Most asked questions - Espoo Master Plan 2060

Espoo is a city that attracts both new residents and businesses. Espoo has grown steadily for decades, and the pace seems to be speeding up instead of slowing down. Espoo also benefits from its position in international competition with other cities.

The population increase in Espoo is part of a larger phenomenon of urbanisation. Urban regions with their jobs and services are attractive to people. In fact, the growth pressure concerns the entire Helsinki Metropolitan Area.

The master plan does not aim for growth but strives to address the existing growth pressure, which will continue to impact the region in future. In a growing city, the growth must be planned carefully to make sure the benefits of growth surpass the negative aspects of growth. The master plan serves as a tool for discussion and decision-making and it guides the growth and development of Espoo.

The growth forecast is based on Espoo’s own population forecasts and regional estimates. Two alternative population trend forecasts up to 2060 have been prepared for Espoo. According to the more moderate forecast, Espoo is estimated to have 472,000 residents in 2060. The alternative forecast suggests a population of 512,000 residents.

The master plan helps the city prepare for rapid growth. However, the master plan does not automatically lead to more property development or an increase in population growth. If the growth slows down, the need for construction decreases, in which case the master plan will not be fully realised.

Many things –including the master plan – can change before 2060. If the growth of population slows down before 2060, the plans will be adjusted.

The MAL agreement is a joint agreement on land use, housing and transport between the state and municipalities in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. The parties agree on the distribution of population growth in different cities in the region. Each city agrees to plan a specific volume of new housing to keep the cost of living at a reasonable level.

As the population grows, the traffic infrastructure must be adjusted to make transport efficient in the future. As part of the agreement, the state covers some of the costs of larger traffic projects.

Espoo is becoming more urban especially in the city centres, their surroundings and by railway lines. When more apartments are needed, it is reasonable to develop new buildings relatively close together to leave more space for nature and allow the familiar small-house areas retain their character. The denser areas bring about not only new residents but also businesses and services.

Approximately 85 per cent of growth will take place by the existing and new railway connections. The railway lines enable people to travel efficiently by public transport, which means that the volume of road traffic will not increase at the same pace as the population. The new connections will also improve the transport opportunities of Espoo residents who cannot or prefer not to travel by car. This group of people includes many elderly people, young people, and children.

It is important to remember that the planned changes are not immediate or will possibly never be realised. The master plan does not obligate the city to develop new property. The plan is used to draw up more detailed plans. Construction is possible after detailed planning.

Diverse housing solutions are necessary in a city. A person’s residential needs change at different stages of life, and it is not sensible to pitch different types of housing against each other. At some point of a person’s life, it may be necessary to move from a detached house to an accessible flat, for example. In that situation, it is good to have options in a familiar area.

With the master plan, the city aims to direct construction so that the new areas would be attractive and of high quality. The general plan regulations state that areas dominated by blocks of flats and urban centres must be developed in a way that ensures a balance of flats of different sizes and housing tenures, such as owner-occupied and rental flats.

As the population grows, various mobility needs increase as well. These include commuting to work and educational institutions, use of services, and recreational trips. In other words, increase in population means increase in traffic.

The master plan helps us design the city’s transport system so that public transport, walking and cycling as well as driving are all efficient options that make the residents’ daily life easier.

Rail traffic is very efficient: a train, metro or tram carriage fits a large number of people. Thus, rail traffic saves space in the city and reduces emissions from traffic. This also ensures smooth road traffic and reduces the need to build new routes and parking spaces.

The development of new rails is a question for a later time. Nevertheless, Espoo Master Plan 2060 must take it into consideration.

If the population keeps growing as estimated and the rail system cannot be developed, substantial investments must be made in traffic routes. The number of motorists and traffic jams would increase, and parking areas would have to be extended.

The master plan is based on the current rough estimate of costs. The scale of the final investment has yet to be determined.

Espoo Master Plan 2060 aims to slow down and adapt to climate change.

For example, we aim to make public transport, cycling and walking attractive to people. Building relatively dense urban centres and residential areas reduces the need to use green areas for construction, which secures carbon sinks. The master plan reserves enough space for renewable and low-emission energy production.

In Espoo, climate change means more rain and a higher risk of floods. The flood risk areas have been taken into account in the plan. The plan provides that detailed plans must include a stormwater management plan. Stormwater means, for example, rainwater from yards and streets. Stormwater can cause floods and strain on the water system. This can be prevented through careful planning and, for example, stormwater delaying structures.

As the population grows, more housing and services are needed. Businesses need facilities and employees. At the same time, the city wants to take care of nature and protect biodiversity.

We need to find a balance for the master plan: we aim to find solutions that make coordinating these conflicting objectives possible.

The master plan indicates the main green area network and surface water and groundwater locations in Espoo. The green area network consists of, for example, recreational areas, agriculture and forestry areas and nature reserves. The green area network makes up approximately 50 per cent of the master plan land area.

The master plan also indicates the ecological connections running mainly through recreational areas, through which organisms can move from one area to another. The master plan helps us ensure that the green area network is not fragmented and uncontrollable.

There is plenty of local nature in the plan, however, not all of it is visible on the plan map because the master plan is made at a rough level. The plan only defines the main purpose of each area. For example, there are other functions in a residential area, including local nature and recreational opportunities.

The general regulations provide that there is a maximum distance of 300 metres from a dwelling to a recreational area.

The Espoo Central Park will expand by over 30 per cent when new areas are added to it in Espoo Master Plan 2060. The plan protects current recreational areas bordered by the Central Park. The borders will be defined closer in the plan proposal.

Part of the current forestry areas bordered by the Central Park have been designated for construction in the current partial master plans. The majority of these areas have been designated for construction also in Espoo Master Plan 2060.

The master plan allocates areas for significant public services, such as schools and sports parks, so that they will meet the service needs of the growing population until 2060.

Local services are usually smaller, for example, day care centres. They are included in areas reserved for residential buildings, including housing areas and centres. The need for local services will be addressed in further plans, which will indicate the service locations more accurately and scale the services to local population growth and service needs.

The following entities are responsible for the planning of service networks:

• Growth and Learning Sector (incl. schools and day care centres)
• Sector for Economic Development (sports and culture)
• Western Uusimaa Wellbeing Services County (social and health care services).

The plan will ensure appropriate locations for services also in the future.

In the urban structure of Espoo, retail services are centred in urban centres. Urban centres have shopping centres and smaller centres have shopping areas or grocery shops. They offer local retail services that can be easily accessed through different modes of transport. Brick-and-mortar shops and individual commercial premises supplement these services.

The master plan will place retail services in centres also in the future. In this way, we can prepare for the increasing need for retail services in further planning. 
Outside centres, commerce will be primarily located near the stops of the trunk lines of the public transport system. The aim is to ensure that everyone has access to services whether they have a car or not.

The master plan also allocates separate retail service areas for commerce that requires a lot of space.

The master plan prepares for 50,000–90,000 new jobs. The workplaces will be located mainly in employment areas and centres.

Important employment areas include Otaniemi–Keilaniemi, the southern part of Hista, and the Orion area. In addition, new employment areas have been planned for Mankki and Mankinpelto, for example. In the future, employment will be centred in easily accessible locations and urban centres.

Espoo is an attractive location for businesses, because the city offers a variety of diverse employment areas and locations near excellent transport connections. The master plan reserves locations for office, retail and service businesses. Companies that cause environmental disturbances are allocated away from residential areas.

The master plan concerns the future of whole Espoo. It impacts, for example, the residents, communities, businesses, and those who commute to Espoo for work. They can all participate in the process and give feedback on the plan.

The master plan is for all residents, communities and businesses in Espoo. The aim is to create a city that works efficiently as a whole. This means that no group or area can get everything it wants. City planning is about coordination and seeking the best possible solution.

Not all resident groups are equally active participants in the process. Thus, we emphasise the needs of children and young people as well as residents with immigrant backgrounds in the interactive development of the master plan.

The master plan will also impact future generations and nature, which cannot represent themselves, and this presents an additional challenge for the project. Nevertheless, the planners must also take into account these needs.

The master plan will guide the development of the city in the long term. By giving feedback on the draft master plan, you can contribute to the development of Espoo both at the city level and locally.

By participating in the master plan preparation, you can influence the designated purpose of each area and the areas and structures to be preserved. The master plan guides the detailed planning of each area.

The first version of the master plan is now available to the public. Your feedback may be utilised in further planning. Now is your best opportunity to influence the plan and the development of Espoo.

The plan map is a planning tool. The map and plan regulations will be revised as the planning progresses. It is also easier for residents and elected officials to comment on the concrete map than general ideas. A draft plan has been made available for public review, and it will be modified based on feedback from residents and authorities as well as new reports and decisions.

All feedback is processed by the planners of the City Planning Department. In addition to opinions, the City Planning Department receives feedback from authorities, for example.

Some of the feedback may concern an individual, easy to identify area or subject, and some opinions may be general and a matter of principle. Some feedback can lead directly to a change in a specific design solution, whereas some feedback may require further investigation. All feedback is valuable information for the preparation of a plan proposal.

The opinions provided through the map platform are already geographic information material. This means that the opinion will be linked with the location it is about. If written feedback concerns a specific location or area, it will be converted into geographic information. This allows planners and experts to make the best use of the information in planning.

When a plan proposal is published, its plan summary explains how opinions were taken into account in the planning.