A 15-minute urban village in the works for Kalajärvi
The planning for Espoo’s northern and central areas progresses. District plans that specify land use planning for the local detailed plan are being planned for Kalajärvi and Viiskorpi. New construction in Kalajärvi could bring approximately 5,000 new residents to the area.
The plan is to create a 15-minute urban village in Kalajärvi, where shops, services and other important daily locations can be reached within 15 minutes by walking, cycling or using public transport. In the future, the majority of the residents of Kalajärvi will live 600 metres away from the centre and public transport stops.
“In terms of urban landscape, the Kalajärvi neighbourhood will feature low-rises, terraced houses and detached houses built close together and around a centre of human scale. We want to create a communal and village-like milieu,” says Architect Jussi Partanen from the Espoo Urban Planning Department.
Kalajärvi will remain a green and natural area. Plans include a new local sports park and new outdoor routes alongside existing ones, among other things. Each apartment should have access to nearby nature and recreational routes within a walking distance of no more than 300 metres.
The status of Kalajärvi as a local centre will be strengthened and services will develop in the current Kalajärvi centre area south of Vihdintie. The development work on Kalajärvi centre will continue as the planning of the changes to the local detailed plan of the Vaskitsamäki area north of Vihdintie will progress in the coming years. The developing local services in the centre of Kalajärvi also serve the surrounding areas with detached houses. Developing areas with detached houses include Niipperinniitty and Antinmäki to the south as well as Metsämaa and Odilampi to the east.
An information and discussion event will be organised for the residents in the spring, where the district plan will be presented in more detail and the plans will be discussed. The event will be organised in cooperation with the Kalajärvi association, and the time of the event will be specified in early 2023.
The Viiskorpi district plan, to be completed in spring 2023, is also underway for the nearby areas included in the master plan for the northern and central areas of Espoo. Similarly to Kalajärvi, a 15-minute urban village is also planned for Viiskorpi. The future of the region has been planned with the residents at two workshops during the summer and autumn. In addition to workshops, residents were asked to provide feedback through two map surveys.
- Zoning