Scientific Journal of Riga Technical University Architecture and Urban Planning
Pēteris Strancis. Integrated Water Planning System
Fig. 1. Aspects to be considered by the integrated water planning.
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in winter waters are covered by ice, which affects their accessibility. Also in this, i.e. recreational sphere conflicts between the social, environmental and economic aspects may arise easily. Spatial issues. This aspect covers the urban and rural environment, its relationship with the anthropogenic landscape. Water is the changing element of architecture. This aspect is still in many countries undervalued. Spatial memory. The aspect is related both with spatial processes such as the culture landscape and with mental layers, which may be intangible, but display characteristic features of the particular site in a shorter or longer period after the particular happening. For example, in the coastal area it is the memories of coastal fishery and the footprints of its historical processes – the wooden breakwaters [12]. Culture heritage. It is both the archaeological heritage under water, and the navigational and various hydroengineering structures with culture heritage value [13]. Infrastructure. The significance of water as a transportation route has lessened only over the last 150 years with the development of technologies, but still this is the cheapest cargo transportation mode. The waterways are also an important element of leisure and thus it is being used the more. Source of energy. On one hand water as a source of energy is environment-friendly, because it is a renewable, but on the other hand there are a number of adverse effects on environment. At the same time with the scientific discoveries and technology development new power production types related to water are created. Aquaculture and fishery. Both of the national economy industries are related with food production and they affect each other, and also the biodiversity. Mining – first of all the extraction of water and related issues, as well as mining in water areas, i.e. under water – the mineral deposits. V. Analysis of development planning documents
In order to review the current situation in Latvia in relation to water resource and spatial planning, nine various planning documents were analysed, assessing the abovementioned aspects in a “plus/ minus” system, which may not reflect the general quality of the planning document. The methodology allows making general conclusions on the integrity or sustainability of
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water planning in Latvia. Of course opinions may differ, whether all aspects have to be applied for all spatial plans, whether the number of aspects is sufficient, but the analysis of particular processes (port expansion, creation of a protected nature area, storm changes) with these aspects proved that they are sufficient and universally usable. Seven out of nine documents reviewed are of local level, while two – regional. In choosing the planning documents the following criteria was considered: the territory in question has to include major watercourses or water bodies and the document has to be such that it shall in fact in one way or another reflect issues on water planning. In choosing the municipalities the following criteria was considered: there shall be large water areas (“large” in terms for Latvia) in the administrative territory of the municipality, in some municipalities there shall be an industrial harbour or yacht port, some municipalities shall be located at the sea, while some shall be inland municipalities. To expand the range of documents, two regional level development planning documents were selected, which shall affect some of the municipalities in question. Each planning document covered several advantageous and disadvantageous solutions, and in general in respect to water planning there were positive issues to be pointed out: Jūrmala City development plan 1995–2007 (validity of the spatial plan is extended till 2009): • The World Wildlife Fund has suggested four new protection areas, all of which are related to water and coast; • In many documents the issues of yacht port and yacht tourism have been raised, but there are no solutions offered and currently due to silts in the Lielupe River estuary Jurmala City has limited access from the sea. Similar it is with the Lielupe Port, which is depicted in the Plan, but it is only a formal spatial and administrative zone; • The beach is considered a significant territory and thus a management plan is foreseen; • A number of coastal territories have a mandatory requirement for the elaboration of detailed designs. Jūrmala City spatial plan 2009–2021 (spatial development vision of the City is part of the Draft Plan, which is currently available to the society). It should be noted that currently this Plan is only in draft stage and the final version will be more complete and discrepancies in the text, i.e. linkage between the various studies and plan solutions, most probably will be eliminated. The following solutions and statements are worth mentioning: • Water is one of the characteristic features of urban areas and a significant resort resource; • Additional attention is paid to watersides and the accessibility thereof; • Neither the industrial port, nor the yacht port, nor the port is addressed in the section on infrastructure; • In the regional traffic network the waterway to Jelgava has been marked, while it has not been addressed in the local solutions; • The Lielupe River estuary is one of the six gates of the city, which is navigational; no solutions in respect to the accessibility of the estuary from the sea have been addressed.
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