News of temporary gardens in the former Sports Palace quarter in Riga has rapidly arrived people who dream of a greener and more citizen-friendly capital. This is the first precedent of this scale when a private entrepreneur temporarily allocates the territory to a public functionwhile construction is not yet underway. However, it has been 12 years since the Sports Castle was demolished and there is a fence around a whole block in the center of Riga. The plans of the developers “Rotermann Square” have slowed down, and it was decided to respond to the call of activists to establish a place for rest and cavities in boxes for a certain period of time. –
The author of the idea of ”Sports Palace Gardens” hopes: It will change the thinking about the free territories of the cityMara Rosenberg00:00 / 04:41
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Entering the fenced area between Barona, Tērbatas, Artilērijas and Lielgabalu streets, the feeling is a bit surreal – in a place where once thousands of people watched hockey passionately, now a whole quarter has turned into a quiet birch grove. Renāte Prancāne, the initiator of the “Sports Palace Gardens”, has also observed this growth. By the way, she and her like-minded people this summer were also the authors of the visual identity of Tērbatas pedestrian street. But “Sports Palace Gardens” is their own public initiative.
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“I live in one of the houses right here, behind that tree. In the spring, when it hadn’t yet blossomed, I looked out the bedroom window at the Sports Palace grounds. I have lived there for quite some time, and there has also been speculation about what might be here.
In the spring season, which coincided with the self-insulation of Covid-19, there was a desire for a garden, ”says Prancāne.
Most recently, she returned from New York, where she studied art history for two years on a Fulbright scholarship.
“New York is an excellent example of small garden culture – small gardens are located there on almost every corner, on every unused plot of land. All this – this experience, longing for the garden and living near the Sports Palace – came together and the idea arose that this area could be used as a small garden. At least until construction takes place here, ”Francis remembers the origins of the idea.
The owners of the site – the Estonian “Rotermann Square” – have gladly agreed and a three-year contract has been signed, allowing activists to use the currently empty territory free of charge.
The emphasis is on the word “for the time being”, because construction is still planned here in the future. But Renāte Prancāne outlines what it might look like until then.
“This territory is divided into two zones – at street level and in the hollow, where the Sports Palace building itself used to be. We will transform this depression into flower meadows and green recreation areas. But at street level, which runs around the perimeter of the whole area, 150 gardens will be located. One garden is 12 square meters, and people will be able to choose whether they want to place three, five or eight boxes in these 12 square meters. The size of one box is 120 x 80 cm. This is also the urban garden, “says Francis.
Depending on the number of boxes, the rent for the garden will be 15 to 40 euros per season.
Boxes and black earth have been applied for by sponsors, water supply has yet to be organized and the area, where there are also tires and glasses in the middle of small birches, wild roses and sea buckthorns, has to be cleaned.
There will be clean-ups on September 26 and October 3, which will be open to anyone interested. But already in the spring, the bustle of gardens will begin here.
“In the first season, the plan is that there will be a day attendant here who will open the garden and stay all day. Here, in the hollow, people will be able to come, sunbathe, organize meetings and community activities, it will be a public space where everyone can come, ”says Renāte Prancāne.
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She hopes that this initiative will also change the way we think about other free areas in the city and their temporary use, and will also increase the sense of community in the city.
“I hope that this project could promote or develop the self-organization and initiative of Rigans in the improvement of the city. In a way, this is an experiment: if there are 150 gardens, then there are 150 gardeners, then together they will have to make decisions on how to solve problem situations, whether they are naked snails, vandalism or something else we will face, ”says” Sports Palace Garden ” author of the idea.
Latvian Radio has already reported this summer that the owners of the Sports Palace quarter – the Estonian company “Rotermann Square” – have left an ambitious plan to develop office and apartment buildings in the quarter on their own and are currently considering several future scenarios.
As a result, construction will not begin here for the next few years, and the company has agreed to set aside land for mobile gardens in the meantime. You can see this place in person and learn more about this temporary plan on September 19.
By the way, the first part of the Sports Palace Quarter opens its doors already this week, when one of the performances of the theater festival “Homo Novus” takes place here at night. Tickets were sold at high speed and are unfortunately no longer available.
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