ESPOO MAGAZINE 1/2017
A MAGAZINE FOR ESPOO RESIDENTS
A MAGAZINE FOR ESPOO RESIDENTS
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A <strong>MAGAZINE</strong> FOR <strong>ESPOO</strong> RESIDENTS<br />
1<br />
<strong>2017</strong><br />
AN AWARD-WINNING<br />
CHILD WELFARE CONCEPT<br />
FIND OUT WHAT’S<br />
ON THIS SUMMER<br />
THE BEST THING ABOUT<br />
<strong>ESPOO</strong> IS NATURE<br />
Professor Antti-Matti Siikala believes<br />
Espoo’s city centres will reach a<br />
NEW LEVEL<br />
OF PROSPERITY PAGE<br />
8
MY <strong>ESPOO</strong><br />
TIMO PORTHAN<br />
CITY BIKE PILOT UNDERWAY<br />
THE YELLOW CITY BIKES that brightened up the<br />
streets of Helsinki last year popped up in Espoo at<br />
the beginning of May. In this summer’s pilot phase,<br />
the city bikes will be available in the Matinkylä-Olari<br />
area, with a total of 100 bikes and 10 stations in use.<br />
Tulan Vainio took one of the bikes for a test run<br />
near Iso Omena. She feels the city bikes are well<br />
suited for commuting as well as recreational rides,<br />
on the Rantaraitti waterfront bicycle path, for example.<br />
– It’s fine for occasional use and for people who<br />
don’t have a bike of their own, Vainio says. The city<br />
bikes and stations have been rented for the<br />
summer from Helsinki City Transport. According<br />
to Johanna Nyberg, Head of Traffic Management<br />
and ITS at the City of Espoo, the station network<br />
was developed to match the needs of Espoo’s environment<br />
and local residents. The idea is to link<br />
local services together and complement the public<br />
transport connection network along routes such<br />
as the future West Metro. According to Nyberg, if<br />
the pilot proves successful, the city will consider<br />
acquiring a more extensive city bike service of its<br />
own. The aim is to roll out the service in 2018 and<br />
expand the network from Matinkylä all the way to<br />
Keilaniemi.<br />
“A good<br />
bike for<br />
occasional<br />
use.”<br />
HOW DOES THE<br />
SERVICE OPERATE?<br />
› User registration can be<br />
done online or at a bike station<br />
equipped with a payment<br />
terminal.<br />
› Access to the service can be<br />
purchased for a day, a week<br />
or the full season.<br />
› After registration, users can<br />
pick up a bike from a station<br />
by entering their PIN code.<br />
› The bikes can be used for<br />
30 minutes at a time without<br />
any additional fees. The<br />
maximum duration of each<br />
use is five hours.<br />
› The bike can be returned to any<br />
station after use.<br />
More information:<br />
hsl.fi/en/citybikes<br />
Tulan Vainio gave two<br />
thumbs up to the simple<br />
and solidly built city bike.<br />
She expects that the<br />
bikes will be well received.<br />
2
CONTENTS<br />
A <strong>MAGAZINE</strong> FOR <strong>ESPOO</strong> RESIDENTS<br />
1<br />
<strong>2017</strong><br />
7Sheena Kopsala<br />
helps immigrant<br />
families get<br />
started with<br />
integration.<br />
<strong>ESPOO</strong><br />
PROVIDES NATIVE<br />
LANGUAGE<br />
INSTRUCTION<br />
IN 42<br />
LANGUAGES.<br />
8<br />
Espoo is a city of<br />
renewal. In addition to a<br />
boom in commercial and<br />
residential construction,<br />
there are green areas and<br />
pedestrian districts in<br />
the works.<br />
2 MY <strong>ESPOO</strong> › City bikes are here<br />
4 EDITORIAL › Jukka Mäkelä<br />
5 IN BRIEF › The results of the “My Espoo is” survey<br />
7 AT YOUR SERVICE › Coordinator Sheena Kopsala<br />
8 THEME › Espoo’s renewal along the metro route<br />
12 ACTIVE <strong>ESPOO</strong> › What’s on this summer<br />
15 INSIGHT › The KYKY Marketplace breeds innovation<br />
16 PEARLS › New Life and Living Centre opens its doors<br />
18 SERVICE › Award-winning child welfare services<br />
20 VI ESBO › Finns sommarteater<br />
22 TAKE A BREAK › Espoo crossword<br />
23 <strong>ESPOO</strong>LAINEN › FC Honka women’s football team<br />
12<br />
18 20<br />
<strong>ESPOO</strong> <strong>MAGAZINE</strong> 1/<strong>2017</strong> >> 3
EDITORIAL<br />
Espoo on the<br />
path of sustainable<br />
growth<br />
A COMPARATIVE international study has again, for the second<br />
time, ranked Espoo as the most economically, socioculturally<br />
and ecologically sustainable city in Europe. Espoo’s key<br />
strengths are competence, safety and nature.<br />
The sustainability of the growing city of Espoo is improved<br />
by the rail transport-based networked structure of five city<br />
centres. In the “My Espoo is” survey conducted last autumn,<br />
the respondents indicated that the city centres<br />
are versatile hubs of services, jobs and recreation, and<br />
their proximity is highly valued. Espoo residents feel like<br />
they live in the city while also being close to nature. The<br />
survey was completed by 6,150 respondents and the total<br />
number of suggestions and comments received was 21,600.<br />
The results of the survey will be used in updating the Espoo<br />
Story for the City Council’s next term of office.<br />
We seek sustainable city solutions in partnership with businesses,<br />
universities, research institutes and local residents.<br />
Last spring, we concluded an agreement with Fortum Corporation<br />
stipulating that the production of all district heating used<br />
in Espoo must be fully carbon neutral by 2030. Our primary<br />
goal is the well-being of Espoo residents in a smart and safe<br />
city where daily life is convenient and smooth.<br />
<strong>ESPOO</strong><br />
RESIDENTS FEEL<br />
LIKE THEY LIVE IN<br />
THE CITY WHILE<br />
ALSO BEING<br />
CLOSE TO<br />
NATURE.<br />
Jukka Mäkelä, Mayor of Espoo<br />
Updates from different<br />
parts of the city and<br />
pages dedicated to<br />
various operators.<br />
”<br />
Harry Potter and the<br />
Chamber of Secrets<br />
movie concert at Metro<br />
Arena in October.<br />
Always up to date.<br />
Information, answers<br />
and discussion.<br />
”<br />
What Espoo residents<br />
appreciate the most in<br />
their city?<br />
#luonto #koti #kaupunki<br />
#meri #turvallisuus<br />
#Espoo<br />
Great moments, events<br />
and landscapes through<br />
the eyes of Espoo<br />
residents.<br />
”<br />
Espoo is still the most<br />
sustainable city in<br />
Europe!<br />
#hyväespoo<br />
#kestäväespoo<br />
<strong>MAGAZINE</strong> FOR <strong>ESPOO</strong> RESIDETSI Public bulletin to all households FEEDBACK AND SUGGESTIONS espoolehti@omnipress.fi<br />
PUBLISHER City of Espoo, PO Box 12, 02070 City of Espoo, tel. (09) 81 621, espoo.fi, firstname.lastname@espoo.fi<br />
EDITOR IN CHIEF Satu Tyry-Salo, Communications director EDITORS Omnipress Oy, espoolehti@omnipress.fi<br />
MANAGING EDITOR Kimmo Kallonen LAYOUT Hannu Kavasto/Hank PRINTED BY Punamusta DISTRIBUTION SSM<br />
NOTIFICATIONS jakelupalaute@omnipress.fi COVER Fleur Wilson ISSN 1798-8446 Next issue 19.8.<strong>2017</strong><br />
4
CITY OF <strong>ESPOO</strong> WINS TOP<br />
PRIZE FOR PROVIDING<br />
INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES<br />
THE STUDENT MEMBERS OF Akava Special Branches have recognised<br />
the City of Espoo’s Event and Cultural Services unit for providing<br />
good internship opportunities for students of universities<br />
of applied sciences. The winners of the “Best place for an internship”<br />
competition were announced in late March. The winners<br />
were chosen based on the participating interns’ own descriptions.<br />
– It’s great that this prize was awarded to our work community<br />
as a whole. When interns come in, they are authorised to<br />
carry out certain basic tasks. They are also assigned a person<br />
whom they can contact to ask questions or request assistance.<br />
We always go through an orientation checklist and revisit it<br />
later if necessary, says Johanna Vepsä, Production Manager<br />
at Event and Cultural Services.<br />
Marianne Marttila, a cultural producer student who did<br />
her internship at the City of Espoo, went on to find work in the<br />
same organisation where she did her internship.<br />
– My dream came true. I got the opportunity to learn and experience<br />
a lot. My internship also drove me to move ahead in<br />
this industry, she explains. The competition between providers<br />
of internship opportunities also included a separate category<br />
for university students, which was won by Ramboll Finland Oy.<br />
COLLECTINGS<br />
DISTRICT HEATING TO BE FREE OF EMISSIONS BY 2030<br />
SUSTAINABLE<br />
FUTURE<br />
STARTS<br />
HERE<br />
THE CITY OF <strong>ESPOO</strong> and Fortum Corporation<br />
have set a common goal of producing all of the<br />
district heating used in Espoo without creating<br />
carbon dioxide emissions, which contribute to<br />
climate change, by 2030.<br />
The production of heating currently represents<br />
nearly half of Espoo’s total climate emissions.<br />
Making district heating free of emissions<br />
is part of Espoo’s broader goal of achieving<br />
complete carbon neutrality by 2050.<br />
The energy cooperation between Fortum<br />
and Espoo has already seen the use of renewable<br />
energy and waste heat grow from zero to<br />
nearly 30 per cent of Espoo’s district heating.<br />
Espoo and Fortum have drafted three possible<br />
scenarios for achieving carbon neutral district<br />
heating. The energy sources used in the<br />
scenarios include geothermal heat, biomass,<br />
waste heat and complementary solutions.<br />
– The most likely outcome is some combination<br />
of the three scenarios. The solution will<br />
take shape by the end of the year, says Niko<br />
Wirgentius, Head of Asset Management at<br />
Fortum.<br />
MORE THAN A MILLION<br />
CUSTOMER VISITS TO THE<br />
SERVICE CENTRE<br />
THE SERVICE CENTRE for public services, which opened<br />
in August 2016 at the Iso Omena shopping centre, reached<br />
the milestone of one million customer visits in April. Some<br />
4,500 customers visit the service centre every day.<br />
The unique service centre concept brings together key<br />
services, such as a library, child health clinic and Kela, on the<br />
same premises in a location that is easy to reach by public<br />
transport. The concept is under continuous development<br />
and will also be expanded to include more digital services.<br />
2014 CURRENT BY THE YEAR 2030<br />
n COAL 72% n COAL 55 % n RENEWABLE 60 %<br />
n GAS 27 % n GAS 17 % n BIOMASS (CURRENT) 15 %<br />
n RENEWABLE 1 % n HEAT RECYCLING 16% n HEAT RECYCLING 25 %<br />
n BIOMASS 12 %<br />
FROM THE ANNALS OF HISTORY<br />
100th anniversary of the first steps of Muurala Hospital<br />
Muurala Hospital<br />
is shown front and<br />
centre. The area<br />
in the background<br />
is now the Espoo<br />
keskus district.<br />
Photo from 1938.<br />
HEALTH CARE AND MEDICAL CARE became a<br />
topic of growing interest in Finland in the late<br />
19th century. Municipal hospitals were established<br />
around the country at an accelerating<br />
rate, but Espoo hung on exceptionally long<br />
without a hospital of its own. The main reason<br />
for this was the proximity of Helsinki. Most patients<br />
could be sent to the hospitals in the capital<br />
city for treatment.<br />
The hospital project finally became essential<br />
during World War I. A large number of out-oftowners<br />
arrived in Espoo to help with the fortification<br />
work, which led to the spread of infectious<br />
diseases. The need for hospital beds grew<br />
rapidly and it was no longer possible to send all<br />
patients to Helsinki.<br />
The final push for the decision to build a<br />
hospital came from the Chairman of the Town<br />
Assembly, Master of Laws Osvald Wasastjerna,<br />
who, together with his wife, donated a<br />
total of FIM 60,000 to the hospital project. Architect<br />
Knut Wasastjerna was given the task<br />
of designing the hospital. Construction work in<br />
Muurala began in 1917, but the project was delayed<br />
by the outbreak of the Finnish Civil War<br />
the following year.<br />
The long-awaited local hospital finally<br />
<strong>ESPOO</strong>N KAUPUNGINMUSEO<br />
opened its doors on 30 April 1920. The hospital<br />
complex consisted of a Department of General<br />
Practice, an Epidemics Department and an outbuilding.<br />
It also included the subsequently demolished<br />
mortuary and doctor’s quarters.<br />
The hospital was very modern upon its completion.<br />
In addition to the two main departments,<br />
its facilities included an operating room<br />
and a shared central heating system. It also<br />
had a staff of more than 20 people. The hospital’s<br />
first doctor was Licentiate of Medicine<br />
Allan Ph. Heikel, who remained in office for an<br />
impressive 33 years. The original buildings are<br />
still in use as part of the Samaria health centre.<br />
Today, the premises include social services and<br />
a staff restaurant.<br />
SOURCES: <strong>ESPOO</strong> CITY ARCHIVES, LAHTI,<br />
MATTI J. 1975. <strong>ESPOO</strong> - FROM A RURAL PAR-<br />
ISH TO A MAJOR MARKET TOWN. CITY OF<br />
<strong>ESPOO</strong>, DIGI.KANSALLISARKISTO.FI<br />
<strong>ESPOO</strong> <strong>MAGAZINE</strong> 1/<strong>2017</strong> >> 5
COLLECTINGS<br />
› The first word that most people associate<br />
with Espoo is nature. The 5,111 responses<br />
are summarised in a word cloud. The larger<br />
the word is shown in the cloud, the more<br />
frequently it was mentioned by the respondents.<br />
The respondents also completed the<br />
sentence “My Espoo is...” a total of 4,791<br />
times, with safety highlighted as the most<br />
significant aspect.<br />
<strong>ESPOO</strong>’S STRENGTHS ARE<br />
SAFETY AND NATURE<br />
Last autumn, the City of Espoo conducted the My Espoo Is survey to<br />
assess local residents’ views on what Espoo is—and should be—like.<br />
THE ONLINE SURVEY was completed by<br />
6,150 respondents from August to October.<br />
A total of 21,600 suggestions and<br />
comments were received. In addition,<br />
some 850 pre-schoolers participated in<br />
A Day as Mayor workshops along with a<br />
large number of Espoo-based entrepreneurs.<br />
The survey indicated that nature<br />
and the sea are still major factors behind<br />
Espoo’s appeal. Espoo residents want to<br />
see more activities by the sea, such as recreational<br />
opportunities and services that<br />
support spending more time by the sea.<br />
Espoo is perceived to be safe. Safety was<br />
the most significant factor highlighted by<br />
respondents of all ages.<br />
The areas in which local residents want<br />
to see improvement include the living environment,<br />
nature and transport. The de-<br />
A TOTAL OF<br />
21,600<br />
SUGGESTIONS<br />
AND COMMENTS<br />
WERE RECEIVED<br />
IN THE “MY<br />
<strong>ESPOO</strong> IS”<br />
SURVEY. THE<br />
SURVEY<br />
PERIOD WAS<br />
27 AUGUST–31<br />
OCTOBER 2016.<br />
lays in the metro project and changes in<br />
Espoo’s internal bus traffic are causing<br />
concern. Many respondents wanted more<br />
effective cross-town traffic within Espoo.<br />
Other points raised included the development<br />
of culture and sports, other<br />
public services and employment. Sustainable<br />
development was also among the key<br />
themes, while tourism, the conditions for<br />
entrepreneurial activity and internationality<br />
were not as frequently mentioned.<br />
The respondents also shared their<br />
views regarding the best aspects of their<br />
local city centre and its development. Services<br />
were highlighted as the biggest advantage<br />
of the city centres. The respondents<br />
appreciate the fact that services are<br />
centralised in a single location, which<br />
makes it easy to take care of errands.<br />
Transport connections and the comfort of<br />
living were highlighted as the most important<br />
areas for development for each of the<br />
city centres.<br />
The responses indicate that the proximity<br />
of city centres makes the residents<br />
of Espoo feel like they live in the city, even<br />
though nature is also very close. The city<br />
centres are perceived as versatile hubs of<br />
services, jobs and recreation, and their<br />
proximity is highly valued. This suggests<br />
that Espoo’s strategy of developing several<br />
city centres instead of one large city centre<br />
is a successful one.<br />
A total of 4,800 stories of “the best moments<br />
in Espoo” were received from the<br />
respondents. They were closely linked to<br />
family, nature, outdoor life and the home,<br />
but also feelings of happiness and joy.<br />
Aalto University rates Espoo’s approach to strategic development as excellent<br />
THE RESULTS OF THE SURVEY will<br />
be used in updating the Espoo Story,<br />
which is the city’s strategy, for the City<br />
Council’s next term of office. The new<br />
Espoo Story will be prepared for approval<br />
by the City Council in autumn<br />
<strong>2017</strong>.<br />
According to an assessment conducted<br />
by Aalto University, the Espoo<br />
Story is an excellent and internationally<br />
unique approach to the management<br />
of the city’s strategy. According<br />
to Mayor Jukka Mäkelä, the Espoo<br />
Story is clearer than the city’s previous<br />
strategies and it has produced<br />
good results.<br />
– We’ve always found the most success<br />
in the areas in which we have<br />
been able to engage local residents<br />
and cooperation partners. We see the<br />
resident-oriented approach as necessary<br />
for our success, and I am pleased<br />
that we again received a wealth of information<br />
on the residents’ views to<br />
help us update the Espoo Story. It puts<br />
us in a good position to move ahead,<br />
Mäkelä says.<br />
6
AT WORK<br />
AN IMPORTANT<br />
CONTACT FOR<br />
THE WHOLE FAMILY<br />
Sheena Kopsala, Coordinator<br />
at the language and culture<br />
group, is an important<br />
contact person for many<br />
immigrant families.<br />
TEXT Tiina Parikka PHOTO Timo Porthan<br />
’’<br />
The best part of my job is meeting different<br />
kinds of people and learning about their culture.<br />
I interview the families of pupils who<br />
are about to enter preparatory education<br />
and I act as a link between teachers and families. My<br />
current job description also includes updating the<br />
timetables of teachers and pupils and arranging substitutes<br />
for teachers of religious studies.<br />
I speak Finnish and English, and also a bit of<br />
Spanish. And, of course, I speak Filipino, being from<br />
the Philippines originally. If I don’t have a common<br />
language with the interviewee, their native language<br />
teacher or cultural interpreter will assist.<br />
I’m easy to approach because I’m an immigrant myself.<br />
I’m also a positive example of the fact that immigrants<br />
can find meaningful work in Finland. I was first<br />
employed for a nine-month period through the City of<br />
Espoo’s immigrant recruitment services. Then I was<br />
hired as an assistant in the language and culture group<br />
to replace a retiring employee. I was away on maternity<br />
leave for a while and, upon my return, I was given the<br />
role of Planner. In March, I started as a Coordinator.<br />
For many families, a child entering the school<br />
system is their first point of contact with Finnish society.<br />
The families don’t necessarily have any other<br />
contacts besides me, so they also ask me for guidance<br />
in relation to other matters. That makes me feel useful<br />
and I try to collect information on the relevant topics<br />
so that I can provide at least some advice.<br />
42<br />
different<br />
languages for<br />
which native<br />
language<br />
teaching is<br />
provided<br />
4,260<br />
non-Finnishspeaking<br />
pupils<br />
and students<br />
6<br />
religions<br />
taught:<br />
Lutheranism,<br />
the Eastern<br />
Orthodox<br />
Church,<br />
Islam,<br />
Catholicism,<br />
Judaism and<br />
the Hare<br />
Krishna<br />
movement.<br />
3,300<br />
pupils and<br />
students<br />
participate in<br />
native-language<br />
teaching on a<br />
weekly basis. The<br />
largest group is<br />
Russian (700),<br />
followed by<br />
Arabic, English<br />
and Somali<br />
(approx. 300).<br />
<strong>ESPOO</strong> <strong>MAGAZINE</strong> 1/<strong>2017</strong> >> 7
THEME<br />
<strong>ESPOO</strong> IS IN A<br />
PERIOD OF GROWTH<br />
The city centres along the West Metro route are in the<br />
middle of a development boom. In addition to commercial<br />
premises, there are plans in motion for extensive<br />
residential development near the metro stations.<br />
Text Ari Rytsy Illustration Fleur Wilson<br />
8
KEILANIEMI<br />
Traffic on Kehä I will be moved to a concrete<br />
tunnel in spring 2019. Four residential high-rises<br />
will be built next to Keilaniemi metro station.<br />
The Fortum high-rise, known as Raaden hammas,<br />
will be renovated and converted into a residential<br />
building. A zoning change makes it possible<br />
to build two new residential high-rises on the<br />
same plot of land. There are also plans for<br />
Keilaranta Tower, a 117-metre and 26-storey<br />
office building, in Keilaniemi.<br />
The renewal of the Tapiola<br />
centre took a big leap forward<br />
this spring with the completion<br />
of the second phase of<br />
the Ainoa shopping centre.<br />
The expansion saw the arrival of a<br />
new Stockmann department store and<br />
some 20 new specialty shops. The expansion<br />
increased Ainoa’s total floor<br />
area to 30,000 square metres, which<br />
puts it in the same size category with<br />
the Kamppi shopping centre.<br />
– In the days of the old shopping<br />
centre, there were occasionally maintenance<br />
vehicles and dustcarts driving<br />
around in the pedestrian zone. All that<br />
traffic has now been moved underground.<br />
The space previously dominated<br />
by cars has been given back to<br />
the people, says Professor of Building<br />
Technology Antti-Matti Siikala, the<br />
man responsible for designing Ainoa’s<br />
expansion project.<br />
The new-look Ainoa also impresses<br />
with a rooftop world built on top of the<br />
retail premises. It consists of green outdoor<br />
areas and the Tapiolan Kirjokansi<br />
housing development.<br />
Kirjokansi is a green living concept<br />
that will comprise a total of six residential<br />
buildings. Of these, two blocks<br />
of flats and one low-rise block of flats<br />
will be completed this spring. The residential<br />
buildings included in the next<br />
phase will be completed in early 2020,<br />
roughly coinciding with the third phase<br />
of Ainoa. This will involve demolishing<br />
the current Stockmann department<br />
store and replacing it with the final extension<br />
to the shopping centre, which<br />
is estimated to be completed in autumn<br />
2019.<br />
Special attention was given to maintaining<br />
harmony between the shopping<br />
centre and the existing urban structure<br />
in Ainoa’s second phase of expansion.<br />
The new-look Ainoa opens up in<br />
every direction, creating a coherent<br />
combination with the Tapiola city<br />
centre.<br />
– The rooftop world was inspired by<br />
the traditional roof shapes featured in<br />
housing built in Tapiola in the 1950s<br />
and 1960s.<br />
The wood surfaces reflect the high<br />
quality of residential construction and,<br />
when lit from below, they are very easy<br />
on the eye, says Siikala.<br />
PAST AND PRESENT MEET IN THE PEDES-<br />
TRIAN CENTRE. The Tapiola centre plays<br />
a significant role in Espoo’s public<br />
transport, which is currently undergoing<br />
major development in the form<br />
of the West Metro and the new Tapiola<br />
bus terminal, which is scheduled to be<br />
completed in 2019.<br />
The new bus terminal under construction<br />
on Merituulentie will offer direct<br />
indoor access to the metro and retail<br />
premises.<br />
The renewal of the Tapiola centre<br />
is not limited to the shopping centre<br />
and public transport. According to<br />
Antti Mäkinen, the Project Director in<br />
<strong>ESPOO</strong> <strong>MAGAZINE</strong> 1/<strong>2017</strong> >> 9
THEME<br />
charge of the development of the area,<br />
the majority of the buildings dating<br />
back to the 1970s and 1980s will be demolished<br />
to make way for residential<br />
and commercial buildings that are<br />
three times as efficient.<br />
This is a renewal project that is the<br />
first of its kind in Finland.<br />
– There are really no other viable<br />
options for increasing the efficiency of<br />
land use in Tapiola. The garden city of<br />
Tapiola has a strong cultural and historical<br />
status, and we intend to cherish<br />
it, Mäkinen says.<br />
Residential developments to the<br />
south of Merituulentie will introduce<br />
a more futuristic element that will<br />
be connected to the area around the<br />
Espoo Cultural Centre by a harmonious<br />
and comfortable pedestrian centre.<br />
The renewal of the Tapiola centre<br />
will go on for several years to come,<br />
but most of it is scheduled to be completed<br />
by the early 2020s.<br />
– In light of the planned changes, I<br />
feel confident in saying that the Tapiola<br />
centre faces a wonderful future,<br />
Mäkinen adds.<br />
WEST METRO AND JOKERI LIGHT RAIL<br />
LINE TO EXPEDITE RESIDENTIAL CON-<br />
STRUCTION. Espoo’s rapid rate of renewal<br />
is also evident in other city districts.<br />
For example, zoning plans are in<br />
place for four high-rise residential<br />
buildings next to Keilaniemi station,<br />
with contracts already signed for two<br />
of the plots.<br />
The tunneling of the Kehä I ring road<br />
in Keilaniemi, which is a prerequisite<br />
for these residential developments, is<br />
progressing according to plan.<br />
The development of this area is further<br />
boosted by the Jokeri light rail<br />
line, which will have its terminus next<br />
to the Keilaniemi metro station.<br />
Renewal is also progressing at a<br />
good rate in Otaniemi, where Aalto<br />
University is building new facilities<br />
and centralising its operations. The<br />
area will become a densely built and<br />
lively campus district, with zoning<br />
plans in the works to develop homes<br />
for at least 7,500 new residents. The Otaniemi<br />
of the future will feature solutions<br />
that effectively support pedestrians,<br />
cyclists and public transport<br />
users. These are closely linked to the<br />
West Metro and Jokeri light rail line<br />
projects, which will provide access to<br />
the entire capital region.<br />
Of the traffic-related projects, the<br />
construction of the tunnel that will<br />
MATINKYLÄ IS FULFILLING OLD PROMISES<br />
MATINKYLÄ is the only city centre in<br />
Espoo that doesn’t have an indoor swimming<br />
pool. Zoning plans have now been<br />
drawn up for an indoor swimming pool in<br />
the Tynnyripuisto area, which has been<br />
a construction site for the West Metro<br />
project for several years. The plans are<br />
part of an extensive plan for new construction.<br />
In addition to the indoor swimming<br />
pool, the plans for the area include a<br />
large school, a hotel with approximately<br />
200 rooms, a parking facility and blocks<br />
of flats.<br />
– We already have a council decision<br />
on the city-owned properties, and negotiations<br />
for the other developments are<br />
in their final stages.<br />
The goal is to have the indoor swimming<br />
pool, which is something that was<br />
promised to local residents years ago,<br />
completed by the end of 2021, says Carl<br />
Slätis, Project Director for Matinkylä.<br />
– The homes to be built are likely to<br />
consist mostly of small units with 1–3<br />
rooms and a kitchen.<br />
They will include a variety of housing<br />
alternatives ranging from market-financed<br />
owner-occupied and rental<br />
apartments to state-subsidised ARA<br />
buildings. The plans also include homes<br />
for special target groups.<br />
In addition to new construction,<br />
the area will be more densely built up<br />
through complementary construction.<br />
– Residents will be informed of the plans<br />
well ahead of time. Especially in the complementary<br />
construction stage, engaging<br />
the local residents is an essential part of<br />
the work process, Slätis says.<br />
Following the opening of the restaurant<br />
and cinema world after Easter, Iso Omena<br />
has reached its maximum size. Its service<br />
offering will continue to grow further and<br />
become more diverse.<br />
When metro traffic begins, hopefully<br />
in the autumn, the new shops on the bus<br />
terminal level will open their doors.<br />
Concrete changes will also be seen<br />
before the end of the year in Matinkylä<br />
Sports Center, where the old indoor ice<br />
rink will be demolished in the summer.<br />
The plan is to replace it with a new ice<br />
sport centre that would consist of four<br />
rinks as well as a fitness centre and<br />
group exercise facilities.<br />
– Our aim is to have the new facility<br />
progress from the planning stage to the<br />
implementation stage before the end of<br />
the year, Slätis explains.<br />
URHEILUPUISTO<br />
The Jousenpuisto area next to the metro<br />
station will see dense residential construction. To<br />
the north of the metro station, Tapiola Sports Park<br />
will be developed into an even more versatile area<br />
for recreation and physical activity. The reference<br />
plan includes a football stadium with a spectator<br />
capacity of 6,000, a multi-purpose indoor sports<br />
facility and artificial ice skating rink as well as a<br />
versatile and vibrant central square. There are also<br />
plans for new facilities for sports such as<br />
floorball, football, handball<br />
and basketball.<br />
10
CHIRP!<br />
<strong>ESPOO</strong> WILL REMAIN<br />
A GARDEN CITY<br />
IN SPITE OF<br />
INCREASINGLY<br />
CONDENSED URBAN<br />
DEVELOPMENT.<br />
NIITTYKUMPU<br />
Construction projects in Niittysillanpuisto<br />
and Niittypuisto will make the district more<br />
attractive and comfortable for residents. In<br />
the future, the area will also feature two new<br />
playgrounds along with Niittypuistonkenttä,<br />
an artificial grass-covered sports field that will<br />
complement Niittypuisto. Residential construction<br />
is accelerating on both sides of Merituulentie.<br />
There are plans to build individual apartment<br />
buildings as well as entire blocks. The major<br />
residential block development projects are<br />
planned for the northern part of the district,<br />
namely the Riihitonttu<br />
neighbourhood.<br />
connect Tapiola and Otaniemi along<br />
Kehä I is due to start in 2020.<br />
The area around the Urheilupuisto<br />
metro station will be livened up by a<br />
condensed urban structure as well as<br />
a parking facility above the metro station<br />
with capacity for 800 cars. The new<br />
parking facility will serve the residents of<br />
the Jousenpuisto residential area, which<br />
will be built to the south of the metro station.<br />
The plans are to expand the urban<br />
structure in a similar manner towards<br />
the southern part of Urheilupuisto.<br />
The West Metro will also expedite construction<br />
activity in Niittykumpu and<br />
Matinkylä, where the plans include new<br />
residential, commercial and office properties<br />
as well as parks and local recreation<br />
areas. The indoor swimming pool<br />
planned for Tynnyripuisto on Matinkylä<br />
is due to open in 2021.<br />
There are also significant renewal projects<br />
underway in the areas around the<br />
stations along the West Metro extension.<br />
The Finnoo station, for example, will<br />
have residential buildings more than 20<br />
storeys high in its vicinity. In addition to<br />
the metro centre, residential construction<br />
in Finnoo is focused on the Djupsundsbäcken<br />
area and Finnoo marina,<br />
as well as the northern Finnoonkartano<br />
area, which will follow later.<br />
Ideas blossom at<br />
Innovation Garden<br />
AALTO UNIVERSITY and the City of Espoo are working together<br />
to develop a major innovation hub in Otaniemi to bring together<br />
academic students and researchers, research and development<br />
organisations and businesses. The evolution of the traditional<br />
Otaniemi campus into an internationally attractive incubator of<br />
ideas and innovation will be expedited by the relocation to the<br />
area of the Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture<br />
and the Aalto University School of Business in 2018 and<br />
2019. According to Vice President Tuija Pulkkinen, the centralisation<br />
of the operations of Aalto University will provide a strong<br />
framework for creating an ecosystem that promotes innovation.<br />
– Aalto has a clear mission of maximising the impact its operations<br />
have on society. In Otaniemi, this mission can be pursued<br />
by providing operating premises for businesses along with opportunities<br />
for collaboration.<br />
The neutral ground provided by the university even makes it<br />
possible to carry out joint projects with competitors, she adds.<br />
The centralisation of operations is expected to boost student<br />
entrepreneurship, which is already seeing strong growth.<br />
A large number of startups and the Slush event have given<br />
Aalto University significant prominence on the European stage.<br />
This creates a solid foundation for building the success stories<br />
of the future.<br />
– The entrepreneurial buzz in Otaniemi will be supported by<br />
the Aalto growth centre, which will be relocated to Otakaari 5<br />
in the autumn. Its goal is to help make the university’s research<br />
infrastructure and expertise accessible to businesses, Pulkkinen<br />
explains.<br />
<strong>ESPOO</strong> <strong>MAGAZINE</strong>I 1/<strong>2017</strong> >> 11
WHAT’S ON IN MAY–AUGUST<br />
› KNOW YOUR<br />
ROCKS<br />
JOIN the Rock, Pit and Boulder geology<br />
expedition on 16 July, 10:00<br />
a.m.–4:00 p.m. The charter bus departs<br />
from and returns to the Espoontori<br />
car park at Asemakuja 4.<br />
The expedition is free of charge.<br />
Limited to 45 participants, first<br />
come first served. For advance<br />
registration, call 09 816 54400<br />
or send an e-mail to villaelfvik@<br />
espoo.fi by 14 July.<br />
› HIT THE NATURE<br />
TRAIL IN NUUKSIO<br />
JOIN A FREE NATURE WALK in Nuuksio<br />
National Park on 6 August,<br />
from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The<br />
walk starts from the Högbacka car<br />
park (Kattilantie 33). The 7.5-kilometre<br />
route includes a stop at the<br />
Haukkalampi pond and returns<br />
to the point of departure. A lunch<br />
break will be held at the Haukkalampi<br />
campfire site with an opportunity<br />
to swim in the pond. Wear<br />
proper shoes and bring along a<br />
swimsuit and something to eat.<br />
› NEW CITY COUN-<br />
CIL TO START SOON<br />
THE NEW CITY COUNCIL is getting<br />
ready to start its term of office.<br />
See the political decisionmaking<br />
that concerns all residents<br />
of Espoo in action by attending<br />
a city council meeting on 22 May<br />
or 12 June, 5:30–11:00 p.m., in the<br />
Council Hall at Espoonkatu 5. You<br />
can also stream the meetings online.<br />
<strong>ESPOO</strong><br />
DAY TO<br />
DAY<br />
Find out what’s<br />
happening in Espoo<br />
this summer.<br />
MORE HAPPENINGS:<br />
espoo.fi › City of Espoo › What’s on › Events of Espoo<br />
PUT YOURSELF<br />
IN THE<br />
GLASSBLOWER’S<br />
SHOES<br />
GUIDED TOUR of the exhibition A<br />
Time for Glass, Kauklahti Glassworks<br />
1923–1952, at KAMU Espoo<br />
City Museum, WeeGee Exhibition<br />
Centre, Ahertajantie 5. A family<br />
museum hour will take place on<br />
Saturdays at noon from 18 June–13<br />
August, except Midsummer.<br />
€12/€10, free admission for visitors<br />
under 18 or over 70 years of age.<br />
Price includes guided tour.<br />
TWO FRIENDS VISIT<br />
A COUNTRY SHAPED<br />
LIKE A BOOT<br />
MAUKKA AND VÄYKKÄ travel to Italy<br />
in the puppet show Maukan ja Väykän<br />
matkakirja. Under the Mediterranean<br />
sun, mela means apple, a cat is gatto<br />
and rotto means broken. Showing in<br />
Theatre Hevosenkenkä on 19 May at 10<br />
a.m., 20 May at 4 p.m., 21 May at 3 p.m.<br />
(sold out), 22 May at 9:30 a.m., 23 May<br />
at 9:30 a.m., 24 May at 9:30 a.m., 27<br />
May at 4 p.m., 28 May at 3 p.m., 30 May<br />
at 10 a.m., 31 May at 10 a.m., 1 June at 10<br />
a.m. and 2 June at 10 a.m. Address: Juhannusmäki<br />
2, Mankkaa. Duration 50<br />
minutes, suitable for ages 3 and over.<br />
Tickets start from €11.50; on weekday<br />
mornings instructors/teachers €3.50.<br />
Tickets available from the theatre office<br />
on weekdays, 8 a.m.–4 p.m., tel. 09 4391<br />
220, www.hevosenkenka.fi, hevosenkenka@hevosenkenka.fi<br />
or www.lippu.fi.<br />
PEKKA ELOMAA<br />
Take Finland 100 into your own hands<br />
› SUNNY COLORS<br />
FRENCH-CHILEAN artist Georges Valenzuela Solari’s memorial<br />
exhibition features many of his last oil paintings. The<br />
landscapes of Valenzuela Solari, who passed away in 2012, are<br />
characterised by joyful colours and the brilliant southern sun.<br />
The exhibition will be held in the Espoo Cultural Centre exhibition<br />
space on 14–21 June. Admission is free of charge.<br />
HOW WOULD YOU celebrate the centenary of<br />
Finland’s independence? The Finland 100 project<br />
invites individuals, public organisations<br />
and businesses to arrange events to mark this<br />
special anniversary. The theme of Finland’s<br />
centenary celebration is Together. Projects<br />
under this theme can range from events to exhibitions,<br />
development projects, decisions and<br />
campaigns. The programme has three focus<br />
areas: Finland’s past, present and future.<br />
— The City of Espoo wants to emphasise<br />
the future and the present<br />
in our celebrations. Traditional<br />
events, such as highlighting important historical<br />
figures, are also part of the centenary<br />
of Finnish independence. However, Finland<br />
100 projects can take many different forms.<br />
In the film category, Espoo used the stories<br />
of women to shed light on Finnish history.<br />
In a light project, the city collaborated with<br />
a house in Suvela where 17 languages were<br />
spoken, explains Project Coordinator Saara<br />
Vanhala. Project proposals can be submitted<br />
well into the autumn by completing the<br />
online form at suomifinland100.fi.<br />
12
Luther opera to kick off the<br />
Organ Night and Aria Festival<br />
THE ORGAN NIGHT AND ARIA Festival<br />
will be expanded to include a full-length<br />
opera this year with the performance<br />
of Kari Tikka’s Luther opera in Tapiola<br />
Church. The opera tells the story of<br />
Martin Luther, the Father of the Reformation,<br />
and one man’s battle between good<br />
and evil. The opera is produced in cooperation<br />
with partners including Omnia<br />
and the Parishes of Espoo. It is connected<br />
to the 500th Anniversary of the<br />
Reformation and the Finland 100 centenary<br />
year.<br />
The opera is directed by Juulia Tapola<br />
and conducted by Erkki Lasonpalo. The<br />
featured performers are Elja Puukko<br />
(baritone) as Luther, Emriikka Salonen<br />
(soprano) as Luther’s wife Katharina von<br />
Bora and Aki Alamikkotervo (tenor) as<br />
Satan. Audience members are invited to<br />
sing along to Luther’s hymns included<br />
in the opera. Kicked off by the Luther<br />
opera, the Organ Night and Aria Festival<br />
will continue until the end of August, focusing<br />
on the themes of the Reformation<br />
and Finnishness. Summer night concerts<br />
held throughout the summer season will<br />
bring artists to Espoo Cathedral ranging<br />
from young talent to international stars.<br />
Organ Night and Aria,<br />
1 June–31 August <strong>2017</strong><br />
> Luther opera, 1 June, 2 June and<br />
8 June at 7:30 p.m. in Tapiola Church<br />
> Concerts, 15 June–31 August on<br />
Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. in Espoo<br />
Cathedral<br />
> Event programme: urkuyofestival.fi<br />
> Tickets: lippu.fi<br />
MIDSUMMER IN SOUKKA<br />
MIDSUMMER STARTS with a<br />
celebration held at Soukka<br />
residents’ park. The festivities<br />
will take place on<br />
Wednesday, 21 June, from<br />
10:15 to 11:15 a.m., at<br />
Soukankaari 10.<br />
> More information:<br />
046 877 1629, soukka.<br />
asukaspuisto@espoo.fi<br />
Bingo! I’m done with my<br />
summer reading!<br />
READING WILL be even more fun for children this summer with<br />
the Book Bingo organised by Helmet Libraries from 5 June<br />
to 31 August. Book Bingo will give reading assignments<br />
and inspire children to read different kinds of<br />
books in different types of company and in exciting<br />
places. The Book Bingo sheet can be printed online<br />
at helmet.fi or picked up from any Helmet library. The<br />
idea is to collect five check marks on the bingo sheet<br />
for five books read. Participants who return their bingo<br />
sheet to a Helmet library with their contact details will<br />
be entered into a lucky draw for book prizes. You can<br />
also upload photos of precious reading moments on Instagram<br />
with the hashtag #bookbingo<strong>2017</strong>.<br />
— Last year’s Book Bingo was quite popular. Encouraging children<br />
to read is a high priority for libraries, and improved reading<br />
skills also support learning in school, says Marjut Saloniemi,<br />
Communications Coordinator at Espoo City Library.<br />
Laugh till you drop<br />
TV STARS FROM MTV’S PUTOUS SHOW, Roope Salminen and<br />
Ernest ”Erkku” Lawson invite improv fans to Tapiola Hall. This<br />
special event celebrates the 10th anniversary of the Kolina improv<br />
group, which has performed nearly 1,000 gigs in venues<br />
ranging from intimate clubs to Hartwall Arena.<br />
> Kolina improv group: Roope & Erkku Live, Wed 31<br />
May at 6:00 p.m., Espoo Cultural Centre, Tapiola Hall.<br />
Tickets (incl. delivery costs) start from €24/€20 and<br />
are available from Tiketti.<br />
ANIMALS TAKE OVER GLIMS FARMSTEAD MUSEUM<br />
GLIMS FARMSTEAD MUSEUM will have a strong<br />
animal theme this summer. The special exhibition<br />
#animalsinespoo introduces visitors to Espoo’s<br />
rural past and domestic animals as well<br />
as the relationship between people and animals<br />
today and in the past. As usual, the museum’s<br />
4H petting zoo will provide the opportunity to<br />
get close to real live animals. Guided pasture<br />
visits will be arranged twice per week.<br />
— For the best chance of getting a spot on a<br />
pasture visit, you should come on a rainy day,<br />
says Museum Educator Aino Osala.<br />
The museum will offer a diverse programme<br />
of events during the summer, including hug<br />
therapy with a Bernese mountain dog, a demonstration<br />
by the local rescue dog association,<br />
a robotic seal and much more. There will<br />
also be handicraft demonstrations on topics<br />
ranging from cheesemaking to dyeing yarn<br />
with plant dyes and forging iron.<br />
All this will take place at the Glims farmstead<br />
comprised of 11 buildings of different ages. The<br />
museum receives a large number of day-care<br />
and school groups in the early summer.<br />
Summer season opening<br />
hours until 31 August <strong>2017</strong>:<br />
> Tue–Fri 10 a.m.–5 p.m.,<br />
Sat–Sun 11 a.m.–5 p.m.<br />
> Ascension Day 25 May closed<br />
> Fri–Sun 23–25 June, Midsummer, closed<br />
> Pasture visits based on queue numbers<br />
7 June–31 August (except on Thu 22 June,<br />
Wed 19 July and Thu 20 July): Wed–Thu<br />
3:30–4:30 p.m.<br />
> Queue numbers will be given out starting<br />
from 3:15 p.m.<br />
COUNTRY JA SOUL<br />
HOEDOWN, the seven-person<br />
powerhouse of Finnish roots<br />
music, celebrates its 15th anniversary<br />
year at Sello Hall.<br />
To mark the special occasion,<br />
Hoedown has invited along<br />
two good soulful friends, Sam<br />
Huber and Tuure Kilpeläinen.<br />
Hoedown 15th Anniversary<br />
Concert feat. Tuure Kilpeläinen<br />
& Sam Huber, Friday 26 May at<br />
7:00 p.m., Sello Hall, Soittoniekanaukio<br />
1 A. Duration 2h, incl.<br />
interval Tickets from e26.50/<br />
e22.50, Lippupiste. Tickets at<br />
the door e27/e23.<br />
<strong>ESPOO</strong> <strong>MAGAZINE</strong> 1/<strong>2017</strong> >> 13
WHAT’S ON IN MAY–AUGUST<br />
TIMO PORTHAN<br />
INSTRUCTION<br />
AVAILABLE<br />
> Container Gym Leppävaara<br />
Next to the Angry Birds Playground<br />
Instructor present on Tuesdays,<br />
16–30 May, 5:00–5:30 p.m. and<br />
6–20 June, 11:00–11:30 a.m.<br />
> Container Gym Tapiola<br />
Urheilupuistotie 2, Tapiola<br />
Instructor present on Tuesdays,<br />
16 May–20 June, 5:00–5:55 p.m.<br />
GET FIT IN THE SUMMER<br />
THE CONTAINER GYM is a freight container<br />
with a small fitness centre built<br />
in and around it. This summer, there<br />
will be two Container Gyms in Espoo:<br />
one in the same location as last year,<br />
in Leppävaara near the Angry Birds<br />
Playground, and a new one in Tapiola<br />
Sports Park. The Container Gyms are<br />
open during the parks’ opening hours,<br />
from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.<br />
— Even people who aren’t regular<br />
gym goers can use a Container Gym,<br />
perhaps to do a few exercises as part<br />
of an evening walk. We received very<br />
good feedback on the Container Gym<br />
in Leppävaara last year, says Virpi Mikama,<br />
Head of Sports Instruction.<br />
Comprehensive equipment<br />
The space in and around the containers<br />
is taken up by a comprehensive<br />
set of fitness equipment for a fullbody<br />
workout.<br />
— Cable pulldown,<br />
bicep curl, squat rack,<br />
bench press, pull-up bar,<br />
ab crunch and back extension,<br />
lists Sports Instructor<br />
Anne Luhtala.<br />
The containers also include<br />
smaller equipment,<br />
such as weight bags, resistance<br />
bands, kettlebells and skipping<br />
ropes. These are kept in a locked<br />
cage. The key can be obtained from<br />
the sports park supervisor.<br />
— We had no problems with lost<br />
equipment or vandalism last year,<br />
Luhtala says.<br />
Spread the word<br />
The containers have been open since<br />
spring and will remain open as long as<br />
weather conditions allow. The equipment<br />
outside the containers will be removed<br />
before the ground freezes, and<br />
the containers will be closed<br />
for the winter. While last summer’s<br />
Container Gym experiment<br />
was favourably received,<br />
Anne Luhtala feels the service<br />
was not yet utilised to its full<br />
potential.<br />
— People may have noticed<br />
the blue container and<br />
the fitness equipment around it, and<br />
maybe the word has spread, but we<br />
haven’t reached all of our potential<br />
visitors yet, admits Luhtala.<br />
TEXT TIINA PARIKKA<br />
Stop by for a workout<br />
during your evening walk,<br />
for example. Container<br />
Gyms with fitness<br />
equipment await Espoo<br />
residents in Leppävaara<br />
and Tapiola. Sports<br />
Instructor Anne Luhtala<br />
shows how it’s done.<br />
The Container Gym was well received last summer. This year,<br />
one will also be available next to Tapiola Sports Park.<br />
“WE HAD NO<br />
PROBLEMS<br />
WITH LOST<br />
EQUIPMENT<br />
OR VANDA-<br />
LISM LAST<br />
YEAR.”<br />
MORE TIPS:<br />
<strong>ESPOO</strong>.FI/<br />
EN-US/<br />
CULTURE_<br />
AND_SPORT<br />
INTO THE FOREST!<br />
• Tikankierros trail in Central Park<br />
Mon 19 June Group start at 10 a.m.<br />
from the Alamäentie car park at<br />
Alamäentie 2. Trail length approx.<br />
5 km.<br />
• Sorlampi nature trail in Nuuksio<br />
and the accessible Maahisenkierros<br />
trail Tue 20 June Group start 1 at<br />
10 a.m. from the Nuuksionmaja car<br />
park. Address: Nuuksionkuja<br />
2. Hilly trail, challenging terrain.<br />
Group start 2 at 10 a.m. Accessible<br />
Maahisenkierros trail (approx. 2 km)<br />
Start from the Solvalla Arena car<br />
park, upper level. Address: Nuuksiontie<br />
82. The trail is accessible by<br />
pram, wheelchair, walking frame, etc.<br />
• Finnoo nature trail Wed 21 June<br />
Group start at 10 a.m. from the car<br />
park on the northern side of the<br />
Finnoo wetlands, Hyljeluodontie.<br />
The trail around the bird sanctuary<br />
is suitable for persons with reduced<br />
mobility. Free of charge, no registration<br />
required.<br />
HOP ON HOP OFF<br />
EXERCISE<br />
• Mon 26 June–Fri 30 June, 10 a.m.–<br />
3 p.m. At the Leppävaara sports hall<br />
and sports park. Sports and low-intensity<br />
activities for people of all<br />
fitness levels; balancing, gymnastics<br />
course, instructor-led outdoor activity,<br />
easy orienteering, stick and ball<br />
games, etc. Equipment is available<br />
for use. Free of charge, no registration<br />
required.<br />
BEACH WEEK<br />
IN <strong>ESPOO</strong><br />
• Mon 31 July–Thu 3 August Sunny<br />
beach life with games, including<br />
ball games, and other fun activities!<br />
The activities are primarily<br />
aimed at pupils in grades 1–6,<br />
including special needs children<br />
and young people. Beach conditions.<br />
The programme on Thursday is particularly<br />
aimed at young people. We<br />
are not responsible for supervising<br />
children during the day.<br />
The NuoriEspoo van will be on hand<br />
every day (Mon–Wed from 1:30 p.m.<br />
onwards and all day on Thursday).<br />
In Matinkylä, the programme also<br />
includes the Get Senior Citizens<br />
Moving event. Mon 31 July Oittaa,<br />
programme hours 10 a.m.–3 p.m.,<br />
Tue 1 August Haukilahti, programme<br />
hours 10 a.m.–3 p.m., Wed 2 August<br />
Matinkylä, programme hours 10<br />
a.m.–3 p.m. and Thu 3 August Laaksolahti,<br />
programme hours 2–7 p.m.<br />
Free of charge,<br />
no registration required.<br />
14
INSIGHT<br />
A marketplace where<br />
ideas and needs meet<br />
The KYKY Marketplace brings together<br />
businesses and users. Pupils and students<br />
participate in the innovation development of<br />
businesses and serve as test users. In addition<br />
to the virtual marketplace, face-to-face marketplace<br />
events have been organised to bring<br />
the parties together.<br />
TEXT Tiina Parikka<br />
1<br />
Each participating school has a room in the KYKY Marketplace<br />
where they can post their own development<br />
ideas. Businesses can also sign in to the system to<br />
create a company description and a description of their development<br />
needs. The development needs submitted to the<br />
KYKY platform from both directions are posted on the public<br />
KYKY Marketplace, where schools and businesses can find<br />
each other’s ideas and establish contact to begin the co-creation<br />
process.<br />
2<br />
An agreement is then drawn up between the school<br />
and the company regarding the collaboration to document<br />
their shared goals, the timetable, the interim<br />
assessment and the final assessment. Under the guidance of<br />
the faculty, the pupils act as testers for the product or service<br />
being developed, while the company acts as the developer.<br />
The pupils have a genuine opportunity to exercise influence<br />
and they see how much work it takes to create something<br />
new. The companies, in turn, receive valuable yet free feedback<br />
from real end users.<br />
3<br />
As a sign of their successful use of the co-creation<br />
approach, the company is then authorised to use the<br />
“Co-created with the City of Espoo Schools” logo.<br />
The co-creation model involves all schools in Espoo, although<br />
only some of them have already taken concrete action to incorporate<br />
the platform into their operations.<br />
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES<br />
TO PROMOTE LEARNING<br />
THE KYKY Marketplace grew out of contacts received from<br />
entrepreneurs. The City of Espoo received enquiries regarding<br />
the possibility of collaborating with schools to test products<br />
and services. While the idea was viewed favourably in<br />
principle, its implementation was often incomplete due to the<br />
lack of a clear operating model. External funding was then<br />
used to develop an operating model, which has subsequently<br />
been used in piloting the co-creation process with good results.<br />
The co-creation concept is built on three pillars: the product<br />
or service must promote learning, pupils must have a genuine<br />
opportunity to exercise influence, and the co-creation<br />
process must not involve any exchange of money.<br />
The pupils<br />
get a genuine<br />
opportunity<br />
to exercise<br />
influence.<br />
<strong>ESPOO</strong> <strong>MAGAZINE</strong> 1/<strong>2017</strong> >> 15
PEARL<br />
A NEW MEETING<br />
PLACE FOR SENIOR<br />
CITIZENS<br />
THE LEPPÄVAARA LIFE AND LIVING<br />
CENTRE has been a veritable hive of<br />
activity since it opened its doors in<br />
late March. The daytime activity facilities<br />
in the service centre on the<br />
first floor are being used by an arts<br />
and crafts group, while others are<br />
doing a morning workout in the adjacent<br />
gym. At the same time, a local<br />
senior citizens’ association is holding<br />
a meeting in the recreational room<br />
across the hall.<br />
AT LUNCHTIME, the centre’s dining<br />
hall fills with customers. In addition<br />
to the senior citizens who live in the<br />
centre, other local residents also<br />
come to the dining hall for lunch. Outside<br />
dining hours, the space can be<br />
used for various events and activities<br />
for senior citizens, such as parties,<br />
dances and sing-alongs.<br />
THE ACTIVITIES organised at the service<br />
centre are open to all Espoo residents<br />
free of charge. The staff encourage<br />
the centre’s residents and visitors<br />
to not only participate in activities,<br />
but also play an active role in their<br />
development. Family members are<br />
also welcome, and there has been talk<br />
in the centre about creating cross-generational<br />
groups to engage in various<br />
hobbies and physical exercise.<br />
THE BUILDING’S RESIDENTS live<br />
full lives in a home-like environment.<br />
There are 140 small apartments<br />
in the building for residents<br />
requiring various levels of support<br />
and care. Significant focus is placed<br />
on making the premises cosy and<br />
comfortable, which is easy to see on<br />
every floor of the building. For example,<br />
the common areas include<br />
easy chairs, television sets and selfservice<br />
kitchens.<br />
THE LEPPÄVAARA Life and Living<br />
Centre is the second of its kind, with<br />
the first one having been opened<br />
in Kauklahti in 2012. Similar hubs<br />
for senior citizens’ activities and<br />
housing have also been planned for<br />
other areas, such as Matinkylä and<br />
Tapiola.<br />
Life and Living Centres<br />
for Senior Citizens<br />
Leppävaara, Säterinkatu 3<br />
Kauklahti, Hansakartano 4<br />
16
<strong>ESPOO</strong> <strong>MAGAZINE</strong> 1/<strong>2017</strong> >> 17
SERVICE<br />
TEAM AHMA<br />
– A RAPID<br />
DEPLOYMENT<br />
FORCE<br />
City of Espoo Child<br />
Welfare Services have<br />
created a four-person<br />
rapid deployment team<br />
that can respond to<br />
child welfare cases<br />
quickly, even on the<br />
same day that the<br />
situation arises.<br />
Speed and being able to work<br />
with the same child welfare<br />
officer without transfers<br />
and interruptions. These<br />
are the principles governing the service<br />
provision of City of Espoo Child<br />
Welfare Services.<br />
Under the Team Ahma operating<br />
model, child welfare notifications<br />
are received by a four-person team<br />
comprised of three social workers<br />
and one social counsellor. Each<br />
team is on call for one week at a time<br />
on a rotating basis. In the event of<br />
an urgent need for assistance, two of<br />
the team members can be deployed<br />
even on the same day.<br />
– We often call the customer on<br />
the same day or the next. The customer<br />
doesn’t have to sit at home for<br />
days, worrying about the progress<br />
of his or her case, says social worker<br />
Outi Timonen.<br />
THE SAME CONTACT PERSON THROUGH-<br />
OUT THE PROCESS. A child welfare notification<br />
may be filed by a public authority,<br />
such as a child health clinic,<br />
school or the police. Sometimes, tired<br />
parents themselves contact child<br />
welfare services. The situations range<br />
from violence and divorces to children<br />
being absent from school.<br />
– If there’s a need for child-care<br />
assistance, for example, we can arrange<br />
it on very short notice, says<br />
senior social worker Riina Mattila.<br />
When a call is received, an appointment<br />
is made for an initial assessment<br />
within seven working<br />
TEXT Veera Saloheimo<br />
PHOTO Timo Porthan<br />
Quick response! Natalja Ugbah<br />
(left), Riina Mattila, Virpi<br />
Heinola and Outi Timonen from<br />
Espoo keskus Child Welfare<br />
Services ensure that children<br />
in need receive assistance as<br />
quickly as possible.<br />
18
days. The operating method also includes<br />
that the social worker who<br />
receives the child welfare notification<br />
will stay on as the family’s contact<br />
person in the future. Families<br />
have typically found changes in contact<br />
persons difficult.<br />
IMPLEMENTING THE MODEL ACROSS<br />
THE CITY. The new operating method<br />
represents a significant change. In<br />
the past, child welfare notifications<br />
were received by only one employee,<br />
and cases were left in a queue to<br />
wait for processing. Families had to<br />
wait as long as a month for an appointment.<br />
– Now there’s a smaller risk of us<br />
missing something, or one of our employees<br />
being left to his or her own<br />
devices when faced with a serious situation,<br />
says Outi Timonen, the creator<br />
of the new operating method.<br />
Team Ahma started its operations<br />
in April last year in the Espoo keskus<br />
district. The model has since been<br />
implemented across all of the city’s<br />
child welfare units.<br />
– In the past, it was difficult to<br />
combine a quick customer-focused<br />
response and the assessment of customers’<br />
service needs within the<br />
time limits stipulated by law. That’s<br />
where the idea for Team Ahma came<br />
from, Timonen explains.<br />
THERE’S STILL ROOM FOR IMPROVE-<br />
MENT. The name Team Ahma comes<br />
from the TV show of the same name,<br />
which featured Pirkka-Pekka Petelius<br />
and Taneli Mäkelä as road service<br />
volunteers.<br />
– The characters in the show would<br />
always answer the phone saying “How<br />
can I help?”. In much the same vein,<br />
our goal is to provide better customer<br />
service, Timonen says.<br />
The new model has received a lot<br />
of positive feedback. It was also recognised<br />
with a national “Best Practices”<br />
award in the field of social services<br />
as well as an innovation prize<br />
from the Mayor of Espoo.<br />
In spite of these successes, there<br />
are still challenges to deal with. Services<br />
for immigrants are in need of<br />
further development. There are occasional<br />
language problems, and e-<br />
services do not reach all immigrants<br />
due to some of them being illiterate.<br />
SERVICE PATH<br />
Team Ahma’s four-person<br />
on-call team receives a child<br />
welfare notification from a public<br />
authority or a family<br />
› › ›<br />
If necessary, the family<br />
is provided with immediate<br />
help, such as child care<br />
or crisis assistance<br />
An appointment is made for<br />
an initial assessment<br />
meeting within seven working<br />
days, with a social<br />
worker and his or her colleague,<br />
the child and his or her guardians<br />
and the party who filed the child<br />
welfare notification all present.<br />
“WE OFTEN<br />
CONTACT THE<br />
CUSTOMER ON<br />
THE SAME DAY<br />
OR THE NEXT.”<br />
If necessary, an assessment of<br />
service needs is initiated to<br />
establish a more in-depth<br />
understanding of the<br />
child’s situation.<br />
<strong>ESPOO</strong> CENTRE CHILD<br />
WELFARE SERVICES<br />
35-40<br />
notifications per week<br />
1,553<br />
notifications<br />
filed in 2016<br />
56<br />
of initial<br />
assessment meetings<br />
were also attended<br />
by the child<br />
<strong>ESPOO</strong> <strong>MAGAZINE</strong> 1/<strong>2017</strong> >> 19
ISLAND BOAT SCHEDULE<br />
10 JUNE – 3 SEPTEMBER<br />
10 June–13 August: days of operation Tuesday–Sunday,<br />
thereafter only weekends, 19–20 August,<br />
26–27 August and 2–3 September. Boats operate<br />
according to the normal schedule on Midsummer’s Eve.<br />
The stops of the scheduled boats to Espoo’s islands:<br />
› Otaniemi, Norsö I, tel. 046 624 9676<br />
› Kivenlahti marina, Marinsatamantie<br />
Norsö, tel. 046 624 9656<br />
› From Suomenoja to Iso Vasikkasaari<br />
Norsö IV, tel. 046 624 9666<br />
Camping is allowed on Stora Herrö, Gåsgrund and<br />
Rövaren. The facilities on Iso Vasikkasaari<br />
include a café, summer restaurant, toilets and accessible<br />
toilets.<br />
Scheduled island boat prices<br />
› adults €5, return ticket €10<br />
› under 18-year-olds and special groups €2.50,<br />
return ticket €5<br />
› children under 7 years of age travel free<br />
when accompanied by a paying passenger<br />
› From Suomenoja, Nokkala and Haukilahti to<br />
Vasikkasaari, the price for a return ticket is<br />
€2.50 for children and €5 for adults<br />
› free of charge for holders of the 68+ Sporttikortti card<br />
NOTE! Only cash payment is accepted.<br />
ACUTE ILLNESS?<br />
Use our online service to<br />
book an appointment with a<br />
nurse. Same-day appointments<br />
are available. Find out more<br />
about booking appointments<br />
and our other electronic<br />
health services:<br />
espoo.fi<br />
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