Espoo Master Plan 2060 blog post series: Nature in a Growing City

Espoo residents have an abiding love of nature. How do we preserve nature and enhance its condition as the city grows? Achieving a balance between increasing population and construction with biodiversity and recreational use is a major challenge. Espoo Master Plan 2060 gives us the opportunity to solve this challenge for the city as a whole, with an eye far into the future.

Even though Espoo is the second largest city in Finland, we still have an exceptional amount of biodiversity. According to population projections, Espoo will grow faster in the next few years than any other Finnish city, and this growth will continue in the future.

With the help of Espoo Master Plan 2060, we can also take care of nature in a growing city. We can steer growth in the long term so that construction is targeted at areas of lower natural value and important ecological connections are secured. We can also safeguard biodiversity by various means and identify areas that need to be protected.

Nature in Espoo reflects the various landscapes of Finland as a whole. Lush river valleys, fertile fields and cultural landscapes are part of Espoo’s landscape and typical of southern Finland. The feel of a real northern wilderness can be experienced in the Nuuksio lake upland, where inland waters, mires and extensive rocky forests form a unified natural whole.

There are some one hundred lakes and ponds in Espoo, thus bringing a taste of the Finnish lakeland to northern Espoo. The Espoo archipelago and coast showcase the diversity of a maritime environment. Varying light and moisture conditions, soil and topography create a wide range of of habitats.

Nature core areas are extensive forest or other natural areas that are as uninterrupted as possible.  The core areas contain biotopes that are vital to species, including endangered species. They also support seasonal migrations, such as when species are looking for feeding and breeding grounds.

The nature core areas of Espoo consist of

• more extensive, uninterrupted forest areas, such as the Nuuksio lake upland
• Natura and protected areas
• other more biodiverse and extensive areas, such as Espoo Central Park.

When we want to take care of nature, we must preserve not only the nature core areas, but also the ecological network and ecological connections. The ecological network consists of the nature core areas and the ecological connections between them. Ecological connections are natural stretches along which various species can move between nature and green areas.

The Nuuksio lake upland is the largest and most important concentration of biodiversity in our city. It provides habitats for endangered species and serves as a popular hiking and outdoor recreation area. In Nuuksio, outdoor enthusiasts can experience the peace and quiet of nature, spot a capercaillie or hear the churring of a European nightjar on a summer’s night. You can hike there with your family or friends and explore the exhibitions at the Finnish Nature Centre Haltia.

When drafting the master plan, it is essential for us to preserve the unified natural entity of the Nuuksio lake uplands and its natural values. In Espoo Master Plan 2060, we specify the extensive network of recreational areas and ecological connections in the lake upland. In other words, the master plan allows us to ensure that the lake upland remains our natural crown jewel for years to come.

Another key nature core area is Espoo Central Park. It consists of large, connected forest and field areas and is an integral part of the ecological network of southern Espoo. Central Park serves as a habitat for flying squirrels, Daubenton’s bats, hazel grouse, deer and green shield-moss. At the same time, it is one of the most important recreational areas for Espoo residents.

In the master plan, we consider what is special about Central Park with regard to both nature and humans and how these values can be safeguarded. Harmonising nature values and recreational use poses challenges, particularly in the Central Park area.

Even though trail users need lighting, many people also want to walk, run or mountain bike off-trail. Wear and tear on the terrain, lighting and disturbances caused by humans make it harder for plant and animal species to thrive.

There are many ways to harmonise these things in urban planning. In the master plan, we aim to identify areas that have both a high nature value and are in heavy recreational use. Based on this, the local detailed plan will give a more detailed consideration of, for example, how visitor movement in different areas can be steered, what kind of recreational services can be provided and what kind of protected area regulations would help plant and animal species thrive.

Espoo has more than 130 nature reserves and protected habitats. They encompass more than 13% of our city’s land area.

New sites requiring protection have been identified, for example, in the Action Program for Natural Diversity and nature surveys. Based on these, we will designate new reserves for protected areas in the master plan. We also identify other areas crucial to biodiversity that complement and strengthen the network of protected areas.

Because the population of Espoo is growing, it is inevitable that new construction areas will have to be designated in the master plan for undeveloped areas. There will be a reduction in natural area as the city grows, but restoring nature sites will allow us to improve the state of nature and biodiversity.

Restoration may include restoring the water balance of a mire by damming drainage ditches. At the master plan level, we aim to identify sites suitable for restoration. Restoration sites can be part of the ecological network, and improving these sites will also improve the state of the network.

In the master plan, we examine the state and functionality of the ecological network and consider goals for ecological connections. For the ecological network, it is essential that ecological connections between nature core areas remain functional.

Breaks in the ecological network include traffic routes or built areas that prevent species from moving from one natural area to another. The situation can be improved, for example, by building overpasses and underpasses for traffic routes. When an environment is developed, the ecological network can be strengthened, for example, by planting more trees and protective vegetation and preserving green areas.

Espoo Master Plan 2060 encompasses the entire city. For the first time, we can designate the entire ecological network of Espoo in the master plan. We can identify specific areas for development and set targets for the width and quality of ecological connections.

The work will continue after completion of the master plan. The connections and development sites indicated in the master plan steer more detailed planning and help us strengthen the ecological network at all levels of planning and implementation. The width, quality and location of ecological connections and their development measures are defined in local detailed plans and other more detailed planning.

Nature knows no municipal boundaries. The functionality of the ecological network throughout the region requires that the nature core areas of Espoo remain forested and uninterrupted as well as that ecological connections extend across municipal boundaries.

In drafting the master plan, we plan ecological connections in cooperation with neighbouring municipalities. This ensures regional continuity of the connections.

Promoting biodiversity requires an open dialogue between different actors: within the city and with authorities and residents. Together, we can identify essential objectives concerning urban nature and advance planning solutions and measures that support the achievement of these objectives.   

Every year, numerous nature surveys are conducted in different sectors of the city, thus increasing and updating information on nature. In addition to up-to-date information, its availability and user-friendliness are essential to planning.

Espoo has a new nature information system in which information is collected in a single location and easily shared with other sectors. The availability of plan and nature information will be further developed, and information will also be made more accessible to residents in the future.

Authors: Special planners Tanja Hämäläinen and Philippe Parisot are responsible for matters concerning the natural environment in the master plan and harmonising nature aspects with other land use aspects.

Learn more:

• Master Planning in Espoo
• Espoo Master Plan 2060