The spatial environment of Riga is undergoing active development whose direct impact is also being exerted on the large-scale housing estates – by quantity the most significant part of the residential environment of Riga. Since about 60% of city inhabitants live in large-scale residential districts, which constitute approximately 40% of the housing stock of Riga, the future prospects for these areas is an urgent issue for urban development. Participatory planning is an approach to facilitate a more open process for their development. Public involvement, residents’ participation and a qualitative appraisal of their needs and interests are believed to help urban communities to articulate shared values which can serve as reference criteria for local planners when developing sustainable city strategies. Students’ participation in real-life processes allows them to gain new insights in development planning. This paper focuses on the goal of developing the objectives of participatory planning by examination of local initiatives.