While it is clear that the story of Soviet architecture is a complicated one, the question of how to appropriately assess and manage the built heritage in the post-Soviet states is still undecided. This project attempts to rethink the everyday life in Riga’s microrayons and tackle their dull and isolated nature, as well as examine the behaviour of its inhabitants to promote desirable activities and encourage reclamation of space and re-integration into the city. In short, this thesis proposes a new reality, one where a democratic state can challenge its communist past without denying its merits, one where its citizens can finally re-identify with the city. This alternative reality can hopefully serve as a starting point for a wider discussion and provoke further initiatives. As M.Ginzburg himself states:

“One of the greatest evils in questions of housing is the way in which the dead exploit the living - habitations built many decades ago in which new life processes now have to fit.”