Journals of Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences
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HERBACEOUS ORNAMENTAL GARDEN ESCAPERS – A PATH FROM THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT TO THE FOREST
Get PDFOver the past 25 years, the diversity of herbaceous perennial plants used in ornamental horticulture in Latvia has increased significantly. As a result of the direct introduction of various taxa into botanical gardens, nurseries, and through the activities of gardeners on private properties, different types of garden and park plants have begun to escape and naturalize ex-situ in local habitats outside their original settings.
Records of these new "escapers" are being documented in two main ways: traditionally, through herbarium collections maintained by academic institutions, and more recently, through online platforms that engage the general public in observing and recording flora and fauna. In Latvia, this platform is Dabas Dati (https://dabasdati.lv). The intensity of plant observation reporting on this platform is remarkably high — in 2024 alone, 54,706 plant observations were submitted
NO TELPAS UZ VIETU: ALTERNATĪVO KULTŪRVIETU ATTĪSTĪBAS PRIEKŠNOSACĪJUMI
Get PDFAlternatīvās kultūrvietas Rīgā laika gaitā sev ir piesaistījušas lielu uzmanību, kalpojot kā neformālas “trešās vietas”, kur cilvēkiem pulcēties un socializēties, veidojot kopienas sajūtu. Taču to attīstībā ir novērota nevienmērīgs izvietojums, ierobežojot pieejamību, it īpaši ārpus Rīgas vēsturiskā centra. Pētījuma mērķis ir caur pilsētplānošanas teorijas analīzi un citu pilsētu pārvaldības piemēru apkopošanu apzināties alternatīvo kultūrvietu attīstības priekšnosacījumus, lai izvirzītu priekšlikumus, kā veicināt to plašāku ģeogrāfisko pieejamību. Starp priekšlikumiem ir izvirzīta nepieciešamība veidot blīvu gājēju savienojumu tīklu, vēsturiskās apbūves saglabāšana, blīvas daudzfunkcionālas apbūves attīstība tuvējā apkārtnē
KARTONS KĀ ILGTSPĒJĪGS BŪVNIECĪBAS MATERIĀLS, TĀ POTENCIĀLS BŪVNIECĪBĀ LATVIJĀ
Get PDFRakstā aplūkots kartona un papīra kā būvmateriālu potenciāls, pievēršoties to vēsturiskajam pielietojumam un mūsdienu arhitektūras praksēm. Kartons parasti tiek uzskatīts par trauslu un īslaicīgu materiālu, tomēr, pateicoties tā vieglumam, pārstrādes iespējām, labajām siltumizolācijas un akustiskajām īpašībām, tas piedāvā alternatīvu tradicionālajiem būvmateriāliem. Izmantojot salīdzinošo analīzi, rakstā apkopoti starptautiski pētījumi un projekti, kas parāda kartona dažādās pielietošanas iespējas, tai skaitā Šigeru Bana (Shingeru Ban) darbi, “BAMP!” pētnieku grupas iniciatīvas Vācijā, kā arī uzņēmuma Bat’IPAC izstrādātie risinājumi Francijā.
Rakstā sniegts pārskats par kartona mehāniskajām un vides īpašībām, kā arī identificēti izaicinājumi, tostarp materiāla hidroskopiskums un ugunsizturība. Papildus tiek apsvērts, kā kartons var tikt izmantots Latvijas būvniecības kontekstā, ņemot vērā klimata apstākļus, saliekamo konstrukciju iespējas un sabiedrībā esošo nepieciešamību pēc ilgtspējīgas būvniecības.
Secinājumos uzsvērts, ka kartons, apvienojumā ar piemērotu projektēšanu un kombinācijā ar citiem materiāliem, var kļūt par nozīmīgu resursu ilgtspējīgas būvniecības attīstībā Latvijā. Turpmākie pilotprojekti un sabiedrības izglītošana būtu būtisks solis materiāla plašākai ieviešanai
MŪSDIENĪGS APKAIMES KOPIENAS CENTRS: AKTĪVA PILSĒTTELPA, KAS VEICINA PIEDERĪBAS SAJŪTU UN IEDVESMO
Get PDFPētījuma pamatideja un mērķis ir iegūt jaunus datus par publisko struktūru un kopienu centru lomu un formveidi apkaimēs. Izpētīt un ana- lizēt ilgtspējīgas apkaimju publisko struktūru attīstības stratēģijas aktīvas pilsēttelpas un kopienas identitātes stiprināšanai, kā arī izvirzīt kritērijus mūsdienīgu kopienu centru plānošanas principiem, identificējot to izplatītākās iezīmes, ņemot vērā ārvalstu labās prakses piemērus un kopienas centru aizmetņus vietējā kontekstā galvenokārt Rīgas apkaimēs. Šī pētījuma izpratnē ar publisko struktūru tiek identificēta vieta, kur pulcēties publiskos nolūkos dažādu aktivitāšu veikšanai. Tā var būt gan iekštelpa, gan ārtelpa un tai nepiemīt izteikti institucionāls raksturs.
Tēmas aktualitāti raksturo šī brīža situācijas pilsētvidē, kur apbūvei tiek pakļautas jaunas teritorijas, iedibinot jau esošu funkciju apbūvi, bet nepievēršas neesošu funkciju iedibināša- nai, kas apmierinātu iedzīvotāju vajadzības un celtu dzīves kvalitātes līmeni; netiek attīstīta nelietderīgi izmantota zemes un telpu platība, kas ir vērtīga apkaimes un pilsētas kopējā kon- tekstā, un kas sniegtu iespēju jēgpilni turpināties lokācijas vēsturei un identitātei; apkaimju biedrību aktivitāte un sabiedrības līdzdalība dažādos procesos strauji pieaug, bet tam trūkst atbilstoša telpiskā ietvara. Pētījumā tiek risināts, kāda infrastruktūra var sastādīt kopienas centru, kas ar to telpiski saprotams apkaimes pilsēttelpā, ārtelpā un arhitektūrā, kas ir mūsdienīgs kopie- nas centrs apkaimēm un sabiedrībai
MANAGING NATURE AND VISITORS: GOVERNANCE STRATEGIES IN NATIONAL PARKS OF THE BALTIC STATES
Get PDFNatura 2000, the largest coordinated network of protected areas in the world, plays a key role in biodiversity conservation across the European Union. Beyond their ecological value, Natura 2000 sites also present socio-economic opportunities — particularly through nature- based tourism. In the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania), national parks within this network are both a core element of national conservation strategies and an underutilized driver of local and regional economic development
FROM WASTE TO WORTH: REUSABLE PACKAGING AS A SITE OF IDEOLOGICAL STRUGGLE OF MEANING AND PRACTICE IN LATVIA AND THE US
Get PDFThe media plays a pivotal role in shaping and promoting ecopiety — displaying environmental virtue, often expressed through personal lifestyle changes, consumer choices, or symbolic acts to show one’s ecological awareness and commitment (Taylor, 2019). “Green media” frequently endorse this form of environmental virtue, while the audience looks up to experts in “green lifestyle” who use the media as a platform for spreading relevant and effective advice on sustainable consumption practices. Thus, some experts struggle to transition from an older mindset of a linear economy, focusing on one aspect of sustainable behavior, to adopting a more modern circular mindset that involves scrutinizing the role and impact of a specific activity in light of the entire product life cycle.
Our study investigates this problem by deconstructing the “expert talk” on green consumption, sustainability, and the circular economy. The study is informed by the following research questions: (1) What is the discourse on the use of reusable dishes; (2) What meanings are associated with green consumption, sustainability, and the circular economy that “experts” promote; and (3) In what ways do these meanings create ideological inclinations of capitalism, consumerism, sustainability, recycling, and a circular economy
CIVIC PARTICIPATION, POLITICAL TRUST, AND POLITICAL SELF-EFFICACY IN LATVIA
Get PDFCivic participation is a cornerstone of democratic societies, yet the underlying psychological and political factors that promote or hinder it remain a subject of scholarly debate. This study explores the relationships among civic participation, political trust, and political self-efficacy in Latvia to understand how individuals engage in civic activities. Drawing on a representative sample of 1005 Latvian residents aged 18 to 75 (M = 46.34, SD = 14.9), this research investigates how different forms of political self-efficacy and trust predict various types of civic participation.
The study was conducted as part of the national research program “Values in Action: promotion of responsible, secure and educated civil society in Latvia through research and model development” and data was collected via a survey in August and September 2020. Civic participation was operationalised through a comprehensive 30-item scale developed for this project, measuring behaviours ranging from electoral participation to political consumerism, NGO involvement, and social media activism. Factor analysis identified eight distinct types of civic participation
STATE OF THE ART OF RESEARCH ON RESPONSIBLE TOURISM EDUCATION: A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW
Get PDFResponsible Tourism Education (RTE) is considered as an important tool to advance the concept of sustainable development. The components of RTE contribute significantly to the future workforce of tourism, which affects the practice of responsible tourism principles not only by self but also by insisting on their business operations and other stakeholders. Several review studies examined various aspects of responsible tourism such as attitudes, behavior, awareness, actions and so on, in the context of tourism stakeholders like tourists, hoteliers, travel agents and tour operators, destination management organizations. However, there are no studies examined in the literature in detail on RTE. In this regard, the study examines state of the research on RTE in terms of curriculum, teaching and learning, tools and technologies, methodologies, issues, challenges and advantages, and emerging trends. In doing so, the study constitutes a systematic literature review of the studies published in the Scopus- indexed outlets and adopts the PRISMA technique for search, inclusion and exclusion strategy. Total 40 studies were considered for the final review. Analysis shows that the responsible tourism education and related principles are mainly emphasized on eco-tourism and related destination planning and development. Studies examined responsible tourism principles such as local participation, economic aspects, national parks and protected areas, environmental education, conservation management, public attitude and perception. The study suggests that there is a need to advance sustainability discourses, particularly in the context of the RTE for higher tourism educational institutes, to adopt new trends and address the associated issues and challenges
DEVELOPING FINANCING MODELS FOR PUBLIC GOODS RELATED TO NATURE- BASED TOURISM AND OUTDOOR RECREATION
Get PDFPublic goods enable people to live together as a community, provide common benefits, and support available activities such as tourism. However, these public goods require investment, construction, and maintenance. Cities and natural areas affected by tourism are increasingly under pressure, notably nature-based tourism or outdoor activities, which have seen a surge in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Higgins-Desbiolles describes tourism\u27s problem as an addiction to growth, which is fundamentally incompatible with sustainability goals (Higgins-Desbiolles, 2018).Apart from tourism\u27s negative impact on nature and protected areas, global warming imposes additional costs to compensate for or protect natural areas that hold great potential for both outdoor tourism and nature conservation itself, emphasizing the need to avoid an anthropocentric approach.On the flip side, tourism activities also create revenue for national and local governments to fund some expenditures. In the age of austerity, governments and local governments are looking for ways to deal with the funding issue for public goods fairly (Comerford et al., 2010; Crawford et al., 2010; Ortiz & Cummins, 2013). That brings us to our problem: How can we finance public goods related to nature-based tourism and outdoor activities in a sustainable way
IMPACT OF ONLINE REVIEWS ON CONSUMER PREFERENCES FOR TRAVEL AGENCIES IN AN EMERGING ECONOMY CONTEXT
Get PDFOnline reviews have emerged as a critical source of information, reflecting the experiences of previous travelers. Research in the past indicates that such reviews shape tourists’ perceptions of service quality, booking intentions, decision-making, and trust in travel services, ultimately influencing the evaluation of alternatives and finalizing travel arrangements. India, as a rapidly growing economy and a key player in both inbound and outbound tourism, has witnessed a significant rise in online travel agencies and widened services of existing travel agencies over recent years. Despite global interest on research in the role of online reviews, studies focusing specifically on the Indian context remain limited. This study investigates the impact of online customer reviews on travelers’ decision-making when selecting travel agencies in India. An online survey was conducted with tourists who had previously used online travel agencies, employing a questionnaire that addressed perceptions, decision-making processes, and their influence on agency selection. The total sample size was 150 and in the present study authors have focused only on domestic travelers. The study conducted in the month of June 2025. Authors have adopted existing measurement scale to develop the questionnaire based on the study variables