Renovations around the Kauklahti station
The local detailed plan for the Lasihytti area and the change to the local detailed plan planned in Kauklahti, Espoo, will soon be discussed by the City Board. The new area, mainly located south of the Coastal Railway, will be connected to the old centre of Kauklahti. In the future, the Lasihytti area will be home to approximately 4,000 inhabitants.
The plan project was launched in 2019 and aimed to ensure the coordination of the area's natural values and new construction. The Urban Planning Board approved the plan proposal in November 2022. The City Board will discuss the project at its meeting on Monday 30 October 2023.
The objective of the local detailed plan work in the Lasihytti area is to enable the versatile development of the Kauklahti station area. New housing will be allocated to the area while extending the urban railway line to Kauklahti will be made possible. The planning also takes into account the preservation of the natural values of the Espoonjoki river flowing through the area.
The total area of the plan area is 48.2 hectares. The planning area is located in Kauklahti on both sides of the Coastal Railway. Most of the area is located south of the Kauklahti station in the area between the railway and Hyttimestarintie roads. In the west, the area is bordered by Kauklahdenväylä and by Hansatie in the north. In the east, the area extends approximately 400 metres east of Vantinportti to a field in Espoonjokilaakso which is not in the local detailed plan.
‘The local detailed plan for Lasihytti promotes Espoo's polycentric and well-connected urban structure,’ says Olli Isotalo, Urban Environment Director.
An area close to nature with good transport connections
The Espoonjoki river passes through the entire planning area, and the Espoonjoki valley is part of a regionally valuable landscape area. Currently, the riverbank and surrounding areas of the Espoonjoki River and their surroundings are clear, with the exception of the shrubs and forests in their natural state in the north-east. The industrial plots located south of the railway line now extend almost to the riverbed.
As the local detailed plan is being drafted, the area now serving as an industrial and warehouse area will be made available to residents. The local detailed plan also increases the possibilities of using Espoonjoki and its shore areas for residents of the entire Kauklahti area.
The change in the local detailed plan will bring Espoonjoki closer to the residents of the area.
‘The Espoonjoki river will gain new significance in the Lasihytti area when a varied array of housing, park areas and services will be built on both sides of the river,’ says Project Manager Mikko Kivinen.
The shores of the Espoonjoki river are mainly kept in their natural state, and access to the river bank will be directed to new outdoor routes and more developed park areas along the river. The plan obliges delaying stormwater run-off and processing the run-off in areas with traffic also in a qualitative manner before they are let out into the Espoonjoki river which is sensitive to flooding. This will avoid the damage caused by stormwater run-off in the environment and prevent flooding in Espoonjoki.
The transport connections of public transport in the area will also be improved. A new public transport terminal has been planned for the area south of the railway line to support bus and train transfer connections. Space for park-and-ride facilities have also been allocated next to the terminal. The Espoo City Railway will also be taken into account in traffic planning, and the construction of the tracks will result in two new tracks at the Kauklahti station.