New Narva plan shifts focus to riverfront, city center as population shrinks
Narva approved a new comprehensive plan concentrating development more centrally while leaving room for future growth — including a possible future tram to Narva-Jõesuu.
Unlike earlier plans that treated Narva as a growing city and tightly restricted earlier construction, the new approach is rooted firmly in its current reality. The northeastern border city is losing about 1,000 residents a year, and just over 50,000 people now live in a city built for 80,000.
To respond, the city is deliberately changing course, said Kaie Enno, director of Narva's Architecture and Urban Planning Department. Acknowledging the reality Narva is facing will allow it to react and better redirect development where it still makes sense.
"The sooner we recognize that the city is shrinking, the better we can respond and perhaps even influence some processes," Enno said. "We're acknowledging the decline, but the comprehensive plan is designed to slow it."
A key principle of the new plan is flexibility. It will open up areas previously closed to development, reduce bureaucracy and enable several large projects to move forward.
Among other things, changes in land-use designation would allow the Estonian Defense Forces (EDF) to begin work on its planned base in town and give factories in the city's industrial park room to expand.
Enno said local business-owners stand to benefit most, as projects stalled for years under earlier restrictions can now proceed.
"In many places, even simple developments were blocked for years by the old plan," she said.
As a shrinking city, Narva will no longer expand in all directions. Instead, the riverfront and city center will be designated as focal areas, where all large-scale public-use buildings will be located.
The plan also leaves room for a future tram connection to the nearby coastal resort destination Narva-Jõesuu, though officials stress an actual tram is not yet imminent.
"We understand Narva won't be getting a tram in the next 10 to 15 years," Enno acknowledged. "But should we start to reconstruct Kangelaste prospekt, for example, then that should account for a tram corridor — to ensure it could accommodate one in the future."
Narva City Council approved the plan with support from 27 councilmembers, signaling that major decisions are being shaped by broad consensus across various political forces.
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Editor: Aili Vahtla
