Espoo to introduce green factor that increases urban green
The detailed planning of Espoo will adopt the Green Factor Tool. It is used to guide how much green area a plot to be built must have, how stormwater is managed and how biodiversity can be supported in yard and garden environments. The City Planning Committee decided on the introduction of the tool and the related target levels in its meeting on 13 November 2024.
The Green Factor Tool will be utilised in a variety of ways in the planning of different areas. The tool will be used in all detailed plans and detailed plan amendments that are used to plan housing, services and office construction, commercial and business construction, industrial and logistics areas, as well as parking facilities and parking spaces.
The use of the Green Factor Tool is ruled by the detailed plan. The achievement of the objectives will be ensured later at the building permit stage. For a justifiable reason, other plan regulations may be used instead of the Green Factor Tool.
"Caring for urban green is increasingly important as Espoo grows and climate change advances. It helps us adapt to global warming, helps with stormwater management and supports biodiversity. Urban green has also been proven to increase residents’ well-being and make the city more comfortable”, says Landscape Architect Aino Leskinen.
The Green Factor Tool is not an invention made by Espoo; instead, the tool is in use in several major cities in Finland. Espoo’s Green Factor Tool is based on the Excel-based tool developed in the Climate-proof city (originally Ilmastokestävä kaupunki, ILKKA) project in 2014. Its use has been piloted in Espoo’s detailed planning since 2018 in plans such as the Kera detailed plan.
In early autumn 2024, the tool and its target levels were also made available for public review and commenting. Many people in Espoo are worried about how the lushness of the city will be preserved as the city grows.
“Based on the written feedback we have received and the remote event we held concerning this topic, I would say that residents found the tool useful and its implementation in Espoo important. Some also wanted higher target levels and more extensive use”, says Landscape Architect Ina Westerlund.
Espoo wants to take care of nature and urban green as the city’s population grows. The City Council has issued a policy on the use of the Green Factor Tool in the Housing and Land Use Principles in 2023. The tool is part of the city’s action plan for adaptation to climate change and Action Programme for Biodiversity. The Green Factor Tool is also a part of the extensive Nature-wise Espoo work.
Read more about Espoo’s Green Factor Tool
Download the tool from the City of Espoo material database(external link, opens in a new window) (in Finnish)