Espoon keskus

 Located by the railway, Espoon keskus is the transforming heart of Espoo. The area combines excellent transport connections and versatile and constantly improving services with a Finnish cultural landscape. Public transport connections will be further improved once the Espoo Rail Line is completed. The section between Leppävaara and Espoon keskus will be completed in 2028 and the entire project in 2029.

The transformation of Espoon keskus will continue in the coming years. The goal is to turn the former administrative centre into a modern and attractive urban centre with homes and workplaces. New residential buildings and high-quality paths for pedestrians and cyclists will be built close to services and public transport connections.

Espoon keskus currently has a population of 25,000, and the number is expected to reach 35,000 by 2060.

Espoon keskus is the administrative centre of Espoo. The former administrative centre on the northern side of the railway station will be replaced by the Espoo House, providing a meeting place for Espoo residents, city staff and elected officials.

Espoon keskus is the first urban centre in the capital region when coming from the direction of Turku. 

The evolving urban centre is located right next to the Espoonjoki river. The Espoo Cathedral, the most important historical building in Espoo, also stands by the river. 

The development of Espoo’s northern and central parts is also progressing on a wider scale, as the Espoo master plan is currently being prepared. The city’s master plan extends to 2060. It will steer the placement of housing, services, workplaces and recreational areas as well as transport and mobility. The goal is to carry out changes in a sustainable manner from the viewpoint of people, nature and the economy. 

The Vanha-Espoo area includes the following districts: Espoon keskus, Gumböle, Högnäs, Järvenperä, Karhusuo, Karvasmäki, Kaupunginkallio, Kolmperä, Kunnarla, Kuurinniitty, Muurala, Nupuri, Nuuksio, Siikajärvi, Vanha-Nuuksio and Ämmässuo. 

Are you a property developer or an investor? Read more about the opportunities in the Espoon keskus area. 

Espoon keskus will change in many ways during this decade. 

 The new Espoo House, a meeting place for Espoo residents and city staff, will be built on the northern side of the station. The building will include premises for the city administration, various services, cultural and business activities as well as spaces that serve decision-making and cooperation between the city organisation and residents. 

An architecture competition was organised to find a design for the building. The winning entry ‘Kohtaamisia’ (‘Encounters’ in English) was submitted by the Finnish-Danish consortium Cobe + Lundén Architecture Company. The aim is to inaugurate the building in 2031.

The development of the area on the southern side of the railway tracks will continue, and the extension of the Espoontori shopping centre will bring more services to the area. The shopping centre will have more commercial premises and a hypermarket. Apartments and park-and-ride facilities will also be built in connection with Espoontori. 

Another hypermarket will be built next to the Entresse shopping centre. The complex will also include two apartment buildings.

In the coming years, new residential buildings will be built in the Suviniitty neighbourhood, located close to the services and station in Espoon keskus.

Pedestrian and cycling routes between Suvela and the station will be improved, and a bridge across Sunantie is also being planned.

The Espoo Rail Line will add two new tracks between Leppävaara and Kauklahti and thus further improve public transport connections to and from Espoon keskus. A bus terminal will be built between Espoontori and the railway tracks, making it easy for passengers to transfer from one means of transport to another. 

The Espoo Rail Line is part of the West Railway project (formerly known as the One-hour Turku Rail Link project). Once completed, the high-speed rail link between Helsinki and Turku will create a common commuting area for 1.5 million people.