The Helsinki City Strategy 2021–2025, which is entitled ‘A Place for Growth’, states that Helsinki’s goal is to be a city where polarisation between districts does not increase and every resident can live a safe and pleasant life in a neighbourhood with its own distinct identity.
The work towards this goal is being carried out particularly in the following designated suburban regeneration areas: Malminkartano-Kannelmäki, Malmi, Mellunkylä, and Meri-Rastila.
Now, at the end of the strategy period, it is a good time to look back at what has been achieved in the suburban regeneration areas in the past four years.
Suburban regeneration proceeding apace in Malmi, station areas renewed in Malminkartano and Kannelmäki
Helsinki has been carrying out suburban regeneration for four years now. During this strategy period, the City has implemented various measures as part of its suburban regeneration efforts.
In Malmi, suburban regeneration has progressed rapidly. The year 2024 saw the construction of a new building for Daycare Longinoja and playground Filpus and the completion of the bridge repairs and new activity area in Longinojanpuisto Park. In addition to this, Ala-Malmi park has served as a venue for cultural events in the form of the Malmi Summer of Events for several summers now. The planning of the renovation of Ala-Malmi park, which will turn the park into an event park, has been completed, and the renovation will begin after summer 2025.
The work on the expansion of Malmi Swimming Hall will begin in spring 2025. The planning of the new hospital, school campus, family centre and health and well-being centre in Malmi has also progressed during the strategy period.
In Malminkartano and Kannelmäki, the City’s suburban regeneration efforts have focused particularly on improving the pleasantness and safety of the areas. These efforts have included making improvements to squares and renewing lighting in station areas. The planning of the school campus and the new library is under way in Malminkartano, and 2024 saw the completion of Daycare Soittaja, Helsinki’s first daycare centre to be certified with the Nordic Swan Ecolabel, in Kannelmäki.
The City has carried out placemaking aimed at supporting the pleasantness and functionality of urban spaces in all of the suburban regeneration areas. These efforts have included bringing green hangout spots to Ylä-Malmi Market Square in the summers and piloting new types of market square sales concepts with Kaupunkitilat Oy. At the same time, the City has collected user-orientated feedback and suggestions regarding the future of the market square from residents, which have supported the planning of the upcoming renovation of the market square. In Kontula, the square in front of the library has been made more active with playful elements, in addition to which concepts for renewing the square’s lighting have been developed in collaboration with young people.
In Malminkartano, the City established a pop-up community garden, which is now entering its third summer of operation and for which the City is now looking for a permanent place as part of the planning of public areas.
Summer activities were carried out in all the suburban regeneration areas in summer 2024 and will continue this summer as well.
Services improved in Meri-Rastila and Mellunkylä
In Meri-Rastila, the City has prepared plans for building a sea-themed playground in Haruspuisto Park. The playground will feature several activity areas and a notable public work of art. The construction of the park will begin with the moving of the dog park in spring 2025, with more extensive construction set to begin in 2026.
The City organised an architectural competition for the community centre to be built in Meri-Rastila, and the winner was announced in autumn 2024. Planning is currently underway based on the winning proposal. The pop-up cultural space Merirasti, which is located in an old chapel in the area, has been used by theatre company Universum to organise a wide range of events for local residents with a Helsinki Model development grant and the support of Vuotalo.
In Mellunkylä, construction was completed on the so-called Pöllöpuisto (‘Owl Park’), meaning Playground Mellunmäki. The Laakavuori community centre renovation project turned into a new building project, and the project planning of the building is currently underway.
The City of Helsinki continues its work aimed at renovating the Kontula shopping centre. With regard to City services, the aim is to strengthen them and to place them in the shopping centre area in a way that forms a functional whole. In the planning stage of the project, the City services are collectively referred to as Kontula-talo (‘Kontula House’).
The preliminary needs description for Kontula-talo has been completed. The implementation method will be determined once the overall plan for the Kontula shopping centre has been completed. In 2025, the City will open the so-called Aapelin kulma, a space that will house some of the functions of Kontula-talo on a small scale, such as the community centre and auxiliary library facilities.
The new Kontula Rescue Station and the new facilities of Daycare Tunturi have been put into service.
Projects encouraged older people to move and developed an operating model to bridge differences between schools
Suburban regeneration is not just about construction; instead, the aim is to comprehensively develop the designated areas. As such, the past few years have seen the launch of several development projects.
A project carried out in Malmi successfully promoted the physical activity of older people's in particular. Meanwhile, the Kauko project has focused especially on the physical activity of children and young people in Malminkartano. Services for foreign-language older people have been developed in all the suburban regeneration areas, with examples including a swimming time slot for men in Kontula and peer support, social guidance and sports for Somali women in Malminkartano-Kannelmäki.
The Helsinki Innovation Districts project, which has already ended, involved testing various everyday solutions. The project focused on urban greenery and empty business premises in Malminkartano; on wood construction and solutions encouraging children and young people to hang out in Mellunkylä; and on lighting and the use of outdoor spaces in Malmi.
The Kaikkien koulu (‘Everyone's School’) project, launched at the beginning of 2022, has sought to develop a common operating model for the City to bridge differences between schools. The City’s aim is to carry out long-term work in the suburban regeneration areas to reduce segregation and increase the attractiveness of the areas, and reducing school segregation is also a part of these efforts. The Kaikkien koulu project has improved knowledge management, updated the needs-based funding model of schools, making it more precise, and created new opportunities for cooperation with families and in service network planning.