Riga is famous with its parks and gardens, greenery of the city canal banks and boulevard's alley. Green areas provide the capital of Latvia with a special attraction. Green areas are popular place for walking among the local residents and foreign tourists.

Riga's green areas are place where people come to enjoy beauty of the Latvian nature – to listen rustling of trees and birds songs, to have a breath of fresh air and aroma of flowers, to admire the beauty of the landscape and to feel the change of seasons, to relax and to get new ideas. As an example Figure 1 shows greenery of the city canal banks near the Bastion hill in Riga. (Source: www.riga.lv)

Greenery in the urban public space – streets, boulevards, squares, parks and embankment – is an important value of the living environment of the city residents as well as an significant element of the structure of the urban landscape.

For the sustainable maintenance and protection of the urban plantation it is necessary participation of the all stakeholders including local residents. It is also regulated by the requirements of the Riga City Council № “Rules for the maintenance and protection of the plantation of Riga city.” These regulations determine that all greenery at the territory of Riga city owned by the government, municipality or private persons is protected urban plantation. All trees have a public value. It is important to note that the requirements mentioned above predict that before the Riga City Council Greenery Conservation Commission's decision making about the tree cutting in the urban green areas the procedure of the public discussion should be held.

During the procedure of the public discussion residents of Riga are invited to take a look on the materials of the tree cutting plan, to get more information about the planned activities and to pass an opinion in written form about it. City dwellers could submit written feedback (questionnaires) about the tree cutting plan at the Riga Council Construction Board, at any Reception Centre of Riga City Council or at any branch office of Riga City Library. Questionnaires could be also sent by post to Riga Council Construction.

As an example Figure 2 shows the informative material of the tree cutting plan “Reconstruction of the building for the need of the Centre of the administration and dispatchers of the medical emergency service”. This photo was made for the public discussion that was hold from 24 November 2010 until 7 December 2010. (Source: http://www.rdpad.lv/)

Construction plan prescribe to connect design territory and buildings with the existing territory of the Medical Emergency Service of Riga City. During the reconstruction it is planned to build partly a second floor as well as to build outbuilding. Building of Blood transfusion station will be stored at the present size. It is planned to accommodate necessary parking areas in the northern part between the existing row of poplar trees and the concrete fence of the Brasa's prison.

Finally I would like to wish to everyone reader of this article to have a walk in one of the Riga's park or garden and to enjoy green beauties of the capital of Latvia.

Riga, 21 March 2011

Jurijs Grizāns, Mg.oec., PhD Student, Lecturer

Riga Technical University, Faculty of Engineering Economics and Management