Thomas has been appointed to the Guest Chair for Urban Space, Planning, and Urban Regeneration at the RISEBA Faculty of Architecture and Design in Riga, Latvia, starting from February 2017.
The first project will focus on the new Tornakalns University Campus in the heart of Riga. This research-by-design initiative is part of the Live Baltic Campus initiative. The project aims to test new design and education methods, immersing students in real-world processes and developing collaborative work approaches. We are excited to work with the talented RISEBA team.
Live Baltic Campus aims to develop campuses as innovation hubs, creating better urban environments for businesses and residents. It seeks to establish a participative urban planning method that cities involved can integrate into their normal operations. The project brings together city planners, government representatives, campus developers, and stakeholders to utilize campuses as labs for improving urban management in the Central Baltic region.
The initiative fosters a network of practitioners to ensure knowledge transfer between the northern and southern parts of the Central Baltic region. Pilot implementations in each area explore participative urban planning in its various phases, from pre-planning to activities that supplement and follow official planning processes.
As a main outcome, the project will create integrated campus development plans, service concepts, and implementation plans for each partner region through pilot cases co-developed with city governments and stakeholders. Additionally, it will provide a platform for discussing policy objectives, exchanging best practices, and improving quality of life indicators.
By sharing experiences from regional pilots and comparing results, the project aims for enhanced urban planning that considers the needs of diverse stakeholders—residents and businesses alike. Ultimately, the initiative seeks to foster a better urban environment, create new jobs, and positively impact local economies.
The lead partner of Live Baltic Campus is Metropolia University of Applied Sciences. Other partners include the City of Helsinki (Executive Office, Economic Development), Riga Planning Region, Stockholm University, University of Latvia, University of Tartu, University of Turku, and Uppsala University. Associated partners are the City of Turku and the Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council. The project is funded by the Central Baltic Programme and operates from October 2015 until March 2018.
