Espoo organises an idea competition to develop the centre of Leppävaara – the goal is to achieve a unified and attractive city centre area
The City of Espoo is organising an international two-phase idea competition for the design and implementation of the centre of Leppävaara. The aim of the competition is to find a functionally, visually and architecturally high overall vision for the area north of the railway line based, on the basis of which the area will be developed.
The total planning area, including the actual competition area and the related study areas, is 24 hectares in size. The area is bordered on the north by Laurea University of Applied Sciences, Leppävaara Sports Park, and Konstaapelinkatu and on the south by the extension currently planned by Sello. To the east, the area is bordered by Ring I and to the west by Gransinrinne. The competition area also includes the Gransinmäki plots of Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, demolished in spring 2020. and Leppävaara fire station and volunteer fire department.
In addition to the service station, the competition area covers in current Northern Leppävaara city centre Läkkisepänaukio square, Läkkitori square, Leppävaara Health Centre and the two-storey commercial building located in the block between Leppävaaranraitti and Läkkisepänaukio that houses Alepa, among other shops. The development of the city centre is preparing for the option of locating the health centre or the health and social services centre of the Wellbeing Services County as part of the new construction of the city centre.
Gransinrinne, shopping centre Galleria and the related parking facility as well as the properties located in Harakantie 18–22 are all privately owned and not included in the actual competition area. However, they are an integral part of the Northern Leppävaara city centre and, as such, a part of the first competition phase. Any follow-up measures to private properties will be negotiated separately with the owners of the properties in question.
In the north-western part of the competition area is Nupukivenkallio Park, which includes fortresses from the First World War. It is not possible to include above-ground construction in this protected area, but the possibility of locating a parking cave in the bedrock is now being explored.
The city will initiate urban planning for the area based on the winning entry or entries and grant one or more planning reservations to the area. Construction in the planning area could start approximately in 2026–2027.