The City of Helsinki launched the planning of the Arabia Baana in the summer of 2025. The cycle path connecting Kalasatama and Viikki was already included in the Helsinki city plan in 2016, but its exact route in the Arabia and Toukola seaside park was not decided. During the planning phase, studies concerning factors such as the soil and trees in the park and the costs of building the path have been completed. Based on these, the City proposes that the Baana cycle path will run through the seaside park near the residential buildings.
“The aim is to build a high-quality Baana in Arabia that will serve cyclists reliably in all conditions, in summer and in winter. Placing the cycle path near residential buildings means that the route can be paved and used even in challenging weather conditions. This will also reduce the risk of flooding, make maintenance easier and lower costs compared to a path along the seaside,” says Reetta Putkonen, head of traffic and street planning at the City of Helsinki.
Increased park use requires clearly differentiated routes
The planning area stretches from the Vanhankaupunginkoski rapids to Hermannin rantatie and consists of Arabia and Toukola seaside park and Verkatehtaanpuisto park. The park is a popular recreational area for residents, with many people cycling and walking through it every day.
“Over the years, we have received a lot of feedback from residents on the challenges of walking and cycling in the park. According to the traffic forecast, the amount of cycling in the seaside park will quadruple by 2035 and use of the park will also increase in other areas. Directing cycling to a dedicated lane makes cycling easier and calms down other parts of the park,” Putkonen says.
Four alternative routes explored based on resident feedback
Two options for the Baana route were presented during the initial planning stage: next to residential buildings alongside the pedestrian route or closer to the seaside as an independent route. Feedback highlighted concerns about safety on the route near residential buildings, where stone walls and vegetation obstruct visibility.
The solution proposed by the City is to separate the cycle and pedestrian lanes with a green strip of about three metres in width. Separating pedestrians and cyclists will increase the distance between cycling traffic and courtyards.
At the request of residents, the option of leaving the seaside route as it is with only minor improvements was also explored. However, this solution would not meet the quality objectives set in the planning work.
Construction of Baana and repair of column wall require tree removal
Arabia and Toukola seaside park is built on a former seabed and has unstable soil. The residential blocks are built on top of pillars embedded in the ground, known as the ‘column wall'. The lawn area in the park is not stabilised with pillars, which causes the soil to sink towards the sea, leading to potholes, cracks and bumps in the park.
The need to repair the column wall has been identified and the work will be carried out in connection with the construction of the Baana route. Around 140 trees will be felled due to the construction and renovation work in the park. The trees to be removed will be replaced with new ones.The park will also undergo other renovation work in the future. Any tree removal required for renovation work will be examined separately.
The plans for the Baana aim at minimising the number of trees to be felled. By building the Baana next to the residential area, seaside trees are spared and the overall impact on the park is reduced.
Explore the plan by video or attend the public event
The Arabia Baana plan can be viewed on the Urban Environment Division's YouTube channel or at the dedicated public event. The public event will take place on Tuesday 31 March 2026 from 17.00 to 19.00 at Arcada University of Applied Sciences at Jan-Magnus Janssonin aukio 1. Residents can give feedback on the plan of a survey until 7 April. The feedback is communicated to decision-makers for information.
The Arabia Baana route will be forwarded for decision-making in spring 2026. Once the Arabia Baana route has been decided on, planning for the renovation of the seaside park will begin. New vegetation will be added to the park, as well as new activities such as a grassy area for games. In addition to this, the partly underground Kumpulanpuro creek will be opened up as an open creek bed. Before the renovation, a recreational wharf will be added to the seafront. According to the preliminary schedule, the park's renovation and the construction of the Baana could start in 2029.
