Amenity Migration in Postsocialist Metropolis:The Case Of RiGa Agglomeration

Abstract

Over the last ten years, the metropolitan area of Riga has seen a population increase, while the number of people actually living in the city of Riga has declined. The aim of this paper is to analyse the process of deconcentration in the Riga agglomeration, linking these to motivation for migration and changes in the territorial distribution of places of residents. The study analyses factors that lead people to choose a specific place of residence. A comparison of motivation for migration in Riga and in the zones of its agglomeration shows that there are significant differences in terms of a job as a motivation factor. More important in selecting a new home are the purchase or construction of property, the desire for an attractive environment, and the ability to move into a better home. Efforts to improve quality of life are more distinct in the internal zone of the agglomeration, which means that environmental amenities play a more important role there than in the external zone. © 2008, Versita. All rights reserved.