Leppävaara – a transport and business hub

The transport connections improved even further in October 2023 when the light rail line 15 started operating. The light rail route runs between Keilaniemi in Espoo and Itäkeskus in eastern Helsinki. The new light rail line interlinks Leppävaara, Otaniemi and Keilaniemi - Espoo’s most significant high-technology employment areas. Light rail line also connects the West Metro line and the train tracks at Leppävaara, Espoo’s main railway station, into a combined system. 

The upcoming Espoo Rail Line, which will start operating in 2029, will be made of two additional tracks built between Leppävaara and Kauklahti. Two tracks will be used by long-distance transport and rapid local transport, while two will be used by the frequent commuter trains.

The general planning of the new light rail line between Matinkylä and Leppävaara will begin in 2025.

Leppävaara is also a cultural and entertainment centre. Sello Library with its concert halls, the Gallen-Kallela Museum, movie theatres, several restaurants, GLO Hotel and recreational activities such as a bowling alley are available in Leppävaara. Shopping centre Sello is one of the biggest and most ecological shopping centres in the Nordic countries.

The sports park in Leppävaara is the biggest of Espoo’s seven sports parks and offers a wide range of different sports activities. There’s an athletics stadium, a swimming hall with an outdoor pool, and an ice rink. A new athletics-oriented multi-function hall called Kameleonten in the middle of the sports park opened in summer 2023. Kilo and Leppävaara Manor riding halls and a golf driving range, Vermo harness racing centre, a disc golf course and the Angry Birds Park are also located in Leppävaara.

According to a study conducted in 2019, Leppävaara is the favourite location for companies within Espoo. In the area, there are approximately 30,000 jobs, which is one fourth of all jobs in Espoo. Most of these are in the fields of information and technology. The other most notable business areas in Leppävaara are retail and wholesale, and education.

Leppävaara is an active education centre that provides opportunities to study for all ages. In addition to the extensive network of comprehensive schools and the general upper secondary school with a sports emphasis, Leppävaara also has education provided by Laurea and Metropolia University of Applied Sciences to offer and the Adult Education Centre. Finnish School of watchmaking is also located in Leppävaara.

• Nokia headquarters
• Yara Suomi Oy headquarters
• Ramboll headquarters
• Caruna headquarters
• Lujatalo Oy headquarters
• Eltel Networks Oy headquarters
• Siemens Suomi Oy
• Tech Data Oy headquarters
• Trimble Finnish headquarters
• Sitowise headquarters

The Leppävaara centre is being developed as a dense urban area relying on sustainable traffic where housing and services go hand in hand.

In the next 10 years, the central Leppävaara will grow through residential and commercial construction. Housing for an additional 10,000 people will be finished by 2030. The first transversal track of the greater Helsinki area connects Leppävaara to the Otaniemi campus and metro station.

The currently wide range of services will be further increased as the new Hatsinanpuisto business centre will be in use.

The development work aims to strengthen the image of Leppävaara as an independent city centre and Leppävaara’s compact city structure will be an example of how inhabitants can lead their daily lives without private vehicles.

The building project of Leppävaara centre is the most important development project in the area. At the moment, the old Turku highway and the railway track divide Leppävaara centre. Through the project, the dividing effect will be diminished, north and south Leppävaara will be better connected by a new terminal bridge and the transportation terminal can be lifted to a whole new level. Read more about the international idea competition.

Shopping Centre Sello will be expanded on top of the railway. There will be approximately 10,000 m2 of additional space. The shopping centre will be connected to a terminal building built over the railway, providing access to the station platforms and the bus terminal. Construction will begin in 2026 at the earliest. Read more about the expansion of Sello shopping centre.

Oasis of Professionals "OOPS" will further increase Leppävaara’s current offering of commercial services. One of the largest property development projects in the metropolitan area entails nearly 100,000 square metres of new office and commercial space, free time activities, a hotel and apartments.

The Hatsinanpuisto area is prominently located in the intersection of Ring Road I, the main railway track and the light rail line 15 route. The wide-ranging set of services will reach more than 20,000 people living in the immediate impact zone of Hatsina, whereas nearly 500,000 people will be living within 15 minutes’ drive from the development.

Read more about OOPS(external link, opens in a new window).

In Säterinkallionkulma, less than a kilometre from the Leppävaara public transport terminal and Shopping Centre Sello, housing is being planned for approximately 800 residents. The area will be built as a pleasant high-quality living and operating environment near the services of Leppävaara. The cityscape of the area will be dense and urban. The area will be built close to the light rail line 15, and one of the stops of the light rail line is in the area. Construction is underway.

A new multi-sport hall called Kameleonten was completed in the Leppävaara sports park in the summer of 2023. The hall is partly two-storeyed, approximately 180x77 metres in size. In addition to an athletics field and a running track, there are several playing fields and gyms suitable for different uses, office facilities and a café in the building. 

National and international level athletics competitions can be held at Kameleontti.

In Vermonniitty residential construction of 227,000 m² of floor area will provide a home to 6,000 new inhabitants. New construction records have been made in Vermonniitty in several years. The construction will be largely completed by 2025.

The accessibility of the area is ideal. Light rail line 15, which started operating in October 2023, further improves transport connections. There are light rail stops in Perkkaa and Vermonniitty.

Residential buildings and homes for 1,200 new inhabitants will be built in the current vocational school area in Puustellinmäki. The construction project of approximately 60,000 m² of floor area takes place between 2019 and 2025.