Uploaded on 2016-10-26 by Zanda Apīne

Urban Heat Island in Riga, Latvia Answers to questions: 2. Which are the main UHI effects that you can identify in your area? In Riga, Latvia UHI effect is notified mostly in the city center, and the main reasons are pollution from transport and lack of vegetation in the center. There are not much parks and trees in this area, also most of cars are concentrated in center during the day. I can identify UHI effect in Riga mostly during winter and snowing time, because snow in city center is melting much faster than in rural areas a bit outside of city. It can be explained also with the pollution from cars and heating systems. Houses are located very close to each other and during winter time that not allow warm air to rotate normally and as a result of that, temperature is higher that in those places where are less houses and traffic. 3. Which are the measures you would propose? If I can choose of things to do to improve situation with UHI in Riga, first of all, I would restrict driving cars in city center, that is the main problem, in my opinion, I have seen in other countries, that Park and Drive system is working very well, that people take public transport to center, not a private car. There has been some tries to improve situation by raising prices to parking spots in the center, but that actually do not solve the main problem, because cars are driving trough center anyway and making pollution. So it’s very important to detour and limit cars in center. Also maybe I would plant trees and bushes more and make some more green areas to improve vegetation in center. That works very well in smaller districts of Riga, outside the center, a lot of parks and other green areas make this city more livable. 4. Is UHI effect concerning policy making in your area? At the moment, in Riga, real working solutions is not found yet, there have been some poor tries of Park and Drive system, but prices of public transport is making everything worse, because they are very high. At the moment there are some projects going on that some streets in city center is made as pedestrian and cycling road, that maybe could increase people who choose to go to work by bicycle, but problem will still be live during winter.