In this episode, recorded in collaboration with the Urban Future conference at their 2026 edition in Ljubljana, we sit down with Signe Pērkone, Senior Project Leader and Architect at the City Development Department of the Municipality of Riga, Latvia.

While many urban areas plan for continuous growth, Riga faces a different reality: a shrinking population. Signe explains what smart consolidation looks like on the ground, focusing on the strategic development of neighbourhood centres to ensure accessible local services. We explore the use of spatial development plans as negotiation tools to align the public and municipal departments.

Signe also shares why flexible planning is essential for adapting to changing circumstances and discusses the practical challenges of handing a masterplan over for implementation. Join us to learn how Riga is consolidating its resources to build a resilient urban environment.

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Chapters

• (00:00:00) - Intro
• (00:01:50) - Teaser question: If you had a superpower to help you with your daily work for the city, which one would it be and why?
• (00:03:06) - Guest background
• (00:07:10) - Riga's Urban History
• (00:11:32) - Smart Consolidation Strategies
• (00:13:28) - Neighbourhood Centre Plans
• (00:18:24) - Flexible Urban Planning
• (00:22:26) - Implementation Challenges
• (00:30:19) - Segment: Roll with the punches
• (00:33:34) - Ending question: “To you, what is a Smart City?”