USE OF GIS FOR MODELLING OF RIGA CITY TERRITORY DEVELOPMENT
M.C. Cekule1, I.G. Gailisa1, G.B. Bicevska2
1 - University of Latvia, Institute of Geodesy and
Geoinformation, Riga, Latvia
2 - Riga City Council, City Development Department, Riga,
Latvia
maritacekule@inbox.lv
Due to the rapid development of urbanization on
the global scale issue of the sustainable development of cities is becoming
more urgent. In every city development plan these words are used, but what is
does the situation look like in the reality? The Riga City case has taken as an
example.
Understanding of interrelations, which are
managing and affecting the city development, lets us forecast and model the
development processes, though it is possible for quite a short-term.
Sustainable development has its twofold flexibility in terms of space and time
being an interaction between the society and the environment. Thus this
research has to include a wide range of aspects.
The choice of development indicators and
research includes analysis of processes and their monitoring in order to
differentiate the long-term trends and short-term modifications, as well as to
define the difference in the size of these changes. Different basic structures,
as well as form and value indicators are used to illustrate the process of
sustainable development with different level of data variety and complexity. By
integration of GIS into the data basis, the process of spatial analysis and
modelling has become quicker, more accessible and understandable to the decision-makers.
The research is based on the data of Riga City
area, which is situated on the territory of a nature park. Already for several
years there are discussions going on about preservation of this territory as
the nature park in the future as well, i.e. not to allow its use for different
purposes. One of the main problems of the chosen territory and also of the
entire city is the preservation of variety in the greenery landscapes as well
as the revitalization of the brownfield territories.
Aim of the
research is:
1) to assess the territory from the
environmental, economic, recreation, tourism and other aspects, as well as to
forecast the possible future development possibilities of this territory;
2) to use the GIS spatial analysis for testing
the established methodology by using it on a certain territory and to propose
new recommendations for the development planning of the urban territories.
Data bases are created so that the dynamics of
the territory development can be displayed starting from the year 1937. The
research is based on several elaborated projects. During the research new
layers of data have been created, e.g. territory functionality and other
zonings, which are based on the digital maps, 3-D models of the territory (DEM,
DTM, DSM), which are used for the analysis and modelling of the nature
processes. The European Common Indicators, demographical data, economic
indicators, etc. have been used.
When analysing the above-mentioned factors, the
conclusion has been reached that the particular territory has to be preserved
as the nature park. In the surroundings of the park intensive construction
works are going on, thus this park would be a great place for the recreation of
current and future inhabitants. The brownfields are located in close vicinity
could be used as the office and living space, as there already is a
well-developed infrastructure.