The diverse and regenerating Mellunkylä is a charming district with greenery, services and excellent outdoor, sports and leisure facilities. The district of over 38 000 inhabitants includes the residential areas of Mellunmäki, Kontula, Kivikko, Kurkimäki and Vesala.
Mellunkylä is one of the three suburban regeneration areas. The new construction will further expand Mellunkylä's diverse range of housing, with homes to suit every life situation.
New construction will attract more residents and new businesses and services. In the future, transport connections in Mellunkylä will be further improved if the Vantaa and Raide-Jokeri 2 light rail projects are implemented.
Mellunkylä has a diverse building stock. There is a solution for every situation in life. Mellunkylä is home to large and small apartment blocks, maisonettes, terraced houses, semi-detached and detached houses, rental houses, Hitas houses, right-of-occupancy dwellings and owner-occupied homes. Homes have been built in all decades, from the 1940s onwards.
Mellunkylä has a wide range of housing for the elderly and senior citizens. The diverse Kontula Service Centre, Kontula Helykoti and Attendo Mellunmäki, among others, offer opportunities for people with different support or service needs. In addition, the area has several City of Helsinki.rental and right-occupancy housing sites for seniors.
Student housing is available in Kurkimäki, Kivikko, Kontula and Mellunmäki. All the apartments of the Foundation for Student Housing in the Helsinki Region (HOAS) are within a short distance of the new Myllypuro campus of Metropolia University of Applied Sciences.
Mellunkylä will see significant construction on the scale of Helsinki as a whole. In particular, new construction is planned near Mellunmäki metro station. The Ounasvaarantie-Pallaksentie area will provide owner-occupied and rental housing for 1,750 residents. Housing and commercial premises is being planned in the metro station blocks. A new residential area is planned at the junction of Länsimäentie and Itäväylä.
The numerous green areas, parks and forests in the Mellunkylä area offer opportunities for outdoor recreation, relaxation and even berry picking. A new nature reserve is being prepared for the northern part of Kivikko.
Typical landscapes in Mellunkylä are pine forests and cliffs. The courtyards of apartment buildings are expansive and green. In addition to the sports and play parks, the area has many other enticing parks for recreation.
Aarrepuisto (Link leads to external service) in Vesala was renovated in 2006. The Mellunkylä stream flowing through the park can be admired from five different bridges. There are about 100 species of trees, shrubs and perennials, some of them rare. In Aarrepuisto, you can rest on the benches on the observation platform.
Mellunmäki neighbourhood park includes Mellunmäki playground and Mellunmäki recreational area. The neighbourhood park is currently being upgraded. The playground will have new play equipment and a mini-playing field; the recreational area will have a senior exercise area, a boardwalk, benches, picnic tables, rhododendrons and cherry trees.
Kontula pond park is a diverse complex, including the pond playground with paddling pools, a dog park, as well as rhododendrons and grassy fields. The rhododendron planting is currently being extended and will be accompanied by a pollinator park.
An architectural competition was held in 2020 to find a new direction for the Kontula shopping centre area The competition was organised by the companies owning retail properties in the shopping centre area, in cooperation with the city.
The winning entry was called Vaellus (wandering). The proposal was prepared by Opus Architects, Nomaji was responsible for landscape architecture and Ramboll Finland for special technical planning.
In the future, Kontula will aim to play a stronger role as a district centre. The new Helsinki city plan aims to develop Kontula centre as a diverse area combining trade and public services, commercial premises, housing, parks, recreation and sports facilities, and urban culture. It is also hoped that the area will offer a more diverse range of housing.
Local detailed plans determine the land use of an area, where we build housing, offices, parks, streets and other roads, for example.
The metro runs smoothly from Mellunkylä all the way to Espoo's Kivenlahti. In the coming decades, the transport connections in Mellunkylä will become even more diversified than today. One of the most important transport projects is the planned Vantaa Light Rail from Mellunmäki via Tikkurila to the airport. A decision on constructing the light rail line will be taken in 2023.
Diverse services are Mellunkylä's strength. The recreational facilities are excellent – including a swimming pool with fitness facilities, a BMX track and a disc golf course suitable for competitive use. The skateboarding facilities are top-notch, with indoor and outdoor skating areas.
A wide range of shops and services can be found at Kontula shopping centre.