The summer streets will be primarily executed by replacing existing street parking spaces with plants and furniture. They will consist of light structures without major structural changes to existing street structures. This way, the summer streets will be easy to take apart for the winter in the autumn, when normal traffic arrangements are reinstated. The exact construction schedule depends on both material deliveries and the weather conditions in the spring.
The work will begin on Fleminginkatu and Porthaninkatu
The construction of the summer streets will begin after May Day, on Monday 5 May, in the area of Agricolankatu and Fleminginkatu in Karhupuisto park. This will include installing summer furniture and planting the first plants and trees on Fleminginkatu and Porthaninkatu. The City will build an event stage between Karhupuisto and Kallio Library, which will open on 16 May.
The new seating areas on Porthaninkatu will be constructed in places with raised wooden structures, which were previously used in the Esplanadi trial. Work will also begin in May in the small summer squares in front of Kallio Church, in Torkkelinaukio square, in front of Ympyrätalo and on Kolmas linja.
The work will primarily take place on weekdays between 7:00 and 18:00. Some of the work will be carried out at night or at weekends to minimise disruption to traffic. Efforts will be made to keep access to properties uninterrupted.
The construction will affect traffic arrangements in the area. Fleminginkatu and Agricolankatu will become one-way living streets in the summer street area. In addition to this, the Karhupuisto section of Fleminginkatu will be closed to motor vehicle traffic, which will cause minor changes to bus routes 73, 74, and 502 from 5 May onwards. The taxi stand on Fleminginkatu near Karhupuisto will also be removed. Some parking spaces will be removed from Porthaninkatu. Pedestrian routes may be changed during the construction. The contractor will make temporary traffic arrangements for the duration of the work.
The Vaasankatu summer street will be built in June–July
Other street works underway on Vaasankatu in the spring will slightly delay the start of the summer street construction compared to other summer streets in Kallio. On the south side of Vaasankatu, the separator between the sidewalk and the carriageway is being lowered to make pedestrian traffic in the area smoother and more accessible. At the same time, street drainage is being improved with new stormwater inlets.
At the Sörnäinen metro station end of Vaasankatu, there is ongoing street work related to the renovation of Aleksis Kiven katu. Any delays in the other street works may affect the completion date of the summer street. Construction on the summer street between Harjukatu and Vaasanpuistikko square will begin once other street work has been completed at the end of June. The Vaasankatu summer street will be fully completed in early July. You can find more detailed information about the renovation of Aleksis Kiven katu on the project website: Major renovation of Aleksis Kiven katu(Link leads to external service) .
As with other summer streets, the summer furniture and plants on Vaasankatu will mainly be placed in the street parking spaces. In summer 2025, Vaasankatu will be a living street in terms of traffic. The parking spaces temporarily unavailable on Vaasankatu and Aleksis Kiven katu will be replaced by allowing parking with a resident parking permit J on nearby streets in Vilhonvuori, Torkkelinmäki and Vallila.
Aiming to improve residents’ comfort in the area
The aim of Kallio’s summer streets is to improve the attractiveness of the streets and thus encourage people to walk and spend time in public spaces. At the same time, the aim is to ensure good accessibility and positive effects on businesses in the area. The summer street projects are used to determine the suitability of permanent pedestrian area measures in each project area. The City will evaluate the summer street projects and record any lessons learned to eventually identify the best measures and possibly implement permanent improvements in urban spaces through political decision-making.
The summer streets will largely make use of existing summer furniture from previous years, which will be modified and refurbished by carpenters at the workshop of Helsinki City Construction Services, Stara, to suit the summer streets of Kallio.
The contractor for the construction project is Helsinki City Construction Services, Stara.