial physical and social transformation since the 1990s. Previous studies have confirmed that the development of residential areas after the demise of socialism is characterized by inner-city change and suburban development. However, these changes affect only a minor part of the urban population while most people still live in large-scale apartment blocks. Moreover, the existing research shows that housing quality, living arrangements and development trajectories of housing estates differ in various locations within the city and also within a given neighbourhood. In order to understand the patterns and factors of inner differentiation in terms of population composition and residential satisfaction, the paper presents a case study from large-scale housing estates located in two different neighbourhoods of Rīga. This study aims to provide insights into residential satisfaction and related characteristics of the inhabitants of the most distinctive type of housing, in the light of post-socialist urban transformations. The analysis is based on a recent sample survey that was carried out in 2015. The research findings reveal that the residential satisfaction of large-scale housing estates by local residents is surprisingly similar in the both neighbourhoods investigated.