Draft master plan attracted interest among Espoo residents and raised questions about their own neighbourhoods

Espoo Master Plan 2060 is a strategic area provision plan. It shows the broad strokes of land use and general area reservations that guide detailed planning. The master plan is used to prepare for the growth of the city in a controlled manner. Espoo’s population is estimated to exceed 500,000 by 2060.
The starting point of Espoo Master Plan 2060 is the balanced development of the city so that all of its five urban centres are accessible and attractive. The plan directs growth especially to the areas around the rail network.

The City Planning Department organised a series of events in early summer, starting with a remote briefing on 3 June 2024. At the briefing, the draft plan was discussed as a whole and instructions for submitting an opinion on the plan were provided. There is a link to a recording of the event at the end of this article. The recording is available with Finnish, Swedish and English subtitles.

There were seven region-specific events where the draft plan was discussed from the perspective of each major district. These events offered residents an opportunity to talk with the planners face to face. There were also heads of the master plan unit and representatives of the elected officials present at each event. The City Planning Department also held one event in Swedish.

A few more events will be held in English in August. On Espoo Day on 31 August, residents will have the opportunity to meet city employees working on the plan at the event at Exhibition Centre WeeGee. The City Planning Department will also invite residents’ associations from different city districts to discuss the draft plan.

The draft master plan raised a number of opinions and questions among the residents. Regarding the entire city, the residents appreciated the way the draft plan takes into account recreation and nature as a whole and expands the central park. However, the potential construction around the central park raised some concerns.

The expansion of the rail network invoked all sorts of opinions. The new metro line from Matinkylä to the centre of Espoo was considered to be a good addition, however, a resident was concerned about the distances between the light rail stops, which would be longer than the distances between the bus stops. They were worried that the light rail line would reduce the number of bus lines. There were requests to extend the light rail line to reach Kalajärvi. Some residents were concerned about the tracks and the dense construction to be developed around them, but some believed this development to be the right solution for the growing city.

Some residents though that the growing number of elderly residents is not considered enough in the draft plan. The plan should take into account the need for a new hospital.

At the Kauklahti event, the residents were divided on the development of the Lasihytti area. The residents requested that no rail construction would take place in the Myntinmäki forest.

In Matinkylä, the residents were interested in the development of the centre of Finnoo. The residents expressed a wish for an open planning competition for the planning of Espoonväylä that would take into account wildlife corridors and landscape design.

In Tapiola, the residents discussed the placement of new construction enabled by the draft plan. According to the residents, Otaniemi should have more residential development instead of jobs.

In Vanha-Espoo, the residents were happy about the urbanisation of the centre of Espoo and the increase in services. On the other hand, there were concerns about the purpose of the development around the Länsirata track and in Hista.

In Norther Espoo, the residents wished for better transport connections, for example, from Kalajärvi to Matinkylä, Espoo Centre and Helsinki. There was also a great deal of discussion about the development of Viiskorpi and Oittaa.

At the Espoonlahti event, the residents were in favour of the extension of the metro line from Kivenlahti to Kauklahti, but there were concerns about the placement of the metro-centre-related construction in the Saunalahti area. The rail link between the Espoo city centre (Jorvi) and Matinkylä divided opinion about the rail connection and the related land use.

In Leppävaara, many defended the retention of Vermo as a service and event centre. Several residents praised the inclusion of Monikonpuro in the plan and its conservation. The residents were also happy that the draft plan takes into account different cultural environments. The expansion of Karakallio to the west was deemed to be a bad plan because it would reduce greenery in the area.

The draft plan will be available for public review for an unusually long time, from 3 June to 3 September 2024. This means that there is still plenty of time to review the draft plan and give your opinion on it. At this stage of the planning process, many things remain undecided, which means that this is your opportunity to have your say!

We recommend watching the recording of the remote briefing(external link, opens in a new window) of 3 June, especially if you have not attended any of the events. The recording shows the draft master plan and gives instructions for commenting on the plan on the map platform.

On the master plan website, you can find information about the plan, instructions for participation, upcoming events, and frequently asked questions.

On the official Master Plan 2060 page, you can find all plan materials, including the plan map, plan regulations, plan summary, and relevant reports.

After the public review, the preparation of a plan proposal will begin. The proposal stage will begin by a review of all the opinions on the draft plan and the plan proposal will be developed based on the insight gained. The master plan proposal will be completed in 2026 and Espoo residents will be given an opportunity to comment on the proposal. The city’s aim is to have the final master plan approved in 2027