A Bourdieusian Framework for Understanding Public Space Heritage Transformations: Riga’s Castle Square

The article investigates how Bourdieu’s theory of practice can be mobilized to analyse the micro landscape decision-making in urban practice, framing it by means concept habitus. reconstruction Riga Castle Square UNESCO-protected area is used as a case study. Using vocabulary habitus-related concepts—illusio, doxa, and hysteresis—an attempt made trace interrelations between motivations actions professionals involved project their influence on outcomes. This assumes that symbolic significance place causes space, understood grid cognitive structures guiding agents choices, become salient. When representative public spaces are transformed, space imposes social physical through forms power specialists. In conclusion, offers an interpretation heritage manifestation habitus: Public thus exemplifies interface, expressing interplay traditional emerging values. findings reinforce relevance for researching non-physical phenomena practice. habitus supports conceptualization planning assemblages diverse interdependent interactional settings where fraternities communities communicate around communication defines determines decisions, shaping space. helps decompose micro-level socio-psychological dynamics underlying stakeholders’ relate macro phenomena, such distribution or participation.