SUPERBS
Sustainable Urban Patterns around the Baltic Sea
INDIVIDUAL MODEL SITE: Livani, Latvia

Building a community together

Main issues
1. Sustainable development through jobs creation, economy and social well-being
2. Municipalities in the challenge of sustainability and participatory democracy

Site description
Livani is a small town (11000 inhabitants) in the middle of Latvia 170 km to the east from capital city Riga situated in very nice nature area where river Dubna flows in Daugava (the largest river of Latvia). The town is crossed by a motorway and railway which connect Riga with Daugavpils (the largest city at the East of Latvia) and booths ways are used for transit to Belarus. Historically Livani developed as a small industrial centre which don't lost contacts with rural areas and local nature resources. Factories for glass, brick and peat production, house building and biochemical production for agriculture were build in this town. Livani has a small high-tech company of optical fibres for medical purposes which developed as a specific branch from household glass production.
Now in the period of transition to the market economy and due to structural changes inhabitants of the town face problems of unemployment and social discomfort. Local self-government need to develop new tools and methods and need assistance to mobilise intellectual capacity of society with sufficient education to start new activities which are opened as a new opportunities in democratically country.

Model description
Historically the inhabitants has a long cultural and applied arts tradition. Now, in the period of transition to the market economy and structural changes, the inhabitants of the town face problems of unemployment and social discomfort. The new visions of possible development of the town should be discussed with a broad public participation in order to rise creativity, self consciousness as well as self-reliance of the people in the town. Livani has a functional sewage treatment plant, developed district heating and centralised water supply.
The local self-government need to be developed, and new tools and methods should be used to mobilise the intellectual capacity of the society. With sufficient education to start new activities the inhabitants have many new opportunities to develop democracy. Local self-government is pursued by young well educated and active persons, but the changes do not enough support because of the traditional local political structures, and the public organisation are not developed.


CONTACT
Livani Town Council
Visvaldis Gercans, Mayor
Rigas iela 136, Livani LV-5300, Latvia
Tel +371-534-36 23 Fax +371-534-36 23

Latvian University, Institute of Atomic Physics and Spectroscopy
Arnolds Ubelis, Dr, Assoc. Prof.
19 Raina Bolevard LV-1586 Riga
Tel +371-7-22 97 27 Fax +371-7-82 01 13
E-mail: arnolds@latnet.lv


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