The Tietäjä area in Pohjois-Tapiola is developing into a pleasant residential area around a new block park
Currently, Tietäjä in Pohjois-Tapiola is an office-dominated area. With new plans, it is becoming a residential area. Residential buildings, a block park and a day care centre are planned to replace large parking areas next to the Spektri office buildings. The office buildings will remain in the area, and local parking will be concentrated in parking facilities.
The Tietäjä area is in a central location at the intersection of Ring Road I and Kalevantie, where you can also find local services, a grocery store and a petrol station. Within a radius of half a kilometre, you can find both the Ainoa shopping centre in old Tapiola with its services and a Raide-Jokeri stop. On the other side of Ring Road I are the Laajalahti Nature Reserve with its trails and the Otaniemi campus and startup area.
Espoo City Planning Department has prepared the principles for the development of Tietäjä (in Finnish), which were approved by the Espoo City Planning Board on 12 April 2023.
Parking areas will make way for residential construction and a park
The large parking area in front of the Spektri office buildings and the small parking area below it owned by the city are currently used by Laurea but will be converted to residential use.
The plans are still incomplete, but much less construction has now been planned in the area compared to previous displayed plans, and the closed blocks have been abandoned in the current plans. Residential blocks in central urban areas are typically closed, protecting the courtyards from noise. The existing buildings in the Tietäjä area protect the centre of Tietäjä from noise from Ring Road I, Kalevalantie and Tietäjäntie, so the intention is to freely place apartment blocks around the new block park with green and pleasant views over the park.
The shape and location of the new block park is currently being outlined. It currently seems extensive due to its length, which means that the courtyards of several plots will point toward the park.
Pedestrian and cycling connections in the area will be improved to create a large, nice area with no need to cross the road. This will make moving around safe and pleasant for children as well. Traffic and intersection safety will also be improved by centralising parking in parking facilities.
Surveys will be conducted in the area, especially on stormwater. Its management and absorption will need to be significantly improved due to the flatness of the area.
Residents wish for moderate construction and a green environment
The planning of Tietäjä consists of several separate plans that have been created at different times, and some of them are already under construction. The active planning of the entire area will be started now.
The development of the entire area has been discussed with residents in residents’ events concerning both separate plans and the general area. In a survey conducted in spring 2025, the City Planning Department charted residents’ views on what is important in the area today and what residents would like to see in the future. We received many very good responses. In general, the responses called for high-quality and moderate construction, which should not be too tall. Residents also wished for a good, green environment and attention to safety at intersections.
We also received wishes from the residents in the My Espoo on the Map survey in autumn 2024. This survey also highlighted the importance of services in the area (S-market and ABC service station). Aalto University students have also pondered the development of the area from the viewpoint of city planning in their studies.
They have worked together with the developers of the area for a long time, and it has resulted in regular meetings of the Tietäjä development team. In addition to the City, construction companies and property owners participate in the project in Tietäjä.
All individual detailed plans and a lot of other information is available on the Development of Tietäjä page.
You are invited to a residents’ evening on 16 September at Laurea’s facilities in Otaniemi
Cooperation with residents will continue, and the next step will be a residents’ evening on 16 September 2025 from 17:00 to 20:00 in Laurea Otaniemi, Metsäpojankuja 3. Project representatives and city planners as well as the area’s project manager will attend the event.
There will be a planning walk at the beginning of the residents’ event. The evening will then continue as a fair-type event where residents can talk face-to-face with city planners and the project’s architectural designers (authors of reference plans) and representatives of construction companies.