The City of Helsinki is planning to build a football stadium with 4,500–8,000 seats in Oulunkylä Sports Park. The stadium would provide a high-quality setting for national and international football matches and other major events. The City is currently having negotiations regarding the construction of the football stadium with the local football club IF Gnistan.
The northern part of the park will be preserved as a forest
The planning of the sports park started a year ago, in spring 2025. Feedback collected from residents highlighted concerns about the side effects of stadium events and glaring lights, and whether the area has enough space for the physical education activities of schools and the independent physical activity of residents, particularly children and young people. Residents also expressed concerns about losing the trees and local natural environment of the area.
The plan is to replace the current stadium lights with new lights that will be part of the stadium building. The plan draft also specifically provides for limiting the amount of light disturbance.
In addition to the stadium, the plan also involves developing the sports fields in the park to continue to allow for the competitions and activities of local football clubs, the physical education activities of schools and the recreation and exercise activities of residents. The current sports services will remain unchanged, with the exception of athletics. A 100-metre running track is planned to be built by the ball field on the eastern edge of the sports park to serve the physical education activities of schools in particular. A new sports area will be designated north of the stadium, featuring facilities for sports such as high jump, long jump and shot put. The plan is to build a new ice hall roughly in the same place as the current one in the middle of the area some five years later.
In the new detailed plan, the northern part of the sports park is to be converted into a local recreation area, whereby it will remain a forested zone with no construction allowed. New trees will be planted on the north-eastern edge to provide new connections for flying squirrels.
New housing near the light rail line
As the sports park is located right next to the light rail line, it is also a good location for housing. Housing is planned for around 500 new residents along Hirsipadontie and Käskynhaltijantie. The buildings would be 5–7 storeys high. The trees around the ice field and next to the roundabout will be preserved to keep the sports park entrance green and park-like.
The asphalted parking area by Käskynhaltijantie will be considerably reduced in size as new apartment buildings are placed along the street. The parking spaces of the sports park will be concentrated by the entrance and in the northern part of the area. A second, underground level could be built in the northern parking area, which would also serve as a parking area for the local residential buildings. Space has been designated for bicycle parking in the sports park near the fields.
The planned route through the sports park places particular emphasis on safety and smoothness. On the northern edge of Käskynhaltijantie, pedestrian and cycling traffic will be separated to improve the safety of both modes of transport. The current passageway under Käskynhaltijantie on the eastern side of the Norrtäljentie and Hirsipadontie roundabout will be removed to allow for the construction of new separate pedestrian and cycling lanes, which will then be integrated into the roundabout arrangements.
Children can voice their opinions in a map survey
Children and young people are one of the main user groups of the sports park, and they also pass through the area on their way to and from school. Children and young people will be provided with a dedicated map survey through which they can tell the City what routes they use and how they would like for these routes to be developed. They can also give their opinion on the removal of the Käskynhaltijantie underpass. The survey will also collect ideas on how to get children to use the sports park area more. The survey link will be sent to the schools and sports clubs of the area to be forwarded to their pupils and members. Children can also take the survey together with an adult. In addition to conducting the survey, the City’s planning officers will visit pupils at Oulunkylä Primary School.
Come to a resident event on Thursday 16 April
The plan draft for Oulunkylä Sports Park will be on public display from 27 March to 20 April 2026. Residents are invited to come and discuss the plan draft at an event held on Thursday 16 April 2026 at 17.00–18.30 at Oulunkylä Comprehensive School, address Siltavoudintie 24. The event will start with a review of the plan draft, followed by a discussion with specialists over maps and an opportunity for residents to share their thoughts on the development of the sports park.
The development reservation for building the stadium is due to be discussed by the Urban Environment Committee later in the spring.
The aim is to prepare a plan proposal during this year, to be published in early 2027. Residents will then have an opportunity to submit their potential objections.
The revised plan proposal is set to be submitted to the Urban Environment Committee in early summer 2027, after which the plan will be submitted to the City Council for processing, probably in late 2027. If the plan is approved, construction can begin once the detailed plan is final.
