Nordicum - Real Estate Annual Finland 2017 | Page 31

Photo : 3D Render adding that pushing these areas onwards sends a “ strong message ” that the city wants to pursue districts with specific growth potential .
“ There will be also other interesting , strongly developing areas under the city plan – the key here will be the use of rail to accommodate for smooth logistics .”
Human Touch
Vision 2050 states that Helsinki is “ a city with a human scale ”. Urban spaces will be designed on terms that suit pedestrians , allowing for unprecedented walkability . In the future , people will flock to cities that are pleasant to live in , where everyday life runs smoothly , and where the range of opportunities is ever-expanding for people and businesses alike .
The City of Helsinki acknowledges that achieving this vision requires a great deal from the planning process . After all , practices tied to the increasingly strict set of norms ( and the consideration of sometimes conflicting values ) easily lead to compromises that serve no purpose at all .
Vision 2050 determines a clear-cut target state which can reached , but not without some tough choices about values . However , the City feels that these choices have to be made , since the decentralisation of the region ’ s community structure , increasing traffic congestion , and housing prices ballooning to a level beyond the reach of regular wage earners is to no one ’ s advantage .
Solid City
According to the new city plan , one-third of the new construction planned for the next few decades will be fill-in construction , solidifying the urban structure . Another
one-third of the new floor space allowed by the city plan will be focused on city boulevards as the inner city expands . Large motorway-like access roads will be turned into city boulevards . The primary goal is to improve the city structure rather than to come up with traffic and transport solutions only . The new boulevards will allow whole new city districts to be built as extensions of the current inner city .
“ We look at the city boulevards as something which enables growth in many places which have been , possibly , overlooked until now ,” adds Piimies .
The remaining one-third of the new construction will consist of large new areas , the main one of which is the Malmi airport area , which can be re-developed into homes for 25,000 residents .
Draw Up the Timeline
According to Piimies , the city plan process has already advanced to its next phase – the making of the execution plan . “ In 2017 , we ’ re composing the execution plan in order to come up with a schedule for everything we need to accomplish .” In addition to this effort , also regular zoning operations are carried out as usual .
The Helsinki city plan is also integrated with plans for the entire Helsinki Region and its municipalities . The city plan relies on a joint plan for a traffic and transport system and land use as well as on a joint housing strategy . Rapid growth is , after all , a reality not only in Helsinki but in the entire Helsinki Region , as the Helsinki Metropolitan Area ( HMA ) serves as the premier economic engine of the nation . l
Sami J . Anteroinen other parts of Helsinki . The light rail network will further complement this highly effective traffic system . The city will be concentrated along the traffic arteries , the expanding centres and in what are currently highway-like areas .
Hub Excellence
The city plan acknowledges that there are special “ hot zones ” for growth in the city – such as the “ power triangle ” of Pasila – Vallila – Kalasatama .
“ With the development of these three neighbourhoods , Helsinki will gain another hub for business and services in addition to the downtown area ,” Marja Piimies says ,
Photo : Helin & Co Architects , Voima Graphics Oy
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