The city of Helsinki is planning to add more housing and offices around the Puotila metro station in the coming years. The surroundings of the northern and southern entrances to the metro station are being developed. New housing, retail spaces and a hotel are being planned for the area.
The purpose of the plan is to create a new centre for Puotila. In addition, Puotila will have more housing and services close to good transport connections. The plan also aims to improve walking and cycling routes in the area, and to make the areas around the metro ticket halls welcoming and lively.
There is a short tunnel going under Itäväylä close to the metro station, which will be retained. Park-and-ride car parks and cycle parking is being planned for the area. The park-and-ride car parks will be multi-storey car parks on both sides of Itäväylä.
An outdoor exercising area and exercise stairs, among other services, will be built on the roofs of the car parks. A kitchen garden and a vantage point will also be built on roofs.
The Puotila metro station area is being planned according to a proposal called ITIS SITI, which won the Helsinki East Urban Centre idea competition in 2020.
Despite the wealth of ongoing construction work in the area, metro services are running as usual.
Objectives
The aim is to ensure that all basic services are close to the residents. Different languages and cultures will also be valued and respected. Listening to the ideas of local residents and operators is important.
One important objective is carbon-neutral Helsinki, which is linked to the fight against climate change. That is why the planning of the Puotila metro station area will take climate change into account. Green spaces will be improved and more will be created.
In the Puotila metro station area, the plan is also to build adjacent to Itäväylä and in the empty plots along the road.
More information about planning
The city arranged an international idea competition dubbed Itä-Helsingin keskusta (Helsinki East Urban Centre). The winner was selected in 2020.
The city has continued the planning of the area with the working groups that came first and second in the competition.
Planning principles set out the main planning objectives for an area for the coming years.
In 2022, the city prepared planning principles for Itäkeskus and its surroundings. Politicians, i.e. the Urban Environment Division, approved the principles.
In October 2022, the City Board decided to reserve the area for the members of the Itis Siti working group. They will be able to continue with the design of the buildings and their surroundings on city land. The plans must be complete by the end of 2025 at the latest.
PEP is short for participation and evaluation plan. It’s a plan explaining:
- Why a local detailed plan is being created
- How the planning is progressing
- At which point residents will be able to influence the planning process
The plan for the Puotila metro station area and other materials will be made available to the public from May 2023.
City residents will be able to view the draft plans at the Idän kyläjuhla event at Cultural Centre Stoa on Saturday, 20 May 2023. The residents will also have the opportunity comment on the plan.
- The draft plan for the Puotila metro station area will be presented to politicians, i.e. the Urban Environment Division, in 2024.
- After that, residents will have the opportunity to comment on the draft.
- Opinions will be requested from the authorities.
- The opinions and comments will be taken into account and may lead to changes to the draft plan.
- The amended draft plan and the feedback will be presented to the Urban Environment Division.
- The plan will be discussed by the City Board and approved by the City Council.
Construction on the area cannot start until the local detailed plan has entered into force. A more detailed schedule will be confirmed later.