Title: Governance as a barrier to mainstreaming sustainable development in Riga, Latvia

Authors: Andis Zilans

Addresses: University of Latvia, Riga LV-1014, Latvia

Abstract: The Aalborg Commitments baseline review of urban sustainability undertaken in Riga, Latvia reveals significant discrepancies between the sustainability criteria of the Aalborg Commitments and municipal statutes and planning documents. An analysis of the European Common Indicators (ECI) and the State of the Environment in Riga indicators indicates that they can only partially fulfil a monitoring function for the implementation of the Aalborg Commitments. To gain insight into the institutional arrangements and governance practices of the municipal government and administration in the context of sustainability City Council deputies and municipal administration structural units and personnel were surveyed. Survey results indicate that deficiencies in governance such as knowledge about sustainable development, policy integration, intersector cooperation, municipality and stakeholder cooperation and urban management practices contribute to development policies and outcomes that are weakly supportive of sustainable development and act as barriers to the mainstreaming of sustainable development in Riga.

Keywords: Aalborg Commitments; governance; policy integration; stakeholder participation; sustainability criteria; sustainable development; Latvia; urban sustainability; monitoring; cooperation; urban management; Riga; municipal government.

DOI: 10.1504/IJESD.2008.017894

International Journal of Environment and Sustainable Development, 2008 Vol.7 No.1, pp.1 - 20

Published online: 21 Apr 2008 *

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