Towards New Turku Vision for the City Centre 2050
This book is an illustrated result of the Turku Centre 2050 vision group work. It provides a holistic view of the future Turku city centre that is developed spatially, visually and functionally. While it paints a picture of what the city centre may look like by 2050, the arguments for the choices made are also given. The book is meant to stimulate all of us to see the great potential this city holds for the future.
Authors and Editors Aleksi Randell, Mayor of Turku Markku Wilenius, Professor, University of Turku Timo Hintsanen, Director of Urban Planning, City of Turku Riitta Birkstedt, Project Manager, City of Turku Eero Lundén, Architect, Lundén Architecture Company Maija Parviainen, Architect, Lundén Architecture Company Carmen Lee, Architect, Lundén Architecture Company 2017
Towards New Turku Vision for the City Centre 2050
Vision Group Markku Wilenius, Professor, University of Turku (Chair) Niko Aaltonen, Member of the City Council and Board Minna Arve, CEO, Turku Chamber of Commerce Mari Hantula, Director, Department Store Turku, Stockmann Plc Timo Hintsanen, Director of Urban Planning, City of Turku Riina Lumme, Chair of the National Union of University Students in Finland Vuokko Puljujärvi, Chair, Public Utility Property Management Board Elina Rantanen, Chair, Turku City Council Janne Reunanen, Chain Director, Turun Osuuskauppa Lasse Svens, CEO, Åbo Akademi University Foundation sr Arto Valkama, CEO, Turku City Theatre Juuso Virtanen, CEO, Virtanen-Yhtiöt Ltd
Experts Riitta Birkstedt, Project Manager, City of Turku Nella Karhulahti, Land Use Architect, City of Turku Ellinoora Leino-Richert, Project Researcher, University of Turku Juha Lipponen, Land Use Planner, City of Turku Eero Lundén, Architect, Lundén Architecture Company Jaana Mäkinen, Traffic Engineer, City of Turku Maija Parviainen, Architect, Lundén Architecture Company Sari Puustinen, Researcher, University of Turku
Contents 01 Introduction 9 Vision for lasting success 11 Visionary development of the city 13 From past to present 17 Turku Centre today 19 Vision for Turku City Centre 2050 21 02 Elements of a Lively Centre 23 I - Expanded and accessible city centre 25 II - Commercially attractive centre 47 III - Comfortable and lively meeting place 65 03 Roadmap Turku 2050 91 Implementing the Vision 95 Future of the city centre 99 100 Actions 100 The Centre of Turku 2050 103
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01 Introduction
Jo bs
tity Iden
ry sto Hi
Un iqu en es s
Se rvic es
Why a Vision?
e erc m m Co
Con tent
nts Eve
Culture
Attractiveness
Accessibility
Sustainability
Competitiveness
ns Functio
Well-being
Housing
e ctur Stru y it C
Com fort
ing ork W y Da
Ene rgy
Gr ee ne ry
n atio cre Re
Lo gis tic s
ffic Tra
Turku has the potential to be a globally significant city. Cities are homes for inhabitants, but at the same time, they provide a platform for fostering well-being and cultural diversity.
A beating heart is a lasting competitive edge for the entire city. The success of cities and their centres depend on their ability to direct development that reflects their own history, identity and global trends.
Vision for lasting success
2029 will mark a momentous year for Turku as it reaches its 800th anniversary. Turku aspires to be an interesting and constantly renewing European city of universities and culture, and a good place to live and succeed together. To achieve this, Turku will develop and grow boldly in the coming years. The starting point for renewing the city is fostering the well-being of its residents and stimulating its businesses in a sustainable way - ecologically, socially and economically. Turku will be responsible for the competitiveness and success of the entire city region. Over the years, through many projects, procedures and targets, the City of Turku has increased the vitality and attractiveness of the centre area. As a result, living in the city centre has become more popular. Moreover, tourism and events continue to grow stronger in the centre and on the riverbanks. At the same, specific challenges have emerged, such as the current changes experienced in trade and work. The rapidly digitizing environment poses new kinds of requirements for organizing different functions and services and calls for smart and ambitious policies directed towards developing the centre.
“Both today and in the future, cities are only as interesting and lively as their centres.“
While growth and development are globally centralized in growing cities, success is increasingly dependent on compact societal structures and, above all, vibrant city centres. Both today and in the future, cities are only as interesting and lively as their centres. The quality of the centre’s core and its planned development reflect the state and the future of the city on an international level. In addition to the business and cultural environment,
the physical and functional environment of the city are central factors that affect the city’s competitiveness and success. Developing the centre is a priority and one of the spearhead projects set by the Turku City Council. The city has directed special effort and resources to strengthen the vitality of its centre. Ambitious objectives have been set for the spearhead project. One objective is to reinforce the position of a vibrant city centre as a pleasant collective environment for all city residents by improving public urban spaces, increasing year-round attractions and ensuring that the requirements for maintaining events and a dynamic cultural life are met. In addition to the larger picture and story, the vision seeks to offer concrete means of increasing the number of residents and jobs in the centre. It also aims at unifying the functions of the centre so that separate quarter and property specific can be linked together, supporting each other while also connecting with the existing functional and physical environment. It is also important that the future centre will be internationally, nationally and regionally accessible with all modes of transport. Turku is Finland’s oldest inhabited city. The long-term value gained from developing the centre will also affect the development of Finland. The purpose of the vision is to shape the direction for the 30-year process that will result in an even more vibrant, European and exciting Turku. Aleksi Randell Mayor of Turku
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objectives
significant global megatrends
global city
Turku 2017
VISION
competence 2020
2030
2050
Visionary development of the city: Defining the vision, setting objectives and improving competence
Visionary development of the city Creating a future with more life in Turku Centre
City centres all around the world are changing. This is mostly due to the growing expectations of what a city can offer. The sort of life we wish to have in cities has developed significantly in the past ten years and is no longer centered around building more infrastrcture, like roads to provide more space for private cars. Instead, our vision focuses on life. When discussing the content of the vision within the working group, one aspect stood out the most: the centre of our beloved Turku needs more life - more people, more jobs, more attractions. Our solutions have been built on this request and the result is a radically new vision for the centre of Turku. In the same way that the 19th century was known for its empires and the 20t for its nation states, this century will be known for its cities. Thus, showing the importance of a new vision for Turku’s city centre. Decision-making, power and new trends are centered in cities. Cars have significantly influenced the internal development of cities. This has led to a common
occurrence shared by both small and large cities: With capabilities of up to 200 kilometres per hour, cars driving in the city are restricted to speeds not much faster than carriages. When the focus shifts from cars to people, surprising things occur. We pay more attention to the kinds of environments we are creating. We consider the spaces where people meet. We also consider how bicycles can stop being odd objects among cars and busses, and become accepted as their own means of transport with their own system. Research proves that cyclists bring more money to the city than private motorists. The centre of Turku suffers from a difficult, but not uncommon problem: premium stores, small shops and services are moving to shopping centres outside of the city centre. This has caused concerns for shop owners and a lack of new jobs, forcing us to design and implement measures for a more attractive city centre.
“When the focus shifts from cars to people, surprising things occur. We pay more attention to what kinds of environments we are creating.�
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Turku’s Centre
Bergen
Reykjavik
Turku
Visionary development of the city Turku - from a local to global destination
As researched by Wilenius, we are now entering the sixth wave of economic and societal development. At the heart of the idea is resource efficiency: whether they are physical products, services or ideas, they should be shared more efficiently. Smarter materials and energy production, new mobility services and increased use of data become the basis for making choices, which encourage a positive change. All of this takes place in a world where growing concerns over nature compel us to become more aware of the consequences of our actions. Do we really need to own a car or even a bicycle, or would it be enough to simply have one available when we need it? If we think about the future, Turku has a lot of unique potential. Its location offers great connections to the Nordic countries and Europe. The city is surrounded by the most beautiful archipelago in the world. Turku is a city of culture, which greatly contributes to new information and art. Turku’s beautiful Old Town is a promising part of the country’s history, which should be revived. The city features a picturesque riverside with unique restaurants and extensive parks. The list continues.
Turku has a lot of outstanding elements, which have helped us create a strong and favourable vision. The positive feedback we received immediately after our vision was made public, reveals a strong desire to head towards a future like the one outlined in our vision. We now require the political courage to take the next steps together. Who should be making this vision a reality? All of us. As intelligence continues to steer technological development and artificial intelligence finds more use in our daily lives, from managing the calendar to shipbuilding, this kind of intelligence should also be used to enhance interactions between people. While no one can precisely predict the future, we must all be aware of our common direction. Without it, visions will never be realised and goals, never reached. We will therefore look forward, empowered by our vision, towards the year 2050!
“The city is surrounded by the most beautiful archipelago in the world.”
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Häme
Häme
Satakunta
Satakunta Helsinki Vyborg
Vyborg
1300
1800
A church is established at the crossing of the River Aura, Kuninkaantie, Satakunnantie and the route to Häme, on the hill of Unikankare. The city of Turku is founded within its walls.
After the Great Fire of Turku, Carl Ludvig Engel designs a new road network based on a grid plan. Perspective roads crossing the street are built. The city expands, covering the entire valley between hills.
Raisio
Tampere
Hämeenlinna
Raisio
Hämeenlinna
Europe
Aninkainen University
Kupittaa Pori, Rauma
Satakunta
Kupittaa
Helsinki Riverside
Hansakortteli Kaarina
Helsinki, St. Petersburg
Kaarina Kaarina
Archipelago
1980 - 2000
2010 - 2050
Turku experiences great development between 1980 and 2000. In the spirit of the times, development took the form of large-scale projects in areas outside of the centre. These considerable investments decentralised the structure of the city and diminished the attractiveness and competitiveness of the city centre. The Hansa Block is the last individual investment made in the centre.
City planning is based on expanding the very core of the centre and directing development and investments to the centre of the city. The centre represents the international Turku and functions as the most important location of work, commerce and culture in western Finland. The core of the city expands and becomes more comfortable. New public areas and green areas better connects the core to the University and the areas of Aninkainen and Kupittaa.
From past to present Development of the urban structure and activities of Turku Centre
The basic structure of Turku’s existing centre is nearly 200 years old. In 1827, the Great Fire of Turku destroyed a significant part of the existing city structure and a new plan was quickly created to support modern urban development. The clear grid plan created by Carl Ludwig Engel in 1828 consisting of blocks, street networks and hill parks is still used today as a working framework and platform for future urban developments. It is important to note that the wide street network created originally for fire safety reasons now serves additional purposes. The intersecting street network enables smooth and diverse mobility, while supporting a new kind of vibrant city life. Turku’s city centre has always been an area of versatile functions. Through time, the focus of different functions has shifted. During recent decades, the popularity of the centre as a place of residence faded. With improved mobility, services and especially trade moved away from the centre. This phenomenon has also affected jobs related to production and more recently, office positions. The vision supports a strong and diverse growth, which does not return to the past, but foresees a new compact centre that offers a variety of functions and elements.
emphasized. The opportunities created by it will be used to develop the nature and accessibility of public urban spaces. The rise of digitization has influenced new forms of community-based urban life and introduced new ways of working. These challenges are met by creating new types of meeting places and urban space, both indoors and outdoors. The success and attractiveness of the future centre will also need spaces with different levels of privacy, from private, semi-public to public. Developing attractive and versatile public and semi-public urban spaces is a key part of creating a successful city centre. Important forms of semi-public spaces include covered shopping streets, lobby-like indoor plazas, terrace cafes and pop-up spaces. Typical public urban spaces include plazas, market squares, parks, street spaces and public meeting places such as libraries. During warm summer months, the city centre is always thriving. Special effort is needed to promote the attractiveness of the centre during seasons and months that are less favourable in terms of weather and temperature. In addition to the versatility of activities, the centre’s year-round attractiveness is enhanced by the amenities, quality and functional flexibility of public and semi-public spaces.
As culture, leisure and tourism gain more significance, the role of the centre as a stage for soft attraction is
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Turku, Ă…bo, a European city
The capital of the world’s most beautiful archipelago
A vibrant and prosperous city
Turku Centre today Mapping the potentials and challenges for the vision
The vision is built on how to respond to the challenges of mobility within the city centre. It reinforces the role of walking, cycling and public transport and seeks to minimize the harmful effects of car traffic. It also supports entirely new ways of thinking about moving.
Potentials • Restoring confidence in Turku’s centre as an object of investment • Creating a gateway to Europe and the archipelago • A good life in Turku’s centre Challenges • Liveliness all year round • Commercial services dispersed around the city • Traffic at the centre of Turku
The functional and physical structure of Turku is very compact and versatile. As many as 80 percent of the residents live less than five kilometres away from the centre. This creates excellent conditions for a functionally active and well-accessible centre and its development. Since the end of the 2010s, there has been increasing interest in the city centre. Trade and tourism continues to rise steadily. As for leisure and culture, the city centre is becoming more appealing as a destination. Developing the centre is an essential element that strengthens the national and international connection and accessibility. Turku and its centre are part of the Northern Growth Zone, thus emphasizing the importance of networking and developing international connections. The most important project currently underway is the One Hour Train linking Turku’s urban area to the capital region into one integrated working area. The vision for the city centre will strongly support the One Hour Train, which will in turn support the development of the centre.
The vision focuses on three strengths: a European city centre, a vibrant and prosperous city, and the role of Turku as the capital of the most beautiful archipelago in the world. Strengthening the centre’s European history is achieved by integrating the Old Town area and the university campuses, and strengthening the cultural activities as part of a pedestrian friendly centre. A key element in making a vibrant and prosperous centre is reinforcing the idea that urban development should focus on the well-being of the residents and businesses, at the same time, support future newcomers and visitors to the city centre. The main idea is to create a sustainable basis for long-term growth by first responding to the needs of the existing users of the centre. Its proximity to the river, the sea and the world’s most beautiful archipelago in the world is a unique and prominent feature of Turku. The centre will continue to grow along the river towards the sea, bringing about development in the coming decades. The presence of the archipelago and its characteristics will form the identity of the expanded city centre.
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Vision for Turku City Centre 2050 Drawing from its rich 800-year history as Finland’s oldest city and its location at the heart of the world’s most beautiful archipelago, Turku is on its way to becoming a world-class global city, enriching its inhabitants, businesses and culture.
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02 Elements of a Lively Centre
I - Expanded and accessible city centre Expanding the heart of the city Improving mobility within the centre Linking the centre to national and international connections
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Universities
Old Town
Commercial centre
Riverbank
The core with four significant identities
Expanding the heart of the city Widening the notion of Turku Centre
The city centre of Turku has changed its location many times during its 800-year history. The Old Town, along with its historical buildings, was once the centre point of Finland when Turku was still the capital of the country. Similarly, for a long time, the Aura riverbanks were sources of wealth and prosperity for the city and the centre of economic life. Nowadays, these areas form many of Turku’s most attractive and popular places among citizens and visitors. Today, the city centre of Turku is commonly thought to be situated around the Market Square. The two most attractive commercial blocks are located around it. In addition, the main hub of the city-wide public transportation system is located at the corner of the square. Many investments were made to the area in the 1980’s and 1990’s and, for decades, the new attractive commercial centre acted as the most appealing commercial magnet of the region. However, in recent years, the congested one-point city centre strategy has proven challenging. People have started to ask for easier accessibility and more versatile experiences from the cityscape. Consumers and companies have found business parks and shopping malls located outside the city centre. As a result, investments have been made outside the city centre and the Market Square area has lost some of its commercial and economic attractiveness.
A lengthy period of low investments in the city centre has shown that there are also great opportunities in the very heart of the city. By unwrapping the congested traffic node of the Market Square, new opportunities will emerge. For the city to grow and regain its position as one of the leading European cities in the Baltic Sea region, the current notion of the city centre must be reimagined and expanded to also include the adjacent valuable historical areas – the Old Town. Turku has extremely attractive areas like the Old Town, the Aura Riverfront and the University Campus, located just next to the current active core. This offers a great potential to create a new and more versatile heart for Turku. The expansion of the city centre also means that the current “market square-centred” transportation system has to be redesigned to meet the needs of the Turku’s growing centre. Liveable city centres are easy to reach, easy to move around in them, and they are extremely well connected to other cities, nationally and internationally. By investing in revitalizing its historical collection of public spaces and streets, Turku has great potential to create a lively and vibrant human-centric core. The streets and public spaces will be freed from the dominance of vehicles and be for people and their activities. Most importantly, Turku will be able to go back to its roots as a European cultural city.
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Universities Commercial centre
Universities Commercial centre
Old Town
Riverbank
A single public transport hub only activates one point.
Old Town
Riverbank
250 m
Expandeed public transport spine is better connected with all activities within the core.
Expanding the heart of the city Introducing a new operating system
Like in many European cities, creating accessibility for the growing population while also improving liveability in the city centre has not been an easy task. Public transportation systems, parking facilities and roads have a great effect on the accessibility and commercial attractiveness of areas. However, they can also cause traffic congestion and poor public spaces. To attract more people, companies and visitors in the city centre, the centre must be both extremely accessible and an enjoyable high-quality urban environment. The current public transportation system of Turku is extremely efficient and based on the pendulum principle, linking all the city districts to one street junction in the Market Square area. This is a successful strategy when the market square is considered the centre point of the city. The challenge of the current model is that it limits growth and does not serve the valuable areas of the expanded centre equally. To facilitate the growth of the city centre and expansion
of commercially attractive areas, the one-point hub model should be dismantled. The model needs to be redesigned in a way that connects more people to a wider area in the centre without losing the efficient character of the pendulum system. Today, all the bus lines stop at the Market Square corner of Aurakatu and Eerikinkatu, making it the busiest spot in the city. The clash of dozens of busses creates an unsafe and unpleasant crossroad in the heart of the city. Another apparent consequence is that the commercially attractive area is only located around this one point. In order to expand the commercially active area and to connect also the historically valuable areas of the city centre, a new, more comprehensive transportation system is introduced. The new system will shift the focus from the city centre towards the Aura riverbanks and to its historical roots, creating more investment opportunities and revitalizing its valuable assets – the Old Town and the Aura River.
“The new system will shift the focus from the city centre towards the Aura riverbanks, creating more investment opportunities and revitalizing its valuable assets – the Old Town and the Aura River.”
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Aurakatu
Municipal office building
Old Town Linnankatu Eerikinkatu
Market Square
lu Kou u kat
L채ntinen Pitk채katu
Ratapihankatu Railway station
From one point...
P Aurakatu
Vartiovuori underground parking
P Old Town
P
Samppalinna underground parking Municipal
P
P
P
office building
Linnankatu
Cit tre en
yc
Eerikinkatu
P
P
P
atu
luk
Kou
P
P P-Louhi expansion
P
L채ntinen Pitk채katu Ratapihankatu
...to an expanded active area with city centre ring roads and centralised parking
Railway station
g rin
Market Square
Smart transportation system An easy-to-use system that connects different modes of transport with each other
The new transportation system will consist of five new transit hubs located along a new public transit street, Eerikinkatu. In the future, all transportation lines running through the city centre will stop in each of the hubs, creating new development points in the city centre. The linear hub model will liberate the corner of the Market Square and create new hot spots in the city centre. These urban terminals will be covered public spaces that serve as pleasant and active meeting points all year round. The terminals are located within 250 m distance from each other, creating a total of 1 km long internal horizontal elevator line of sorts, where busses or trams run every other minute from one hub to another. Linnankatu, which runs parallel to this new transit street will be transformed into a pedestrian street, creating new commercial and business opportunities for the expanded city centre. The transportation systems of the 21st century cities are smart, easy to use and are built from the needs and perspectives of their users. The focus is creating uninterrupted enjoyable journeys by fluently integrating different modes of transportation into one system. The new transport system of Turku is based on creating new main lines that connect all different approaching directions of the city centre and direct them to the new transit street. The new system will use the same
pendulum model as the current one, but expands the meeting point into a series of transit hubs. A new agile smart service line is introduced to circulate around the city core, connecting the neighbouring areas to the transit street and heart of the city. To liberate the most precious areas of the city to pedestrians and cyclists, the current obstructive car routes are diverted to new ring roads that circulate the city centre and offer multiple access points to the expanded city centre. On the west side of the city, Ratapihankatu will be widened and the underground parking cave, Louhi will be expanded, if necessary, to cater the increased parking capacity for people approaching the city from the Raisio and Naantali directions. On the east side, It채inen Pitk채katu will be equally transformed into a ring road. New underground parking facilities will be constructed under the hills of Vartiovuori and Samppalinna to serve the future development areas in the west banks of the Aura River and the Old Town. In the south, Puistokatu and in the north Helsinginkatu will connect the It채inen Pitk채katu and Ratapihankatu to form the new ring road for the city centre. Car access will be allowed in the city centre as the goal of the ring road system is not to limit the access to the city centre by car, but to divert the traffic that cuts through the city centre.
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Raisio Impivaara
Raisio Naantali
Ruonosmäki
Perno Ruissalo
Sweden / archipelago
Harbour
Islands
Jokik.
Kerttu
Logomo
Puoti
P
P
P
K
H
J
P
P
P
Tulli
Kerttuli
Kaarina Harittu
Tampere Europe
Halinen Littoinen
Uni
Kupittaa Heideken
A new public transport system
Old Town
Martti
Uittamo
Airport
Aninkainen
Humalisto
Helsinki
Varissuo
Improving mobility within the centre City centre for walking and cycling
The city centre should always be accessible by all modes of transportation. However, what defines the atmosphere within the city is how the mobility is organized inside the centre. The challenge of Turku is that the pedestrian streets and squares are disconnected from each other, and bicycle lanes run through only parts of the city centre. With the new transit street, a completely new parallel pedestrian street can be created. Also, both of the Aura riverbanks are liberated from car traffic with the new ring road system. In the future, the heart of the city will be devoted to a variety of high quality public spaces and pedestrian streets that let people connect and meet with each other, and to enhancing the beautiful natural and urban settings that Turku has to offer. The common quality of any vibrant and successful European city is a complete network of cycling routes
Public transport terminals
in the city centre. Geographically the city centre of Turku, located in the valley between hills, offers a great opportunity to create a first-class cycle route network linking neighbouring areas, such as the University area and Kupittaa to the centre. Biking should be treated as its own form of transportation, equal to car traffic and public transportation, by creating dedicated one-way bicycle lanes on both sides of all main streets. The network should be as complete as the car network – it is hard to drive if some parts of the streets are missing! When built, the new transit hubs will have bike parking systems that link together the public transportation system and biking network. This enables people to enjoy the benefits of both systems - it supports fluent long-distance traveling chains, without having to own a private car.
Direct access to pedestrian area from the parking facilities
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Eerikinkatu public transport terminal 35
Aurakatu
Transit hub
P
Parking Public transport Bike routes
Municipal office building
Pedestrian street Ring road
Old Town
Eerikinkatu Market Square
atu
luk
Kou
Läntinen Pitkäkatu
Ratapihankatu
New transportation system
Railway station
Improving mobility within the centre City centre for walking and cycling
Expanding the pedestrian network to the most attractive spots of the city will improve the liveliness of the centre.
Creating new pedestrian streets and plazas at the heart of the city with close proximity to the river.
An extensive cycling network within the centre allows cycling to become the primary means of transport.
Bicycles will have their own one-way lanes throughout the city and will be situated on different height levels in relation to pedestrian and car streets.
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Airport Central Finland
Aninkainen Railway Station
Kupittaa Helsinki Saint Petersburg
Archipelago Stockholm Baltic Sea
Harbour
Connecting people: The flow of international visitors from the airport, Kupittaa and the harbour connect with the city centre and local transport at the city terminal.
Linking the centre to national and international connections
Besides making the city centre more reachable and enjoyable to move in, the centre also has to be well connected to other cities and international destinations. International, national, regional and local connections will all be linked: one system that makes uninterrupted journeys possible. The national rail tracks from the centre follow the new ringroad from Kupittaa to Puistokatu and continue all the way to Turku harbour with multiple connections with the city’s upgraded transportation system. In the future, Turku will be connected to Helsinki area with a fast train connection, running merely one hour from city to city.
In the future, the One Hour Train will connect Turku to Helsinki- in one hour.
In the future, Turku will have three different stations, all with different characters and purposes. Kupittaa will be the gateway to Western Finland’s science and technology cluster. Aninkainen together with the current main station will be the intermodal hub, connecting all possible transportation networks together. It will also serve the southern side of the city centre, connecting the station directly to the new sport and cultural arenas. Finally, the Harbour, will link Turku to its beautiful archipelago and become a crucial location in the coming decades, as the city centre develops and expands westward.
“International, national, regional and local connections will all be linked: one system that makes uninterrupted journeys possible. “
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Station pavilion
Hybrid blocks
Renovated building
Cafe Hybrid blocks Active park
Gallery
Transit stop
New promenade bridge
Concert hall Puutori park
Concert hall pavilion
The area of Aninkainen is integrated with the city centre with a promenade bridge that runs along Puutori Square.
Aninkainen Linking the centre to national and international connections
A prominent intermodal point of the transportation system is the Aninkainen area where the city’s longdistance bus station is currently located. Most of the regional bus lines, as well as the train tracks, cross the area as well, making it a great spot for a new station pavilion. The terminal pavilion would link together the local, regional and national networks together with the city centre. A new elevated promenade is proposed to create a direct, level connection from the new pavilion to the Puutori Square area. Aninkainen is conveniently located at a track junction which heads to Helsinki, Tampere and the Harbour. It also has a good connection to Turku International Airport, making it possible to create a new kind of city terminal where check-in and baggage drop services for international trips are easy to arrange and trips are easily linked to both local and national transportation.
Cycling routes Public Transport
The urban block structure combines different height levels.
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Aninkainen park and green bridge 43
Improved atmosphere of the Market Square
Commercial potential at public transport hubs
Intelligent service transport within the centre
Expanding the image of the centre
A cycling network covering the entire centre
Calming the centre and transforming it into a high quality, pleasant and safe pedestrian environment
Additional visitors to the centre
Effects of a commercially attractive centre
5000
0,5
5
5
new covered parking spots
km2 of commercial centre
new public transport terminals
new pedestrian bridges across the Aura River
45
II - Commercially attractive centre Expanding the commercial centre Redesigning the Market Square area Creating a viable work and business environment
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Hybrid block
City transit terminal
Service hybrid
Building addition City transit terminal Beer garden
Small park
Businesses and offices New Market Square
Hybrid block Outdoor event area
Forum entrance City Hall Park
City transit terminal
Public transport street
Aurakatu pedestrian bridge
Restaurant terrace
Pedestrian street
A kilometre of commercial services
Expanding the commercial centre A kilometre of commercial services for the influx of people
The Market Hall block will be complemented with offices and terraces that adapt to the scale of the surrounding buildings.
The City Hall and Market Hall blocks will include the Turku Design and Finance District, which will be free from housing. This allows for more retail and restaurant spaces.
The Market Square will be divided into two areas, one of which will serve as an event area and the other, a park, designed in particular, from a children’s point of view.
A new kind of a service hybrid will be tested in the school quarter. The quarter is a living room for inhabitants of all ages.
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New public transport terminals will activate the centre 51
Covered courtyard
Hansakortteli
Shopping corridor
Kiosk
Viewing stairs
Playground
Water feature
Market Square park
Market Square pavilion Event space
Indoor street Cafe terraces
Cafe pavilion Wiklund
Forum block indoor street
Ă–sterblad block infill development
A park and a vibrant centre of events
Redesigning the Market Square area Hansatown shopping district around a pleasant Market Square
The new transportation system allows for the expansion of the commercial centre along Linnankatu and Eerikinkatu streets. Moving the transportation stops away from the Market Square allows for further development of the public space, which is currently dominated by busy bus traffic that disconnects the surrounding shops and restaurants from the square. The Market Square is transformed into a multipurpose meeting place and acts as a vibrant centre for events all year round. One third of the square is converted into an urban park, breaking up the scale of the vast square and strengthening the connection to Turku’s historic Orthodox Church. The urban park adds greenery to the currently paved square and allows for a variety of activities, such as picnics and petanque games. It creates a pleasant break within the urban core. The remaining two thirds of the square, enhanced with water features and permanent pavilions, remains open for the existing public market and various temporary events. The southern part of the square
is equipped to host various kinds of activities, such as the daily market or a performance stage. The two parts of the square - the urban park and the event area - are connected by steps that can be used as an auditorium to observe the events on the square or just simply, a place to sit on a pleasant day. The blocks surrounding the Market Square currently host significant shopping centres in the city centre. As the Market Square and the surrounding streets are developed into vibrant urban spaces, the commercial spaces will also be better connected to each other and to the square. The surrounding blocks form a connected shopping centre network - a Hansatown of the future. The blocks can be developed to accommodate new businesses, offices and housing and further strengthen the existing functions. Together the developed Market Square and Hansatown create an active heart in the urban core, stitching together the past and the present of Turku.
“The Market Square is transformed into a multipurpose meeting place and acts as a vibrant centre of events all year round.�
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During summer evenings, the Market Square is transformed into a meeting place for citizens with cafes and water elements.
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During the winter, the Market Square becomes an active heart of the centre.
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Office block Beer garden
Indoor street Market Hall Office block
Event space
New building
Design courtyard City Hall park
Pedestrian street
Pedestrian street
Workplaces at the heart of the city
Viable work and business environment Design & Finance District - Workplaces at the heart of the city
An intergal part of the city centre’s strategic development is to enable all types of businesses to thrive and evolve within the urban core. Work in the future will take various forms and the built environment should support it. Turku’s centre will be developed using a hybrid typology where different functions and scales of spaces mix. The Market Hall, together with the historical Turku City Hall area create a unique combination of functions. The area will be developed in to an active Design and Finance District that houses a variety of workplaces, ranging from small-scale design and craft businesses, galleries and cafes to high-profile office spaces for large companies and organizations. Mixing diverse types and scales of companies creates a flexible and resilient built working environment. The Market Hall block will be developed into an active entity, where office spaces interlace with existing vendors, new cafes and restaurants. The building
volumes create inner courtyards suitable for beer gardens and event spaces that do not disturb the surrounding housing blocks. New buildings adapt to the scale of the existing historical buildings, creating a cosy human scale walking environment, where shops open towards the street. The Market Hall block is integrated into the new Hansatown centre. It connects to the adjacent blocks by creating interior streets that form an enjoyable environment all year round. The existing parking lot in front of the City Hall is transformed into an active park that connects to the pedestrian street Linnakatu and leads visitors from the Market Square to the Aura riverbank. The inner courtyards along the riverbank blocks are better connected and activated as a part of the commercial centre and the Design and Finance District. As a whole, the Design and Finance District with its diverse set of spaces, both interior and exterior, private and public, enables both formal businesses and informal organisations to thrive within the city centre.
“The area will be developed into an active Design and Finance District that houses a variety of workplaces.”
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A new pedestrian street on Linnankatu 61
A network of shopping centres
An expanded commercial centre
An improved and comfortable Market Square
Increasing the number of workplaces and jobs in the centre
Effects of a commercially attractive centre
â‚Ź 5
150 000
300 000
15 000
new commerce hubs
m2 new commercial spaces
m2 new offices in the city centre
new jobs
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III - Comfortable and lively meeting place Enabling diverse lifestyles Introducing new kinds of services and meeting places Enhancing the centre of culture and experiences
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Block of flats
Detached houses
Parking garage
Townhouses
Bringing new forms of housing to the centre
serviced homes library New typologies for public services
school
Enabling diverse lifestyles An attractive living environment with hybrid service models
An important part of the vision is to create an attractive living environment within the urban city centre. Attractiveness is achieved by enabling diverse lifestyles and living solutions within the built environment. Densifying the city centre with more residents supports existing public services. It also allows easy access for the growing number of residents to commercial services, workplaces, as well as public transportation and cultural services. The urban structure is densified with infill development consisting of different residential typologies that are mixed within the city blocks. For instance, the existing buildings can be extended upwards with large attic apartments with rooftop terraces that cater to larger families. Townhouses can co-exist with efficient apartments, both rental and privately owned. Existing
parking lots can be filled in with new residential buildings when parking is moved to the new parking caves or concentrated into shared parking facilities. Infill development strategies will be a significant part of the city centre’s local planning. The hybrid model also extends to the organisation of public services. The services are integrated into the urban environment, right at where people move, work and live. New typologies combine the diverse services under one roof where they are easily accessible for everyone. Public buildings function as public living rooms, where citizens can access the library or school facilities. Simultaneously, the space efficiency of the buildings is increased and encourages more encounters between people within the public space.
“Attractiveness is achieved by enabling diverse lifestyles and living solutions within the built environment.�
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Green courtyards as part of a park network
Juhannuskukkula Koroinen Puolalanmäki Jokipuisto Kakolanmäki Luostarinmäki Linnanpuisto
Barkerinpuisto Samppalinna
Ruissalo
Kupittaa
Hirvensalo
Park network and courtyards for residents
Park-like semi-public spaces
An example of experiencing the water and making swimming a part of everyday life in the city. / Vulcan Spa Oy, Haroma & Partners, 2017
Activating the shore of the Aura River and increasing interaction between people and the water.
Saunas and characteristics of the archipelago can be brought to the city centre. / Konkret Oy, 2012
A diverse green environment Experiencing the archipelago and water in the city centre
The vision takes a human-centered approach to the development of the city centre as changing lifestyles increase demand for high quality public spaces. Turku has unique characteristics such as the beautiful archipelago and the Aura River delta. As the city centre develops and densifies, it is important to enhance and develop the green network and connections to the river and archipelago landscape. High-quality, multifunctional green spaces, parks and courtyards serve the residents of the city centre and create the identity of the riverbank city. The Aura River has many unique strengths, but also a lot of untapped potential. Activating the river shore as a series of public spaces increases the interaction between people and water. Saunas and swimming pools bring people right to the water’s edge and bring
part of the characteristics and spirit of the archipelago to the heart of the city. New bridges also connect the two sides of the river together, creating new connections between existing parks and green zones. Within the urban structure, a network of green spaces is created. The network is stitching together existing parks such as the Samppalinna Sports Park and Kakola Hill to the large nature reserves of Ruissalo and further, Hirvensalo. The aim is to develop a continuous network of green recreational spaces with the development of existing parks, green boulevards and streets as well as new parks and developed squares. The high-quality, accessible public spaces and parks serve the residents and visitors of Turku alike.
“Activating the Aura River shore as a series of public spaces increases the interaction between people and water.�
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Vibrant city centre as a destination Enhancing the centre of culture and experiences
A vibrant city centre not only serves its residents, but also its visitors. A variety of cultural and sports institutions attract visitors and transform the centre into a destination. Turku Centre has a good selection of cultural and sport institutions and facilities. For example, locations like the Samppalinna Sports Park and baths, recently refurbished Turku Theatre and the future event quarter next to the railway participate in the active cultural life of the city. This quality will be further enhanced by introducing new cultural hybrids and spaces for urban culture and sports. Situated on the eastern shore of the Aura River is an attractive riverside promenade where new cultural hybrids merge together culture, work and dining. An intimate square is set in front of the City Theatre and
a new route to the Samppalinna Windmill leads to the Paavo Nurmi Stadium and Sports Park. In the years to come, the existing parks will become an integral part of everyday city life. The connection between the sports park and riverside running through Itsenäisyydenaukio Square is an approach that connects the park to the city, which could be adapted and applied to other parks. Humalistonkatu street extends Samppalinna’s cultural connection to the railway and creates a new sport and entertainment east-west axis. New forms of downtown housing and businesses can also be found in these cultural areas.
“A new attractive riverside promenade will merge together cultural hybrids with culture, work and dining.”
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Gateway to universities
Hämeenkatu boulevard
Unified park Access to Vartiovuori
Public transport street New pedestrian bridge
Resting area
Park pavilion
Recreational stairs Culture hybrid
Plaza bridge
Brinkkala
City transit terminal
The Old Town as a European living room for students, visitors and residents
The renaissance of Turku’s Old Town Developing the park into an urban living room
The Finnish Museum of History will be located around the Old Great Square. It will become an international attraction at the heart of the Old Town.
A large park will be formed in the Old Great Square and Uudenmaankatu will transform into a public transport street. The park will be a green oasis and feature pavilions.
The Turku Cathedral bridge will be transformed into urban plaza where one can stop and enjoy the river view.
The new foot bridge will make it easier for students to cross the river. Functions in the Old Town will spread to the Old Great Square and activate the park area.
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The Old Town park as a pleasant meeting place amongst historic buildings 75
Integrating the Universities to the Centre Creating new connecting urban spaces and functions
The campus area at the edge of Turku Centre hosts a number of universities and institutions. The aim of the vision is to integrate the universities more closely with the centre through new bicycle and pedestrian bridges, as well as infill development and boulevardisation of Hämeenkatu. The buildings and public spaces act as a platform for the institutions and related businesses, bringing the students, staff and visitors closer to the city centre.
The large unified park and pavilions for cafes and galleries create a green oasis within the old city and connects closely to the riverbank.
The Old Town square will be the heart and living room of the students, staff, visitors and citizens. In addition to being an attractive tourist destination, the Old Town will be an urban living room by diversifying the range of services offered by and limiting traffic within the area. The existing parks will be unified when the new transportation system is introduced and Uudenmaankatu becomes a public transport street.
Hämeenkatu will be transformed into a green boulevard, joining the Universities and the Science Park area to the centre and creating an appealing route. The street has ample space for pedestrians to walk and use the street level shops and cafes and includes a highquality bike connection from the University area to the centre. The blocks along the street will be densified with infill development.
With the addition of new walking bridges, the old city and the eastern shore of Aura River are more closely linked to the western commercial centre. The Eerikinkatu local transportation hub connects to the Old Town park and Church Square.
“The Old Town will be an urban living room by diversifying the range of services offered by and limiting traffic within the area.”
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Kirkkosilta as a connecting public space 79
Hämeenkatu as a green boulevard 81
Museum housing Piers Museum extension
New route to the stadium Terraced housing
Theatre New pedestrian bridge Square
New pedestrian bridge Culture hybrid Park pavilions Swimming pier Stair to park
Riverbank promenade Hybrid block
Hotel and restaurant
The cultural riverbank
New pedestrian bridge
Cultural Riverbank Turku’s unique promenade of existing and future cultural hybrids
New cultural hybrid blocks that combine cultural functions with retail and restaurants will line the riverbank promenade.
The Independence Square that marks Finland’s 100th year will be an urban square that leads to the Paavo Nurmi Stadium and Sports Park.
A new route will connect the riverbank with the Sports Park stadium and windmill. The route is lined with sports and well-being services, cafes and shops.
The extension of the Wäinö Aaltonen museum will form a new route. Terraced museum apartments will be situated around the route and create new park-like blocks.
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A cultural riverbank promenade faces the evening sun 85
Outdoor pool
Open-air theatre
Paavo Nurmi Stadium
Sports park
Samppalinna Wellness services City Theatre
Linnateatteri
Theatre Akseli
Domino Theatre
Humalistonkatu
New Event Centre
A new cultural, sport and event axis
A street of experiences New culture, well-being, sports and event axis
A new event centre will be partially integrated into the rock in Samppalinna.
The Sports Park will be more closely linked to the centre, thanks to new routes and pedestrian bridges.
Outdoor pool
Open-air theatre
Paavo Nurmi Stadium
Sports park
Samppalinna Wellness services City Theatre
Linnateatteri
Theatre Akseli
Domino Theatre
Humalistonkatu
A large event centre will be built at the end of Humalistonkatu, which will feature a hybrid model of different event spaces, facilities and apartments.
Humalistonkatu will be transformed into an axis for culture, sport and events, connecting the Samppalinna event centre, the Sports Park and the Humalisto Centre.
New Event Centre
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The cultural riverbank 89
03 Roadmap Turku 2050
Turku 2050 93
Cultural Riverbank
Public transport system
Old Town
Finance District
Hansatown
Sport and Entertainment Axis
Aninkainen
The proposed developments
Implementing the Vision Outcome of the vision and roadmap to Turku 2050
The true challenge of our vision is, naturally, its execution. How will we achieve all this? Where will we find the energy to complete the vision? These are important questions that we will attempt to answer to the best of our ability. For the vision to be realised, certain requirements need to be met: First of all: the vision needs a positive reception. This condition seems to have fulfilled. At the time of writing, the vision was launched one and a half months ago. The feedback we received was exceptionally good for a city of Turku’s scale: the City Council applauded the plan and very positive feedback was seen in the press. During presentation events, citizens approved of the plan almost without exception. The Mayor of Turku and officials have told us that they want to carry out the plan. The plan will still be considered during the autumn 2017 in the City Council where a decision will be made on how precisely it will be followed. In this respect, the situation looks promising.
“For the vision to be realised, certain requirements need to be met: Firstly, the vision needs a positive reception. Secondly, we need a plan to carry out the vision. “
Secondly: we need a plan to carry out the vision. Naturally, this eventually depends on political decisionmaking. We, from our part, have already made a preliminary plan. First, we will focus on improving the outlook of the Market Square. Immediately after this follows the renovation of Old Town: we will try closing Aninkaistenkatu for private cars and will attempt to actively attract restaurateurs and hoteliers to the area while we also make plans to increase the attraction of the Old Great Square and surrounding quarters. The imminent surroundings of the Turku Cathedral Bridge will become a meeting place for citizens. We also hope that the envisaged History Museum will be placed in Old Town. Hämeenkatu will become an inviting city boulevard that gathers people from the development community of the University and Kupittaa and directs them towards the centre.
From the Turku Market Square we will expand the renovation laid out in our vision further to the quarters surrounding the Market Square: to Hansatown. At the same time, we will begin to rebuild the entire traffic system of the city. In accordance with the vision, we will decentralise the logistics of public transport in the centre and will build new transport terminals as laid out in the vision. Public transport will be centralised in Eerikinkatu, and Linnankatu will be reserved for walking and cycling traffic. In the next phases, the entire centre area will be reserved for light transport. The building of bridges that connect the eastern bank to the western bank as specified in the vision begins, the first of them potentially leading to WAM museum and Sports Park. We hope to have completed the abovementioned procedures by the 800-year anniversary of the City of Turku – in other words, the year 2029. From the year 2030 onwards, the development of the eastern bank of the Aura – the Cultural Riverbank should be at full speed. We believe that this will form the 21st century façade of Turku with its modern wooden buildings and cultural sanctuaries that people come to experience and admire even from far away. Samppalinnanmäki will be developed into a more rich and diverse form than before. The river will be taken into use in a new way, for instance by creating new river swimming facilities, saunas and performance locations. This may sound bold, considering the scale of the city. Our vision also includes an idea for speeding up the decision-making process of the city. One way is to create a partnership zoning model based on new inventional ideas. In this model, the city plans in advance how the best ideas could be rapidly executed.
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objectives
significant global megatrends
global city
Turku 2017 Vision roadmap
VISION
competence 2020
2030
2050
Implementing the Vision Outcome of the vision group and roadmap to Turku 2050
All in all, we are facing a time when power must be widely decentralised in the city. Citizens are invited to participate in the development of the city in smart ways. This does not require more resources as such, but rather a change in culture and the utilisation of new ways of forming information. We are not far away from the moment when the city can simulate different operating models using computers and artificial intelligence. Gathering and utilising data creates more and more opportunities to make far-reaching policies based on evidence while taking its citizens intelligently on board at every phase of it. It has become clear based on conversations that many would like a similar vision process for suburbs in Turku. We are very much in favour of this idea, hoping that local authorities would take the main responsibility. It would be wonderful if our vision could activate people in Turku beyond the centre and create a vision for how their neighbouring areas could change in the coming decades. Already in connection with the development of the centre, we have gathered 100 concrete events expressed during public events on how the centre could be developed.
“Turku now has a unique opportunity to take a head start towards creating such a future.�
It is clear that if there is enough political will to support our vision, the city will inevitably begin to develop in the direction of our vision. It is like a river that finds a new channel when helped one way or another. For the city, it means a cumulation of new wealth. One of the key objectives of the vision 2050 exercise is to enforce the commercial attraction of the centre in a situation where its attractiveness has been diminishing. Our solution to this is the radical expansion of the centre, considerable complementary construction, reorganising traffic, radically making the centre more pleasant and substantially enhancing processes.
It is not by accident that we have ended up calling the archipelago the unique pearl of Turku. Using completely objective criteria, we have excellent grounds to say that no other city is surrounded by such an incredible archipelago in the whole world. We believe that in the coming decades, we must focus on thinking and solving over again how the archipelago can be brought to the centre in all possible ways while also improving connections and services to the archipelago. This also calls for considerably more profound collaboration with surrounding archipelago municipalities. Even here, the most important thing is not to think about administrative borders, but how we will increase opportunities for people to experience the enchantment of the archipelago. If we can achieve this, we will be heading towards a Turku that is pleasant, attractive and close to nature in a completely new way and gathers people both regionally and globally to live in a city that is able to provide all services and comfort required today. In addition to all this, it gives what will be desired all around the world in the future more than anything else: breath-taking beauty and a touch of near pristine nature. Whether we like it or not, the world we will be facing in 2050 will be more overwhelming and have fewer resources than today. However, at the same time, the world will be more developed and people more mobile and educated. They will increasingly appreciate the things that ultimately make living in cities so appealing: opportunities to meet new people in a pleasant atmosphere. Turku now has a unique opportunity to take a head start towards creating such a future.
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Hafencity Hamburg
Nordhavn Copenhagen
Turku Harbour 2050?
Bjรถrvika Oslo
Future of the city centre
Integrating the centre with the most beautiful archipelago in the world
Airport Central Finland
Aninkainen Railway station Helsinki Saint Petersburg Kupittaa
Archipelago
Harbour
Naturally, on the side of expanding and developing the centre, we need to think about the future of the harbour. As it has inevitably occurred in other advanced cities, harbours and their functions change. Typically, as seen in Hamburg or Copenhagen, for instance, harbours continue their operation as transport hubs for cargoes and people, but also serve as places where culture, parks, restaurants, apartments and jobs develop. For Turku, the direction of development is clear: the harbour, situated very close to the archipelago, will function as an increasingly diverse passage to the archipelago and at the same time, the centre determinedly expands towards the harbour. Visually the harbour, in fact the entire delta area of the Aura River, will become more inviting, welcoming all arrivals.
Stockholm Baltic Sea
Turku’s Centre 2050: For Turku, the direction of development is clear: the harbor, situated very close to the archipelago, will function as an increasingly diverse passage to the archipelago and, at the same time, the center determinedly expands towards the harbor.
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1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.
Developing an attractive brand for the Old Town. Organising guided tours in the historic Turku. Equipping the Old Town with signposts. Using the technology of augmented reality in the storytelling of the historic Turku. Bringing a boutique hotel to the Old Town. Creating premises for summer restaurant activity at the Turku Cathedral Square. Connecting the Handicrafts Museum as part of Old Town via Vartiovuori. Introducing new cafés and restaurants, galleries and co-working spaces of creative work to replace offices of the Old Great Square. 9. Building parking space for Old Town visitors on the corner of Uudenmaankatu. 10. Carrying out a fixed-term experiment, prohibiting private vehicles at Uudenmaankatu from driving through at the Old Great Square. 11. Bringing culture outside the current museum and other cultural buildings. 12. Profiling universities as the generator of the city. 13. Profiling the area behind the Turku Cathedral as a unique business hub in cooperation with the universities. 14. Building permanent facilities for organising events (e.g. a stage) at the Market Square. 15. Creating a festival of lights for the dark season in the surroundings of the Market Square. 16. Using empty/old office houses as inexpensive meeting places and working facilities for entrepreneurs, students and artists. 17. Creating a chain of creative work from Logomo to the university campus via the centre. 18. Making market squares more suitable for use around the year with canopies and pavilions. 19. Turning part of the Market Square into an event park (such as Kungsträdgården). 20. Building a skating track at the Market Square for the winter season. 21. Taking care of the continuity of Market Square sales. 22. Making the Market Square more pleasant with green decorations and water elements. 23. Bringing more benches to the Market Square. 24. Creating attractions at the centre for families with children: playgrounds, placing shops in-tended for families with children in the same facilities, etc. 25. Building a children’s playground (e.g. a carousel) at the library square. 26. Increasing the functionality of parks. 27. Reducing the maximum driving speed at the innermost centre and on inhabited streets.
28. Prohibiting car traffic in front of cultural buildings. 29. Increasing lanes for public transport. 30. Giving pedestrians the priority in the innermost centre traffic. 31. Making public transport routes in the innermost centre clearer. 32. Reducing street parking. 33. Connecting the archipelago more tightly to the centre, for instance by promoting water traffic. 34. Building a city beach at the riverbank. 35. Strengthening the connection between the riverbank and the Market Square at the point of the River Aura by widening the pedestrian street and decreasing car lanes. 36. Building a green corridor extending from the River Aura to Puolala Park. 37. Building a cheap guarded winter parking area for summer cars, campers, trailers and small boats. 38. Offering tourists with no cars better connections and services (mini train, rickshaws, city bikes with separate space for kids, a “London bus” etc.) and guided tours to Turku Castle, the harbour, Luostarinmäki, Ruissalo etc. 39. Promoting the organising of events at the centre and the riverbank by facilitating the permit protocols of the city. 40. Enabling the use of city facilities for pop up activities. 41. Supporting the renovation of multi-use spaces. 42. Giving construction monitoring the priority to handle building permits for the centre in less than a month’s time. 43. Organising a City festival – a well-organised and well-produced event representing the field of free arts (circus, dance, jazz, puppet theatre, food…). 44. Creating new cultural spaces in the innermost centre. 45. Opening a concert hall in the area of Puutori Square and Aninkainen. 46. Limiting drive-through traffic on the streets of the innermost centre. 47. Bringing public sector jobs back to the city centre. 48. Attracting international investors and other operators to relocate to the centre. 49. Emphasising the role of parks as a factor creating a pleasant environment for residents, and their role as a travel attraction. 50. Improving the functionality of the Sports Park around the year 51. Building a statue biennial in Puolala Park. 52. Creating a wonder park for children at Kakolanmäki. 53. Launching a network of pocket parks. 54. Building a bridge for light traffic between the Sports Park and Vartiovuorenmäki over Neitsytpolku.
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55. Combining the Samppalinna Park and the Sports Park with the bank of the River Aura as part of the Turku Centre walking route. 56. Combining the Sports Park and Samppalinnanmäki using a bridge or similar to form a central park of cultural exercise. 57. Extending the Barker Park to the bank of the River Aura. 58. Increasing urban green in the entire central area: trees alongside the streets, trees at squares and plazas etc. 59. Developing the city hall park into a Fortuna market. 60. Covering the rail yard for home building use. Creating a place similar to the Teurastamo abattoir area in Helsinki with restaurants and an opportunity for shared use of the yard area: city picnic, city barbecue, garden, etc. 61. Using rooftops of new buildings, e.g. solar energy, rooftop gardens etc. 62. Building cycling paths so that the Market Square and other key destinations are easily accessible. 63. Connecting the areas developing around the current centre to the centre by highquality biking connections. 64. Making central routes of light traffic pleasant and feasible. 65. Supporting winter cycling. 66. Building a pedestrian street between the Archbishop property and the Aura River. 67. Expanding the routes of the Aura riverbank towards the direction of Halinen on both sides of the riverbank. 68. Moving the light traffic of Itäinen Rantakatu on parking spaces and reserving the bank area of the River Aura for pedestrians. 69. Turning the track connection between the harbour and Puistokatu a “Turku road” for light traffic. 70. Building a smooth and pleasant walking and cycling connection from Logomo to the centre 71. Making Piispankatu more vivid. 72. Creating a winter city festival for all city residents. 73. Synchronising the opening times of shops in the centre. 74. Making the centre the hub of modern basement level shops. 75. Producing all lighting with solar power. 76. Giving businesses permission to use street space (e.g. flower sales on the pedestrian street) and to decorate the front of their own shops. 77. Bringing school events to the centre. 78. Using the street space of the centre as a temporary game platform for events (e.g. the Turku tournament at the pedestrian street)
79. Bringing theatre premieres and promotion events of Logomo events to the centre. 80. Organising Ruisrock morning events at the Market Square. 81. Creating attractive travel packages for Easter (Turku/church/travel experiences). 82. Organising a flea market at Kauppahallinkuja near the Market Hall during weekends. 83. Building a limited service business hotel in Turku. 84. Increasing the offering of maritime events, services and products. 85. Bringing online shop showrooms and events to the centre. 86. Keeping the centre open 24/7. 87. Improving leisure activity opportunities at the centre. 88. Organising a water bus connection from Hirvensalo to the centre. 89. Improving the evening use of the Market Square. 90. Bringing more short-term selling points to parks, the riverbank etc. 91. Supporting the joint marketing of the specialty shops of the centre. 92. Making signposts in English. 93. Organising a shared cleaning event for the city residents. 94. Advancing the sharing of ideas in different ways. 95. Making water a visible streetscape element also in other places than the riverbank. 96. Building an archipelago cruise harbour. 97. Increasing water bus / water taxi activity in the River Aura. 98. Bringing more public toilet facilities to the riverbank. 99. Organising small art happenings at the riverbank. 100. Making events visible streetscape elements at the centre. E.g. sports finals or concerts projected on the library wall.
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The Centre of Turku 2050 20 000 new inhabitants 15 000 new jobs 150 000 m2 square metres of new commercial spaces 30 000 m2 new cultural and service functions New public transport system Comfortable and safe city centre 5500 new covered parking spaces
Image Credits All images unless stated otherwise: Lundén Architecture Ltd. Page 10: Competitiveness: City of Turku, Joonas Mäkivirta Attractiveness: Pexels Sustainability: Adobe Stock Well-being: StockSnap, Rob Bye Page 14: Bergen: Unsplash, Matt Lamers Adobe Stock Reykjavik: Unsplash, Zak Boca Unsplash, Andrew Smales Turku: City of Turku, Hannu Waher Page 18: City of Turku, Hannu Waher City of Turku City of Turku, Arto Takala Page 70: City of Turku, Kari Vainio Page 76: Adobe Stock Page 98: HafenCity: KCAP, http://www.kcap.eu/en/projects/v/hafencity/ Nordhavn: Nordhavn, http://www.nordhavnen.dk/ Björvika: Byplanoslo, http://byplanoslo.no/sites/byplanoslo.no/files/ styles/full_width/public/main/long-tail-section/forklaring_bjorvika_0.jpg
Drawing from its rich 800-year history as Finland’s oldest city and its location at the heart of the world’s most beautiful archipelago, Turku is on its way to becoming a world-class global city, enriching its inhabitants, businesses and culture.