A Patchwork of Ownership / Purvciems, Riga

Latvia has undergone an array of regime changes. During Soviet rule, all privately owned land was appropriated, and mass-produced housing districts were built without regard to previous ownership conditions. After the collapse of the USSR, original land ownership was restored through an ill-considered process of privatization.

In Riga, this patchwork of entangled ownership has now resulted in a standoff between plot owners and residents, which has left the municipality no choice other than to ban all development. To untie this knot, there is a need for the architect to enter into the role of a mediator, aligning these often opposing interests.