My Espoo on the Map - Where are Espoo’s most functional urban centres and what is their secret?

The geographical information collected was used to study all five urban centres in Espoo: Leppävaara, Tapiola, Matinkylä, Espoonlahti and Espoon keskus (Espoo Centre). In total, the respondents marked 3,233 centres important to them on the map. Of these, 1,488 were considered to be functional at present, 1,343 to be in need of development and 197 to be new ones.

The survey results showed that, according to Espoo residents, Matinkylä is clearly the most functional centre. Leppävaara was ranked second with very similar results, but still well behind Matinkylä. In the middle was Tapiola, for which the answers were clearly divided: many people considered it functional and almost just as many considered it to be in need of development.

According to the respondents, Espoon keskus was clearly the centre that needs development the most. The centre most in need of development after Espoon keskus was Espoonlahti.

Examining the locations of the respondents’ homes revealed that the centres were marked as functional by Espoo residents who did not live in the centres. This means that urban centres are also used by Espoo residents who do not live in the vicinity of these centres. The exception to this was Espoonlahti, as the entries related to it came mostly from the residents of the local area.

In addition, it was noted that especially in Leppävaara and Matinkylä, the markings indicating a centre in need of development came more often from local residents. This may be indicative of residents' concern for their immediate surroundings and desire to influence the development of their own residential area.
 

Sorting the free-form answers by theme revealed what exactly were the strengths and weaknesses of each centre.

Matinkylä’s most evident strength is the Iso Omena shopping centre, which has become the heart of the area. The area had no obvious weaknesses, but the fear of local nature disappearing and the desire for better traffic arrangements were noticeable. In addition, some of the respondents also wanted the area to be developed in places not in the vicinity of the shopping centre.

In Leppävaara, the service offering, especially at the shopping centre Sello, was praised. In addition, transport connections were considered very functional. According to respondents, the northern side of Leppävaara in particular should be renovated, and they hoped for better solutions there, both in terms of land use and appearance. Improving the safety of the station area was also considered important.

Tapiola’s reform was considered successful, and the service offering increased by the shopping centre Ainoa was considered good. At the same time, respondents hoped that old buildings would be renovated and that the development of the centre would continue. New construction received conflicting feedback: many felt that the splendour and garden city atmosphere of Tapiola had disappeared. Respondents also wanted to get rid of long-standing construction sites.

At the time of the survey, Espoonlahti was still waiting for the construction of the metro and shopping centre Lippulaiva to be completed. Respondents believed that the reform would solve several shortcomings in the area’s services and restaurant offering. On the other hand, the construction sites and the densifying urban structure were perceived as annoying.

The services in Espoon keskus were considered to be partially good, but at the same time, many respondents considered the service offering to be very poor. Entresse Library accumulated positive mentions. Based on the responses, the appearance of the centre and the city planning of the area should be improved quickly. The safety and comfort of the area should also be improved.

Text: Jonas Zaknoun

Jonas Zaknoun produced his master’s thesis on the subject for Aalto University on the basis of the results of the My Espoo on the Map survey.

Do you want to learn more about the results of the My Espoo on the Map survey?

Information and more articles can be found on the website explaining the survey.