Esplanadi Park and the streets bordering it form one of Helsinki’s most valuable historic areas, which has been exceptionally well preserved in its original state.
The currently valid local detailed plan for the area dates back to 1836, at which point the area’s buildings, etc. did not yet exist. The amendment to the plan will, for the first time, safeguard the area’s assets in a way that reflects the current situation.
Historic park to be protected
Together with Senate Square and Market Square, the Esplanadi area constitutes the most uniform part of the historical city centre of Helsinki, which has served as a boulevard for nearly two hundred years. The majority of the lime trees planted in the area in the 19th century have survived to this day.
The new local detailed plan will safeguard the park’s historic layout, which includes the double rows of trees lining the park’s edges, the gravel paths, the lawn areas, the memorials, the canopy kiosks and the performance stage. The local detailed plan will also protect the permanent buildings in the area such as the Kappeli.
The plan will preserve the open and unobstructed city view along Esplanadi. It will also prohibit alterations to the buildings that would detract from the composition, scale or unity of the façades. However, the plan will allow for summer and all-year-round terraces, provided they are of a high standard and fit in with the surrounding environment.
“We want to develop the city centre as an interesting, attractive and vibrant destination. The local detailed plan for Esplanadi enables the provision of recreational services in the area, the continuation of existing services and the development of services and events all year round,” says Land Use Director Rikhard Manninen.
Park no longer cut off by traffic
The plan amendment will not introduce any major changes to traffic in the Esplanadi area. Pohjoisesplanadi and Eteläesplanadi will remain two-lane streets. The biggest changes concern Unioninkatu, which would be converted into a two-way street, and Fabianinkatu, which would be converted into a pedestrian and cycling street at the park. This would result in Esplanadi Park forming a more cohesive whole than at present, with motor traffic no longer cutting through the park. The change would thus make the park more convenient and safer to navigate.
Conditions for pedestrians will be improved in other ways too. The pavements would be extended along both Pohjoisesplanadi and Eteläesplanadi, in addition to which a new pavement would be built along the Kappeliesplanadi section.
Water mains, sewer lines, and street structures on the Esplanadi avenues and their cross streets will undergo extensive renewal at the beginning of the next decade. The renovation will temporarily alter routes and traffic arrangements, but efforts will be made to keep movement and traffic in the city centre as smooth as possible throughout the construction period. Street plans for the area will be prepared once the local detailed plan has entered into force.
Plan proposal to be discussed at a resident event on 13 October
The local detailed plan proposal for Esplanadi will be available for public viewing online at hel.fi/suunnitelmat from 25 September 2026 to 2 November 2026, during which time objections can be submitted regarding the plan proposal.
The plan will be presented at a resident event on Tuesday 13 October at 16.30–18.00 at Helsinki City Hall Event Square, at Pohjoisesplanadi 11–13. The event will provide residents with an opportunity to pose questions to and engage in discussion with the planners.
Any objections and statements and the revised plan proposal are expected to be considered by the Urban Environment Committee in spring 2027.