Espoo prepares masterplan for sustainable land use

The City of Espoo on Wednesday has launched a master plan to agree on the direction and boundary conditions for this growth against the backdrop of increasing number of population.

The population of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area is growing rapidly, and a significant part of the growth pressure is falling on Espoo, said the city in a press release.

The City is now launching a master planning process to agree on the direction and boundary conditions for this growth.

“We need this master plan to guide the city’s development in the long term,” said Olli Isotalo, Deputy Mayor for Urban Environment.

“Housing, services, transport, business, jobs, recreation, natural values and climate issues must be coordinated in such a way that the city functions as a whole,” Isotalo said.

The preparation of the master plan started on Wednesday, when the initiation of the planning was announced.

The first step is to set objectives for the plan: what issues we need to agree on in the master plan so that Espoo can grow in a sustainable way up to 2060.

The objectives of the master plan will be decided on by the City Board in early 2023.

The master plan will be completed during the next council term, after which it is to be updated.

“The master plan is a tool for the City to implement the Espoo Story, the City’s strategy, in land use. The world is changing so fast these days that the master plan also has to keep up,” said Isotalo.

A master plan is a general plan that guides city planning and further detailed planning and construction. The master plan is usually implemented through city planning, which has its own preparation and participation process. In Espoo, city planning is usually initiated by a landowner.

“In the master plan, we agree on the framework for the city’s growth and development,” said Essi Leino, Master Planning Manager at Espoo’s City Planning Department.

“The work is extensive and will be completed in stages. At different stages, we will work together with residents, decision-makers, public authorities and other stakeholders,” Leino added,

Residents’ views on the development of Espoo and their local area have been collected through the comprehensive My Espoo on the Map survey in 2020 and the Our Espoo 20X0 series of events in spring 2022.

During the autumn, residents can participate in the preparation of the objectives at residents’ events, which will be held at the Iso Omena Library on 27 October and at the Sello Library and remotely on 16 November 2022.