Espoo experiments with new solutions in mobility and urban nature

Sustainable Future Districts is trial programme that aims to boost the sustainable development of urban districts, provide opportunities to trial sustainable solutions, and showcase new sustainable services and products. In the theme of sustainable mobility, solutions were sought to improve attractiveness and safety in mobility environments, boost sustainable commuting, and making walking and cycling easier in a changing city. In the theme of diverse urban nature, the focus was on new green structures for a tightly-built and changing urban environment as well as ways to grow understanding and connection with nature.

Sustainable mobility trials to boost the attractiveness of cycling

Three solutions were selected for the theme of sustainable mobility: the functioning of modular and multipurpose bicycle parking, mobile bicycle maintenance training, and the significance of real-time weather information for commuting, especially during thaw conditions.

Parkly will trial a new parklet structure in Espoo that combines bicycle parking and attractive urban nature. The Espoo trial is the first of its kind worldwide for Parkly, and the aim is to collect user feedback and data to develop the solution. The location of the parklet will be decided with the city. The trial examines how this type of structure can promote sustainable mobility and attractiveness in the urban space.

RD Physics is developing a trial for mobile bike maintenance training. The trial is about teaching residents practical bike maintenance skills on their bikes, such as basic repair skills like how to patch an inner tube, lubricate a chain and adjust brakes and gears. Their aim is to make it easier for people to repair their bikes and extend their service life, as well as discourage abandonment. The first sessions take place in May, in Tapiola.

Mellenium and Teede Tehnokeskus will launch a pilot project in Espoo to provide up-to-date weather information for pedestrians and cyclists with small, local weather sensors. They will install sensors at five locations to produce accurate and current surface condition data for maintenance and road users. At the same time, they will study what kind of effect the data has on the attractiveness of cycle commuting.

Diverse urban nature for everyone

The theme of diverse urban nature will see a trial of a new green structure, the biodiversity wall, and how it functions as a seed bank for construction sites. In addition, the theme will include development of materials for early childhood education and care to boost education with and contact to nature.

The biodiversity wall is a pilot concept by InnoGreen and Kekkilä-BVB, which aims to make use of surface soil from construction sites and its seed bank in the green construction of the urban environment. It is the aim of the modular wall to preserve the local biodiversity and to enable the reuse of the structure, for example as construction site fences or permanent plant walls. The trial will produce information how to preserve and utilise seed and biobanks in the dense urban structure. Other participants in this include Spolia Design and WSP Finland, as well as Aalto University, which will make use of the project in teaching. One biodiversity wall will be built for the trial and its impacts and suitability will be monitored for the growing season.

The Eläköön piha! trial will develop an operating model and a material package to support children’s and families’ contact with nature and nature literacy in early childhood education and care. The trial will produce planning, story and task cards with the day-care centres that support and make use of the day-care centres’ yards and diversity therein. Its aim is to distribute the tools to all day-care centres in Espoo. The trial will be implemented by Polku, the environmental school of Pääkaupunkiseudun Kierrätyskeskus.

All trials will begin in spring 2025. Check out their progress at: Sustainable Future Districts Pilot Programme | City of Espoo