A magazine for Espoo residents 3-2020

ESPOO ESBO
&
Safe
together
A magazine for Espoo residents 3 2020
Featuring more than
100 events, Espoo Day
showcases the residents’
strong community spirit
even in exceptional
circumstances.
How a master
plan is compiled
Family coaching
is now online
Coronators
tracing infection

14
editorial
In the editorial,
Jukka Mäkelä takes
a stand on issues of
current interest in the
City of Espoo.
Jukka Mäkelä is the Mayor of Espoo.
Moving forward in
a responsible way
Espoo Day will be celebrated once again on the 28th and
29th of August. This year’s programme has been prepared
in exceptional circumstances due to the coronavirus,
but thanks to the creativity of the organisations,
communities and residents involved, we will have more
than a hundred events to enjoy safely. The majority of
them are virtual events to be attended remotely, selfdirected
visits to destinations or small local events held
outdoors. This has required a great deal of innovation
from the people of Espoo. No wonder Espoo made it in
August to the final round of the European Union’s contest
to become the European Capital of Innovation.
Coordinated by the City, Espoo Day has been celebrated
every year since 2008. It reflects our beautiful
city and its residents perfectly. Espoo is a large city with
multiple city centres where each residential area has a
strong identity of its own. It’s a city that is always changing.
One example of this is the master plan proposal for
northern and central Espoo, which is discussed in the
leading article and will be on display and open for comments
this autumn. It covers more than half of Espoo’s
surface area.
The city residents are the city. Just before Espoo Day,
we launched the preparation of the Espoo Story, which
is the city’s strategy for the coming City Council term.
We are collecting citizens’ views and wishes for the city’s
future with the help of the My Espoo survey. Thank you
in advance for your answers!
Jukka Mäkelä
Mayor of Espoo
Contents
3 | Calendar and picks
Note down the most important dates.
8 | Theme
A master plan creates the
framework for construction.
26
14 | At your service
Coronators tracking infection.
Photo: Olli Urpela
15 | What's on
Many cultural centres open their doors.
20 | Right now
Creating Espoo Day together.
23 | Encounters
Family coaching now online.
24 | Pearl
Meadows have an important job.
26 | Espoo people
Finnoo locals take part
in designing the area.
28 | Swedish in Espoo
Driving a tractor on the road.
30 | We
Children on their way to school.
31 | My Espoo
Kera in bloom.
2

28–29 Aug
Espoo Day
31 Aug
The application period for
project and development
grants and art grants
ends at 15:45.
23 Sept
Partnership Forum helps the City of Espoo and organisations and other
players from various fields operating in Espoo to find and share solutions
for promoting well-being through collaboration between the organisations
and between the organisations and the city. The theme of this autumn’s
Partnership Forum is Boosting Inclusion through Cooperation between
Organisations during the Coronavirus – Successes, Challenges and
Lessons for the Future. The theme will be presented on 23 September
at 16:30–19:00 at the Otaniemen lukio upper secondary school
(Tekniikantie 15). You can also attend the event online.
29 Aug, 7 Oct and 10 Nov
This autumn, the City of Espoo and its partners will organise three public
events to address everyday safety and security in different parts of
Espoo. These You Make Your Everyday Life Safe events will explore and
discuss the many components of safety. If the events cannot be safely
organised in situ due to the coronavirus, they will be turned into online
events. You Make Your Everyday Life Safe events at the Kalajärvi Service
Centre on 29 Aug at 11:00–12:30, Iso Omena Service Centre on 7 Oct
at 17:30–19:00 and Entresse Library on 10 Nov at 17:30–19:00.
31 Aug –
28 Sept
The refuse collection vehicles
of HSY will be touring in
Espoo and Kauniainen from
31 August to 28 September.
For specific schedules, vehicle
stops and sorting instructions
go to hsy.fi/keraysautot.
30 Sept
The application period for operating
support for sole entrepreneurs, which
is intended to cover the costs arising
from business during the coronavirus
situation, comes to an end.
calendar Sep–Nov//20
Check the
calendar for the
main events and
key dates of the
autumn.
28 Nov
Publication of the next issue
of Espoo magazine.
MAGAZINE FOR ESPOO RESIDENTS
Public bulletin to all households. Feedback and suggestions: espoolehti@omnipress.fi
Publisher City of Espoo, PO Box 12, 02070 City of Espoo, 09 81 621, espoo.fi, firstname.lastname@espoo.fi
Editor-in-chief Satu Tyry-Salo, Communications Director Editors Omnipress Oy, espoolehti@omnipress.fi
Managing Editor Kimmo Kallonen Layout Oona Kavasto/Hank Printed by Punamusta
Distribution SSM Notifications jakelupalaute@omnipress.fi Cover Eemeli Sarka ISSN 1798-8438
3

Picks
According to advance information, Espoo’s population grew by
more than 1,100 residents between January and May, which is almost
1,500 residents less than during the same time the previous year.
Espoo plans to halve
youth unemployment
THE City of Espoo and its partners have set the target
to halve youth unemployment in the city by the end of
2022. Work towards this goal was begun before the
pandemic, but today it is more vital than ever.
With the coronavirus, youth unemployment has
increased sharply in Espoo. In April, 5,283 young people
between the ages of 15 and 29 were registered as
unemployed jobseekers, which is 164 per cent more
than the previous year.
Measures to prevent youth unemployment are
topical right now particularly because of the municipal
employment experiment set to start in January 2021. It
involves strengthening the role of municipalities in the
management of employment and transferring responsibility
from the Employment and Economic Development
Office to the city for all under 30-year-old
unemployed jobseekers, people employed under the
pay subsidy scheme and receiving services designed
to promote employment, regardless of the type of
unemployment benefit they receive.
Promoting youth employment requires influencing
a number of phenomena. One way to halve youth
unemployment is to raise their targeted early-stage
benefit, which would decrease the number of their
unemployed periods. Another way is to increase their
personal benefit, which would shorten any periods of
unemployment that have begun. Increasing jobseekers’
skills is also one of the key measures available to
promote their employment.
”
Increasing
jobseekers’
skills is one
of the key
measures
available to
promote their
employment.
The Ohjaamotalo One-Stop Guidance Centre is a place where
young people under the age of 30 obtain information and help,
for example, with looking for work, finding income, opportunities
for study and choosing a career.
Remote teaching in Espoo
was effective for the most part
PUPILS and guardians shared their experiences of the
exceptional period of remote teaching this spring in a
survey organised by the city. The purpose of the survey
was to examine how successful remote teaching has been,
whether communication between pupils and teachers was
effective, what support pupils received, as well as good
practices and where there is room for improvement.
The pupils and guardians of Finnish-speaking schools in
Espoo assessed how effective studying remotely has been
on a scale of 0–10 (extremely poor – extremely good).
In the pupils’ responses, the average was 7.9 and in the
guardians’ responses 8.1, which shows that remote teaching
was considered to have been effective.
Of the pupils, 89 per cent said they had received sufficient
support and tuition from their teachers, while the
figure for primary school pupils was slightly higher at 94
per cent. Of the guardians, 75 per cent said their child had
received sufficient support and tuition. During the last
part of the period of remote teaching when the survey was
conducted, 87 per cent of all comprehensive school pupils
had been in daily contact with a teacher.
The effectiveness of remote teaching was charted
in early May with a survey that received responses from
7,544 guardians and 7,491 pupils from Finnish-speaking
comprehensive schools.
Espoo in
social media
Facebook
Espoo – Esbo
Posts from different parts of
the city and news from various
City of Espoo actors.
Twitter
@EspooEsbo
Timely updates and quick
responses. Bulletins, answers to
questions and discussions.
Instagram
@espoonkaupunki
Great moments, events and
landscapes through the eyes of
Espoo residents.
#espoohetki
4 A magazine for Espoo residents

CHECK
THIS OUT!
In this section of the
magazine, we introduce
interesting sites all
Espoo residents have
free access to.
Kasavuori in Soukka
KASAVUORI in the district of Soukka is
a magnificent vantage point in Espoo,
offering an outstanding view that some
consider the best in the city. The top of
its western side is 44 metres above sea
level and offers a beautiful view over the
Gulf of Finland and the south-west coast
of the city.
You can climb to the top along the
paths starting from the bicycle lane
at the end of Soukansalmentie in the
north-east and from the end of Kasavuorenrinne
in the east. The hillside
is step-shaped in places due to the
horizontal fracturing characteristic of
granite. Along the path running on top
of the cliff there are two erratic boulders
consisting of rapakivi granite, the larger
one about one and a half metres high.
The top of the Kasavuori hill is a
nationally valuable cliff site.
Timo Porthan
From the top of
Kasavuori in Soukka,
you can admire the
magnificent view or
observe migrating
birds.
Q & A
In this section of the
magazine, we answer
the most often asked
questions received by
the city at the time the
magazine is
published.
?
In the autumn, we almost drown in
slippery leaves and flooding ditches.
What are the city’s responsibilities and
which tasks belong to the owner of the
property?
It is the property owner’s responsibility to
take care of the maintenance of the driveway to
their plot and to keep it clear of dirt, leaves, rubbish
and loose items. The owner of the property
is responsible for emptying the culvert under
the driveway from leaves and rubbish, although
other parts of ditches are taken care of by the
city’s street maintenance divisions. The city is
responsible for the maintenance of streets and
pedestrian and cycle routes.
The city’s street maintenance divisions clean
streets by brushing off fallen leaves. How quickly
the work can be done depends on the availability
of machinery and equipment and the maintenance
classification of the site in question.
The city should always be notified without
delay about any damage or problems in street
areas that pose a hazard to traffic and movement
either by contacting the Public Works
Department’s customer service online or calling
the police.
?
How will schoolchildren be able to
walk or cycle to school safety if the
streetlights are not on?
The city’s streetlights turn on and off according
to a solar dial. The streetlights turn on 20
minutes after sunset and off ten minutes before
sunrise. It is important to be especially careful
at dusky times like these in street areas and to
wear a reflector.
Please notify the customer services of Technical
and Environmental Services about any
problems with streetlighting. However, we do
not repair individual lamps immediately; instead,
this is done three times a year during maintenance
rounds carried out one area at a time.
”
Streetlights turn on
and off according
to a solar dial.
5

Picks
Almost 90 per cent of Espoo residents live less than
30 minutes away by public transport from the urban
centre that is the quickest to reach from their home.
Help with gamblingrelated
problems
ACCORDING to a survey carried out by the national
Yhteispelillä! project this spring, 57 per cent of Espoo
residents gamble weekly. Of the respondents, 30 per
cent said they or a loved one have a gambling problem.
Help with gambling problems is available from the
city’s mental health and substance abuse services.
Help is also available from the national Peluuri helpline
and online services and from the Tiltti information
and support centre located at Peliklinikka in Helsinki.
Starting this autumn, Espoo residents will also be able
to seek outpatient care at Peliklinikka. Peer support
is offered in Espoo by Nimettömät Pelurit – Gamblers
Anonymous (GA) and Sosped Foundation’s Pelirajat’on
peer group.
Appointments and advice at the City of Espoo
mental health and substance abuse services, Mon-Fri
8:00−16:00, tel. 09 816 31300. espoo.fi/mielenterveys
Bees at Glims
Farmstead Museum
AFTER learning about the declining number of pollinators
in Finland, the Glims Farmstead Museum
began a collaborative experiment with a company
called Stanin Hani. Now the museum has its own pollinators
buzzing around.
The summer’s first batch of Glims Farmstead’s
own honey yielded 16 kilograms of this golden delicacy,
which will be packed into 50 honey jars, each
containing 300 grams. In future, you will be able to
buy this honey from the Glims Farmstead Museum’s
shop and the Pentala Archipelago Museum.
At the Glims Farmstead Museum, we plan to
focus on safeguarding biodiversity in nature also by
other means. We will attract wild pollinators to the
area by leaving piles of straw around for them to nest
in, allowing dandelions to grow in the spring and
protecting meadows in collaboration with the Espoo
Environment Department. We have given up using
any artificial fertilisers in the museum garden and
have replaced them with composted chicken and
sheep manure, both of which are sourced from the
museum area.
6 A magazine for Espoo residents
Help with
money issues
ARE your income and expenses out of
balance? Are you falling behind with your
rent? Do you find it difficult to repay your
consumer credit? If you are concerned
about your financial situation or money
management, the Financial Clinic will help
you! Our experts will give you advice on
how to start solving your situation.
The Financial Clinic will be open to
Espoo residents every Friday from 10:00
to 14:00. To get advice, you can call the
Financial Clinic, tel. 040 639 3944, or
visit its office in Espoon keskus, Terveyskuja
2 C. As the service is anonymous,
you will not be asked for any personal
information.
Espoo-based Stan Jas, beekeeper and owner of the
company Stanin Hani, has brought a great deal of
know-how about bee-keeping to Espoo from his home
country, the Czech Republic.
Telephone
services at
health centres to
be made more
efficient
HEALTH centres’ telephone services
have been very busy in August,
and people have had to wait a long
time for a call-back. Similarly, the
HUSLAB coronavirus testing sites
have been very busy. The good
news is that there is light at the
end of the tunnel. In mid-August,
phone calls about the coronavirus
shortened by half after the preparation
of sampling referrals was made
quicker. The number of telephone
service staff has been increased,
and we are looking into the possibility
of using outsourced services in
order to clear the backlog of calls.
By the beginning of September,
we will have electronic channels
at our disposal, allowing residents
access to coronavirus tests without
a phone call. The nationwide smart
phone app Koronavilkku will also be
launched in September. It will make
it quicker for healthcare professionals
to reach people exposed
to the virus and to break chains of
infection.
We want to thank all Espoo
residents for your patience!
Espoo’s coronavirus helpline,
tel. 09 816 34600 Mon–Fri
at 7:00–18:00
Medical Helpline in the evenings
and on weekends, tel. 116 117
Check
updates:
espoo.fi/
koronavirus

At the end of May, there were 22,497
unemployed people in Espoo, of whom
9,722 had been laid off.
Nearly 80 self-build plots for
detached houses via plot applications
Wilhelmina Paananen
Detached
houses in
Kurttila.
Espoo is a trailblazer in the acquisition
of schools and day-care centres
THIS autumn, the city will organise a
self-build plot application round for
Espoo residents. This year there will be
more plots available than in previous
years – a total of 78.
The majority of the self-build plots
are located in the Kurttila residential
area for small family homes, close to
the sea and services in Saunalahti.
The application round will include 51
plots in Kurttila. The majority of them
are located in maritime Kallvik. A large
number of new buildings are planned
for Kurttila where streets are currently
being built.
23 of the plots are close to nature in
Henttaa, next to the services of Suurpelto.
The self-build plots available via
application also include three in the
popular area of Lintuvaara and one in
the new residential area of Perusmäki
in northern Espoo.
The plots range between 485 and
1,250 square metres in size, and their
permitted building volume is approximately
120–260 floor square metres.
Applicants can choose whether they
prefer to rent a plot or buy it.
More detailed information about
schedule of the plot application round
will be provided in August on the City
of Espoo’s website. The application is
based on a draw, and precedence will
be given to residents of Espoo.
THE City of Espoo has chosen project
company Kumppanuuskoulut Oy,
formed by YIT and Meridiam Investments
II, to take charge of the design,
construction, financing and 20 years of
maintenance of eight schools and daycare
centres in the city.
The City of Espoo’s new method of
acquiring schools and day-care centres
as a comprehensive service has
attracted interest worldwide because
the contract of service involved makes
it possible to apply the PPP model
(Public Private Partnership) to building
projects.
In this model, the private project
company as the service provider is
responsible for the construction and
maintenance of the buildings, freeing
the city’s valuable resources from planning
individual sites to other activities.
The majority of the risks have been
transferred to the service provider,
which means that the model encourages
the provider to keep to the schedule
and create cost-effective solutions.
At the end of the agreement period, the
buildings will be returned to the city in
good condition.
The three building projects to be
carried out first are the Pohjos-Tapiolan
koulu secondary school, the Perkkaan
koulu joint comprehensive school and
youth centre, and the Nauriskasken
koulu primary school. The aim is to
complete all three schools in 2022.
Other projects under the same model
will be built in 2021–23 and include the
Perkkaa day-care centre, Nöykkiönniitty
day-care centre, the Kilon koulu
primary school and day-care centre
and the primary school unit of of Kuitinmäen
koulu. They will provide facilities
for almost 4,000 children.
The PPP model is part of the Koulut
Kuntoon programme, which aims to
ensure healthy and safe premises for
schools and day-care centres.
Put your mark
on the future Espoo Story
THE preparation of the Espoo Story, i.e. the city’s
strategy, for the coming City Council term 2021–25
begins in August. We are collecting residents’ views
and wishes for the city’s future as the basis for
elected bodies’ work.
“It’s important for us that the voices of Espoo residents
can be heard in the Espoo Story, which is why
we invite everyone to participate in its preparation,”
says the city’s Strategy Director Jorma Valve.
“The Espoo Story has been our shared signpost in
developing our city for two council terms already. Our
strategy in the form of a story has been easy to communicate,
and people have committed admirably to
its implementation,” Valve explains.
Now is the time for you too to think about the kind
of Espoo you want to live in in the future and join us
in making it a reality. You can give your answers to My
Espoo surveys on our website at espoo.fi.
”
It’s important
for us that the
voices of Espoo
residents can
be heard in the
Espoo Story.
7

theme
The new master plan
will cover approximately
170 square kilometres
in northern and central
Espoo – more than half
of Espoo’s land area. The
goal is to have approval
for the alteration to the
master plan by spring
2021.
Text Tiina Parikka Photos Mauri Ratilainen
THE
i
Espoo–
Salo direct line
will have two new
stations for local
rail services: Hista
and Myntinmäki.
The development of
these areas, which
are located northwest
of Espoon
keskus, has been
taken into account
in the preparation
of the master plan.
However, the fastest
progress will
be made with the
development of the
existing centres.
Framework
for construction
A master plan directs the land use of a region
and creates the framework for town planning.
Listening to the wishes of the local residents
and other involved parties is key.
The master plan proposal for Espoo’s
northern and central parts will be
made available to the public this
autumn. It involves an extensive
change to the master plan and covers
more than half of Espoo’s land area.
The current master plan for the northern
parts of Espoo became legally valid in 1997. It
can no longer meet the challenges of the evergrowing
capital region and the changes made in
Espoo.
“A master plan directs land use in a planned
area, while taking into account the different
aspects of the city’s structure. Detailed plans,
for example, on the construction of residential
buildings are determined in changes made
locally to the master plan,” explains Head of
Master Plan, Essi Leino.
The master plan, in turn, is directed by the
regional plan, which takes into account the
development needs of the entire region. In the
case of Espoo, this means the capital region in
particular.
The master plan is reviewed approximately
every ten years, or more often if necessary.
The need to review it may become evident, for
example, when population growth significantly
exceeds expectations.
“The renewed master plan for central and
northern Espoo makes it possible to welcome
60,000 new residents on the area,” Leino says.
Everything is interconnected. Population
growth is not the only factor driving change.
“Intense urbanisation not only brings about
new residents, but also influences the number
of jobs and how much traffic there is. At the
same time, various trends for change have to be
taken into account in city planning,” Leino says.
These trends obviously include adapting to
and curbing climate change, but changes in how
we work are also involved.
“The coronavirus has accelerated changes
in how we work. We need to take account of the
increasing number of people who work from
home and have virtual meetings when we assess
the need for space at physical workplaces,”
Leino says.
Traffic and transport are also changing. Even
if commuter traffic decreases, people will still
travel to their hobbies and for pleasure in their
free time.
“Buying things online also increases the
amount of goods being transported – and at the
same time, reduces the need for space in shops,”
Leino says, highlighting the scope of the circumstances
affecting city planning.
Along the route of the One Hour Train.
The implementation of the One Hour Train
between Turku and Helsinki took a step forward
again this spring when the Government
and municipalities agreed to establish a project
,,Intense urbanisation
also has an effect on
the number of jobs
and how much traffic
there is in the area.
8 A magazine for Espoo residents

Lake Haukkalampi is about
ten hectares in size and
known as the heart of the
Nuuksio National Park. There
are three hiking routes of different
lengths in the area of
the lake, which is located at
the border of Espoo and Vihti.
The terrain is rough in places,
but there are duckboards and
stairs to make hiking easier.
Haukanpesä Guide Hut on
the shore of the lake is one of
the most popular destinations
in the Nuuksio National
Park. In July, the rowing boats
you can rent from the Guide
Hut lured tourists from Estonia
to also take to the water.
The area’s varied birdlife
attracts birdwatchers. Vihtibased
nature photographer
Jari Kallio photographed redthroated
divers in July.
9

theme
THE planned
i
area contains
expansive cultural
landscapes, numerous
lakes, rivers and
brooks, as well as
plenty of diverse
trails. For example,
the valley zone
surrounding River
Espoonjoki is indicated
with a specific
symbol on the map
of the local detailed
plan. A new Espoonjokilaakso
trail will
be built along the
river and the shores
of Lake Pitkäjärvi,
never leaving green
areas.
company to promote the planning process.
Espoo’s city rail link is part of this system,
although its implementation will require a
separate decision.
The Espoo–Salo direct line will have two
new stations for local rail services in Hista
and Myntinmäki, which will have their own
centres gradually built around them.
“Our goal is to have at least 90 per cent of
Espoo’s new residents along excellent public
transport connections. Obviously, this
will have an effect on the new land use plan.
Future service structures and energy solutions
will also be taken into account,” Leino
says.
This requires a great deal of investigation.
There are changes to the component
master plans continuously under way. Some
are currently being compiled for the areas
of Kiviruukki, Finnoo, Saaristo, Bergö and
Bodö. Part one of the master plan for the
northern parts of Espoo is the largest and
oldest master plan in force.
“We are focusing a great deal of investigative
work on this region, work that has not
been done previously. Already at the draft
stage, we carried out dozens of investigations
and now at the preparation stage we have
completed about thirty more,” says Head of
Research Ritva Helminen-Halkola.
The investigations have focused, for
example, on the region’s significant natural
and cultural environment. Because it is a
large area, its different parts vary a great deal
– there are both busy commercial centres
and unbuilt areas.
“Villages and rural areas present their
own problems. We have talked to farmers,
for example, and charted the routes their
farm machines take,” says Helminen-
Halkola who has led the investigations.
Even though the needs of the future are
taken into account in the master plan, the
main focus lies on what will be needed over
the next few years. After all, the plan can be
changed according to any needs that arise as
needed. Dialogue with the parties involved is
a key part of the planning process.
“The parties involved include businesses
and entrepreneurs, various authorities, the
third sector and, last but not least, the residents,
who total about 50,000 in this region,”
says Leino.
10 A magazine for Espoo residents

Espoon keskus is the constantly
renewing heart of the
city. New housing and better
services are in the pipeline
for this area, according to
the altered master plan. The
goal is to turn the former
city office buildings into a
modern urban centre and a
more comfortable place to
live and work. There are also
plans to establish a meeting
place known as Espoo House
for Espoo residents and city
personnel in the city office
buildings.
The City Rail Link will further
improve public transport connections
between Espoon
keskus and the quickly
growing district of Leppävaara.
It will also support
the changes made in Kera.
The decision to implement
the urban railway line will
contribute considerably to
the sustainable development
of Espoo’s five city centres
and is an important milestone
on the journey towards zeroemission
travel. The City Rail
Link is also a prerequisite for
the One Hour Train to Turku,
because it will allow local
and long-haul trains to run on
separate tracks.
11

theme
THE Viiskorpi
i area between
Leppävaara
and Kalajärvi is
estimated to grow
into a village with
8,000 residents by
2050 and will centre
around the public
transport station.
The public transport
connection is indicated
as a light rail,
as this is the planned
outcome. However,
during the construction,
public transport
will rely on buses.
There are diverging views about the ever denser
population and housing. Dialogue with the residents
has highlighted issues that are often a concern
for Espoo residents, such as being close to nature,
opportunities for recreation and cultural viewpoints.
The Espoo Cathedral and the cultivated and
village landscapes in the valley surrounding River
Espoonjoki, as well as the areas in the vicinity of Lake
Bodom are exceptionally valuable culturally.
The new centres planned around the railway stations
of Hista and Myntinmäki are also dividing opinions.
“We are already receiving queries from various
parts of the planned area, asking when people can
hope to start building houses there, while others are
worried about the housing developments and the
effects of building them,” says Urban Planner Seija
Lonka.
The first development plans being implemented
are those for the existing centres, whose detailed
plans are being prepared partly simultaneously with
the changes to the master plan. Lonka reminds us
that the growth of the housing stock will safeguard the
vitality of the centres, bring more services and allow
the development of the region’s public transport.
“This growth will ensure, for example, the development
of the Kalajärvi centre’s transport services,”
Lonka says.
A long process. The preparation stage of the master
plan for the northern and central parts of Espoo has
taken exceptionally long. This is due not only to the
size of the area, but also the work done to clarify the
vision before the draft stages were begun. Seija Lonka
has been involved in the process since the beginning
in 2013.
“The draft of the plan was made available to the
public in 2018. After receiving opinions and comments
on it, we started to prepare the plan proposal.
The goal is to make it available for the public in
September or October. If no surprises arise concerning
the proposed amendments and during the rounds
of comments from various authorities, our proposal
will be processed for approval next spring,” says Head
of Master Plan Essi Leino, describing the stages of the
process.
Master plan and component master plan procedures
may be processed in a shorter time, but it is
impossible to know in advance what kinds of questions
will arise during the process and how much time
the necessary additional investigations will take. For
up-to-date information about the planning process,
go to the city website.
Northern Espoo is one
of the most rural areas in
the city. The heavy transport
equipment needed
to care for cultivated
areas has been one of
the characteristics taken
into account in planning
the amendment to the
master plan. Landowner
Magnus Selenius has
participated in the discussion
and contributed,
for example, to issues
relating to roads with the
capacity to bear modern
farming vehicles.
,,
Many opportunities to have your say. City residents
can submit their own suggestions and comment
on the planning while the plan is on display, for
example, by using the electronic system for submitting
forms. At the planning stage, surveys were also
directed at the region’s residents.
“It’s important to remember, though, that more
detailed decisions for each area will not be made until
work on the local detailed plan begins,” Leino says.
The growth will ensure
the development of
the Kalajärvi centre’s
transport services.
12 A magazine for Espoo residents

1
The stages
of the master
plan amendment
process
Commencement
• public announcement
of commencement
• preparing a participation
and assessment plan
• carrying out basic
investigations
Opinions about
sufficiency
2
Draft
• draft of the plan
• impact assessment
• statements by the
authorities
• making the draft available
to the public
Giving feedback in
a separate public
event or a reminder
in writing/online
3
Proposal
• statements in
response to rejoinders
and opinions
• plan proposal in which the
feedback is taken into
account
• making the proposed plan
available to the public
Giving feedback in a
separate public event
or a reminder in
writing/online
4
Approval
• replies to reminders
• town planning map and
report for the processing
for approval
• processing by the City
Planning Committee and
the City Board
• approval by the City Council
Right to appeal against
a decision of the
Administrative Court
13

at your service
In this section of the
magazine, meet employees
and close partners
of the City of Espoo.
Text Mia Weckström Photo Timo Porthan
Detective work
The coordinators of infection tracing known as Coronators
at the City of Espoo’s Infectious Diseases Unit are
working hard to take control of chains of infection.
”
As Coronators, it’s our job to manage
any new positive coronavirus cases
and assign the work to contact tracers
to find out who may been exposed
to the virus. We act as tutors to
the contact tracers, while they carry out the tracking.
We take care of the chain of infection from start to
finish.
Infection tracing is just like being a detective. When
we are notified that someone has tested positive for
the coronavirus, we contact the infected person and
work out the time of infection, the people they have
been in contact with and those who may have been
exposed to the virus as a result. We order
the people who have been exposed to it
into self-isolation. We keep in contact
with the quarantined, infected person
throughout their isolation. We also make
sure that those in self-isolation as a result
of exposure to the virus understand their
responsibility to contact us if they develop
any symptoms. If they do not develop
symptoms, we contact them at the end of
their self-isolation.
Coronators need to be able to react to new developments
quickly and adapt to ever-changing situations.
This has been an eye-opening and educational spring
and summer for us all. We are giving our work a hundred
per cent and keep fighting the virus together with
the public. Whenever a chain of infection breaks and
no new infections occur, we know we have succeeded.
Everything we do relies on cooperation. People in
Espoo, from residents to members of organisations,
have shown great strength in working together throughout
the pandemic and in being understanding and
following the rules. We want to thank every Espoo resident
for doing their part.”
“We have grown into
an efficient team over
a short period of time.
We energise each
other,” say Coronators
Khadra Sugulle
(left), Elina Mäntylä,
Anu Tyykilä, Jasmin
Korhonen and Anu
Pere.
The Espoo
Infectious
Diseases Unit has
• 10 coordinators of infection
tracing known as Coronators
• about 50 contact tracers
• 951 coronavirus infections in
Espoo (6 August 2020)
14 A magazine for Espoo residents

15 In situ 16 Things to do 19 Exercise tip
Things to do
in Espoo
Culture, sports
and exercise
from September
to November.
Vermo offers
unforgettable experiences
Vermo Areena is, above all, a centre for harness racing,
but also an excellent venue for all kinds of events.
VERMO is the main trotting track in
Finland, yet there are many people who
don’t yet know about it. Over the last few
years, it has attracted more new visitors
than before.
“A lot of housing has been and is
still being built in Vermonniitty, and the
people who have moved here have found
their way to Vermo,” says Event and
Marketing Coordinator Sari Heino from
Vermo Areena.
Every Wednesday, there is a trotting
race at Vermo, but sometimes they are
also organised on the weekend. This
autumn’s grand event will take place on
the first weekend in September, offering
the Great Finnish Derby (Suuri Suomalainen
Derby) as well as the Finlandia-Ajo
race, which was postponed in the spring.
TROTTING School (Ravikoulu) is a great
place to learn horsemanship. Established
in collaboration with the Ypäjä Equine
College, the Trotting School arranges
courses on driving and caring for a horse.
It is also a great venue for bachelor and
hen parties and children’s pony birthday
parties. At birthday parties, children meet
the Trotting School’s ponies and have a
chance to ride them.
The hobby horse track was built in
autumn 2019 in collaboration with the
City of Espoo. It has artificial turf and an
obstacle course and has been hugely
popular. It attracts children also during
Vermo’s free events which typically take
place in the summer and at Shrovetide.
During these events, children can ride a
pony led by an instructor or take a ride
in a pony-led cart free of charge and see
Vermo’s large tractors.
VERMO also welcomes other events.
Although it is first and foremost a centre
for harness racing, its size makes it
perfect for many kinds of events. The
facilities lend themselves well for small
fairs, and the Konttitori flea market organised
by the Finnish Seamen’s Mission
is a long-standing summer favourite. In
connection with the trotting races, there
are also various themed evenings with
additional activities.
A few years ago, Vermo hosted a
three-day event with a distinctive stage
show every day. Over the weekend,
stand-up comedians, the Finnish band
Popeda and the Moomins took the stage
and charmed the audience.
“Harness racing is our key activity,
but we want to attract as many different
kinds of events to this area as possible,”
Heino says.
Text Maarit Krok
Miika Lähdeniemi
Vermo’s
race stands
serve friends
of harness
racing, as well
as others.
Even a
first-time or
occasional
spectator at a
harness race
will quickly get
a taste for the
excitement.
Anu Leppänen
Autumn at Vermo
• 2 Sept – 25 Nov Wednesday trotting race
• 4–5 Sept TherMidas VET Finlandia-Ajo
& Suuri Suomalainen Derby
• 17 Oct Superlauantai, Finnish
Championships, TammaChampion
• 14 Nov Kavioliiga Grand Prix
15

Where to go
✱
Music • Visual arts ♥ Theatre ✘ For children ✓ Cinema = Espoo ♦ Something else
You can now explore selected highlights of Espoo City Museum’s collections
also virtually. To learn about the history of Espoo at Finna go to ekm.finna.fi.
Photographs and other material are published on Finna every week.
Espoo, a different
kind of city =
Saha & Haru:
Sparks ✱
Behind
the Songs ✱
WHAT makes Espoo different?
This guided tour explores the
highlights of the Espoo region’s
history from the Stone Age to
modern day at the exhibition A
Thousand Stories about Espoo
and takes a brief look at the temporary
exhibition Bodom Ämmässuo
– Espoo in Images.
• Sun 23 Aug, Sat 29 Aug and
Sun 30 Aug at 14:00–14:30,
Exhibition Centre WeeGee
20s Garden
Party =
ON Espoo Day, we are going
to have a garden party in the
style of the 1920s for all of the
city. Enjoy this vintage garden
party while the gramophone
plays and flapper dresses swirl
around you. Live music provided
by Likka, the most beautiful
party band in the city.
• Sat 29 Aug 18:00–21:00,
Espoo Cultural Centre,
Outdoor Auditorium Amfi
MASTER folk musicians Topi
Saha and Ylva Haru combine
forces to bring you their
Kipinöitä concert tour. This
is far from a traditional joint
tour where the performers
take turns in the limelight: the
songwriters share the stage and
perform each other’s songs and
borrowed treasures together.
Free entry.
• Wed 2 Sep at 18:00–19:00,
Espoo Cultural Centre,
Main lobby
Sampo ja Rumpu
club for kids ✘
SAMPO ja Rumpu (Sampo and
the Drum) is Gallen-Kallela
Museum’s multicultural club for
families. The club offers arts and
crafts activities on Saturdays
at 13:00–15:00. September’s
theme is nature. On Saturday 5
September, we will build a forest
weaving point, on 12 September
insect hotels and on 19 September
we will do pottery.
THE intimate and atmospheric
Behind the Songs club will continue
in Sellosali with host Venla
Kokkonen, who will interview
Aki Tykki, known as the foreman
of the band Happoradio. The
singer will talk about his career
and maybe reveal some secrets
behind his texts.
• Wed 9 Sept at 19:00–21:00,
Sellosali. Tickets: lippu.fi
Iiro Rantala’s
weather report ✱
MY Finnish Calendar is a
weather report composed by
Iiro Rantala. Like Vivaldi, Rantala’s
inspiration for his new
compositions comes from the
seasons – in Finland we have at
least four of them. The 12 songs
portray the Finnish state of
mind, which is always linked to
the weather and almost always
a disappointment.
• Fri 11 Sept at 19:00–20:15,
Sellosali. Tickets: lippu.fi
Remember at least these!
Founded in 2001, Happoradio is a band
that has published seven studio albums and
one double album.
Kuin raivo äiti is an excruciatingly funny and
honest depiction of a mother’s life and a
story about a struggling overachiever.
1 2 3 4 5 6
Feeding chickens
at Glims
Come and watch
the feeding of a
native breed of
chickens at Glims
Farmstead Museum
on 25–28 August
at 10:30–11:00.
Feeding time is the
best time to find out
about the lives the
chickens lead at
Glims and the kind
of food they eat.
Be safe on the
Internet
On Wednesday
26 August at
11:00–12:00, Enter
ry association’s
peer instructor talks
about how to use
the Internet safely.
The session is held
online on the Collaborate
platform.
Link for
joining in: bit.ly/
turvallinen-netti
Daytime dancing
in Sellosali
Come and join the
popular daytime
dances in the Sellosali
foyer where you
can swing and twirl
to live music every
first Tuesday of the
month. Daytime
dancing dates
and times: 1 Sept,
6 Oct and 3 Nov
at 13:30.
Free entry.
Mini disco for
3–6-year-olds
On Saturday 5
September at
14:00–16:00 in
Vindängensali (Tuulikuja
6), children
dance under a
sparkling disco ball,
while colourful video
installations show
the steps. There is
also a workshop and
face painting. Free
entry.
Afternoon disco
in November
On Tuesday 17
November at
13:30–15:30 in Sellosali,
you can dance
under a glittering
disco ball, while
golden disco hits
from the 60s and
70s and legendary
Finn-hits fill the air
under the skilful
direction of
DJ Mikke.
Winter trip
in the forest
Children set the
pace of this trip in
nature on Sunday
22 November at
11:00–12:30. The
outing begins from
the Nature House’s
yard (Elfvikintie 4).
During the hike, we
will treat you to a hot
beverage. Please
bring your own mug
and packed lunch.
16 A magazine for Espoo residents

The archipelago boat service
in Espoo will end on 30 August.
Pentala Archipelago Museum will
be open for the public until then.
The Villa Museum Villa Rulludd
is open on the first Sunday of
every month at 11:00–15:00.
Hannu Salama, a significant writer
within modern Finnish literature, started
collaboration with Vapaat Radikaalit in 2015.
Elmgreen & Dragset are creating a large work of
art for EMMA, alongside which the exhibition will
display some of their earlier, well-known works.
KAMU’s special exhibition, Everything and
Nothing, will open on what would have
been Kaija Siren’s 100th birthday.
They Are the
Moomins ✘
THE children’s concert Käy
Muumilaaksoon (They Are the
Moomins) is full of Moomin
songs we all know and love,
performed by Benny Törnroos.
During the concert, we play,
sing, dance and even exercise.
The atmosphere is high, and
Moomin songs fill the air and
the hearts of young and older
listeners alike.
• Sat 12 Sept at 11:00–12:00,
Kannusali. Tickets: lippu.fi
Kuin raivo
äiti ♥
KUIN raivo äiti (Raging Mother)
is a stage play written by
actress Hanna Vahtikari. It
reveals the many aspects of
motherhood in a delicious way:
the uncontrollable everyday, the
humour lurking at the margins,
the bottled-up aggression and
the love that permeates it all.
Vahtikari shares the stage with
composer and musician Marzi
Nyman who has composed the
music for the play.
• Wed 23 Sept at 19:00–20:15,
Espoo Cultural Centre,
Louhisali. Tickets: lippu.fi
Salama and ✱
Vapaat Radikaalit
AN illustrious Finnish writer of
modern literature, Hannu Salama
performs his poems together
with Hepa Halme’s band Vapaat
Radikaalit at Sellosali. Salama’s
debut novel, Se tavallinen tarina,
was published in 1961, but his
fourth novel, Juhannustanssit,
from 1964 and the sensation it
caused made Salama a household
name.
Saxophonist, flautist and
composer Hepa Halme started
his career in the 1970s and
has had his finger in numerous
pies over the years, from blues
to punk and from groove jazz
to free improvisation. He has
had several bands which have
left their mark on the history of
Finnish music.
• Thu 24 Sept at 19:00–20:00,
Sellosali. Tickets: lippu.fi
Elmgreen &
Dragset •
THIS autumn will be the first
time that Elmgreen & Dragset’s
extensive exhibition comes to
Finland. At the same time, we
celebrate this world-famous
duo’s 25th anniversary as artists.
Elmgreen & Dragset are known
for their playful, yet regenerative
way of challenging how art is
presented and experienced.
• EMMA 26 Sept 2020 –
17 Jan 2021
Improvised
classics ♥
FINLAND’S most popular improvisation
group Kolina performs
improvised classics at the children’s
festival Kutitus in Espoo
Cultural Centre’s Louhisali. Each
classic is based on the original
text, but since the audience has
the opportunity to influence
where the play goes, prepare
yourself for surprising twists
and dramatic subplots.
• Sat 3 Oct at 16:00–18:00,
Espoo Cultural Centre, Louhisali
Tickets: lippu.fi
Enchantment
of a Garden ♦
ESPOO Garden Society’s
(Espoon Puutarhayhdistys)
20th anniversary exhibition
displays the magic and diversity
of the garden. The exhibition
showcases the society members’
works of art, including a
short film Katoavat puutarhat
(Disappearing Gardens). The
Enchantment of a Garden exhibition
will be on display at the
Nature House Villa Elfvik until
Sunday 4 October at 16.00.
Everything
and Nothing •
KAMU’S special exhibition, Everything
and Nothing – Architects
Kaija + Heikki Siren is set to
open on 23 October. The exhibition
is the first one in Finland to
present a comprehensive view
of the Sirens’ architecture. The
exhibition focuses particularly
on their designs in Espoo.
• Espoo City Museum
23 Oct 2020 – 9 Jan 2022
Art by Eeva-
Leena Eklund •
EEVA-LEENA Eklund’s exhibition
continues the collaboration
between the Saastamoinen
Foundation and EMMA which
involves ordering a new work of
art every year for the foundation’s
art collection from an
interesting and relevant contemporary
artist. Eeva-Leena
Eklund brings to the exhibition
a new, large installation she has
designed to match EMMA’s
space and architecture.
• EMMA 28 Oct 2020 –
9 May 2021
17

Where to go
✱
Music • Visual arts ♥ Theatre ✘ For children ✓ Cinema = Espoo ♦ Something else
Kulttuuriespoo.fi/en is an excellent website to find plenty of information about
the events available and Espoo-based cultural actors all in one place. The
website offers tips on concerts, exhibitions, films and theatre performances.
Eeva-Leena Eklund’s paintings always have
their roots in reality and observing it.
Maija Hirvanen and Juha Valkeapää are
talented creators of performances with
long international careers.
Riitta Korpela’s fairytale character Ti-Ti
Nalle and his family have entertained
children in Finland for more than 30 years.
Ekström &
Tammi: Biblion •
SAARA Ekström and Eero
Tammi’s new video installation
Biblion (2019) will premiere
in the media space of the
Kosketus (Touch) exhibition
this autumn. Biblion examines
the book as a phenomenon
and dives into its hypnotic and
layered substance as a carrier
of ever-changing, growing and
disappearing knowledge. The
weight of the books that end
up in libraries, second-hand
bookshops, storage and landfill
sites is also the weight of our
history, as well as our heritage
– an invaluable treasure for one
person and an unnecessary
burden for another.
• EMMA 28 Oct 2020 –
7 Feb 2021
Karamzin’s
Coffee Break ♦
KARAMZIN’S Coffee Breaks
are a new coffee-scented and
diverse series of events for
adults. Focusing mainly on
afternoons, they offer a variety
of programmes from dance
and classic films to lectures
and music. In October, violinist
Klaara Pyrhönen and pianist
Sari Blå bring the atmospheric
classics of popular instrumental
music to the beautiful surroundings
of the Children’s Cultural
Centre Aurora. The programme
includes short, well-known
compositions by Sibelius, Kuula,
Debussy and Saint-Saëns,
among others.
• Thu 29 Oct at 14:00–16:00,
Children’s Cultural Centre
Aurora, Meijeri
Vasara ja
Nauloja ♥
VASARA ja Nauloja (Hammer and
Nails) is an in-depth peek into
musician Göstä Sundqvist’s life
and music. During the performance,
Gösta ponders on his
life: his youth, football, working
as a janitor, how he created his
songs and what’s going on in
the world – flavoured with his
distinctive humour. Gösta is
played by AJ Keskinen, a man
who looks almost identical to
Gösta.
• Sat 14 Nov at 19:00–21:15,
Sellosali. Tickets: lippu.fi
Musical
journey ✘
NAATTIORKESTERI performs
songs and rhymes among
exaggerations and flying all the
way to space. Founded in the
autumn of 2019, this eightmember
band specialising in
children’s music will take you
on an exciting musical journey,
playing the bass, accordion and
many kinds of percussion and
wind instruments along the way.
• Tue 17 Nov at 10:15–11:00,
Sellosali. Tickets: lippu.fi
Life as We
Know It ♦
TWO artists imagine six potential
directions that life could take
them. These directions are
bumps in the road coloured
by ideologies and lifestyles:
various routes where wonder
and repetition, coincidences
and choices, fiction and reality
cross paths. Life as We Know It
examines continuous change,
the future and the unexpectedness
of life. The ability to create
something new also requires
the ability to grow and renew
throughout your life. How do
we recognise change, let alone
steer it?
• Fri 20 Nov at 19:00–20:30
and Sat 21 Nov at 15:00–16:30,
Espoo Cultural Centre, Louhisali
Tickets: lippu.fi
Ti-Ti Nalle’s ✘
winter celebration
TI-TI Nalle’s family, Riitta and
their friends from the Hirsimetsä
forest put on a winter celebration
where everyone joins in
and no one sits alone. While
enjoying the songs, dances and
fascinating stories, you can
participate in the performance
as much as you want.
• Sat 21 Nov at 15:00–16:00,
Sellosali. Tickets: lippu.fi
An oriental
whisper ♦
FOUNDED last year and consisting
mostly of Syrian women
living in Finland, Haneen Suomi
is here to delight us with traditional
Arabic music. The evening
will begin with professional
Syrian singer Fardoos Helal and
continue with the entire Haneen
Suomi band. The performance
also includes fabulous belly
dancing. Haneen Suomi wants
to act as a bridge between Finnish
society and Middle Eastern
culture and be the voice of Arabic
women throughout Finland.
Sat 21 Nov at 18:00–19:30,
Kannusali. Tickets: lippu.fi
18 A magazine for Espoo residents

Gym sessions
that are open for
everyone offer a
great opportunity
to train at your own
speed.
Tips for the gym
After the summer, it feels good to return to the gym – or finally
start the fitness training you’ve been planning for a long time.
Exercising in Espoo
After having a break over the summer,
a lot of people return to the gym – or
go there for the very first time. Gym
instructor Nina Laaksonen recommends
that you don’t demand too
much of yourself to begin with.
“I advise beginners or people
returning to the gym after a break to
start with a gentle programme once
a week. If you train too hard, you will
only make your muscles sore and
make it harder for yourself to come
back,” Laaksonen advises.
This autumn, the City of Espoo’s
public gym groups will be held in
the daytime. Gym classes open for
special groups, the elderly and all
adults are organised without a specific
programme; instead, everyone can
train independently. There is a gym
instructor available to advise you on
how to use the equipment, answer
your questions and give you advice if
they notice any incorrect movements.
A gym instructor will always ask a
few basic questions, especially with
beginners coming to the gym for the
first time.
“Based on any physical restrictions,
illnesses and your fitness level,
we will recommend things you can
do and what kinds of weights to use,”
Laaksonen explains.
All your information on a card. The
gym downstairs at Espoonlahti swimming
pool has HUR equipment, which
uses air pressure to create resistance.
They are able to scan directly from
your card how much resistance you
need on each device. You can buy a
HUR gym card from the cashier at the
Espoonlahti swimming hall for ten
euros.
“The card includes information
about suitable resistance based on
the user’s experience. Thanks to this
card, customers belonging to a special
group, for example, can train independently
after just a few guided rounds,”
Laaksonen explains.
Open gym classes for special
groups welcome customers of all ages
who need support in their training
due to a physical restriction. However,
customers should be able to move
independently from one device to
another.
“Assistants are also welcome,”
Laaksonen says.
Autumn is a great time
for fitness training. The
City of Espoo offers
many types of guided
exercise.
Text Tiina Parikka Photo Olli Häkämies
Open gym groups this autumn:
Espoonlahti swimming pool
Mon 10:45–11:45 Sports club +68
Mon 11:45–12:40 Open gym for special groups
Tue 11:30–12:25 Open gym for special groups
Tue 10:00–11:00 Preparing HUR cards and equipment guidance
Wed 10:30–11:25 Women’s gym class for beginners
Wed 12:00–13:00 Open gym for special groups
Wed 14:00–14:30 Sports club +68, independent
Wed 14:30–15:30 Sports club +68
Thu 14:00–14:55 Gym class for beginners
Keski-Espoo swimming pool
Tue 13:30–14:25 Open gym for special groups
Wed 13:00–14:00 Sports club +68
Kannusillanmäki sports hall (bomb shelter)
Tue 13:00–13:30 Sports club +68, independent
Tue 13:30–14:30 Sports club +68
Kalajärvi gym
Tue 12:15–12:45 Gym class for beginners
Leppävaara swimming pool
Tue 9:00–10:00 Sports club +68, independent
Tue 10:00–11:00 Sports club +68
Wed 10:15–11:00 Women’s gym class for beginners
Wed 13:00–13:55 Open gym for special groups
Järvenperä, Aurorakoti
Tue 8:30–10:30 Sports club +68, independent
Thu 10:30–11:25 Sports club for seniors and special
groups
Leppävaara Life and Living Centre
Thu 15:45–16:40 Open gym for special groups
Fri 9:30–11:00 Gym class for beginners
Olari swimming pool
Mon 13:00–14:00 Sports club +68
Tue 15:00–15:55 Open gym for special groups
Thu 13:00–13:45 Gym class for beginners
Tapiola service centre for senior citizens
Wed 13:30–14:30 Gym class for beginners
Tuulimäki sports hall (bomb shelter)
Thu 13:30–14:30 Sports club +68
Thu 14:30–15:00 Sports club +68, independent
Changes may occur. To find out more about
our current sports selection go to espoo.fi/ohjattuliikunta
For more information, please contact our sports advice
team, tel. 09 8166 0800 Mon–Fri 12:00–13:00.
19

ight now
This year, we will
celebrate Espoo Day
virtually and at smallscale
get-togethers on
28–29 August.
Text Tiina Parikka Photos Eemeli Sarka
28.––29.8.2020
Espoo Day will be celebrated once again on 28–29 August.
This year, the event consists of small public events, remote
events and independent events organised by the public.
These city festivities bring Espoo residents together.
Come and try some circus tricks
Circus and Theatre School
Esko’s Espoo Day garden
party will be held on Friday 28
August. At the garden party,
you can try various circus
equipment. The school’s students will run
a number of theatre games and everyone is
welcome to join in.
“The idea is to relax and have fun. There
may even be some short performances to
enjoy,” says the school’s principal Terhi
Perälä.
The programme will continue non-stop
throughout the afternoon between 15:00–
18:00 and you can drop in whenever it suits
you.
Classics as remote performances. Last
spring, the students of the Theatre School
had to study remotely. In early August,
they finally had a chance to get together
and record two works, which are partly
based on video rehearsals.
“Our adult group will perform Maria
Jotuni’s play Huojuva Talo. This classic
about a painful relationship and family life
won’t leave anybody cold,” Perälä says.
There will also be another performance
that is based on a classic play. In
it, students graduating from Esko perform
parts of Shakespeare’s Macbeth.
“These students have already completed
their final project and have spent
the spring examining what they have
learned through this joint work,” Perälä
explains.
The remote events will include a
solo work about mental health by Aino
Granström, who is also about to graduate
from Esko. The recordings are available on
Saturday 29 August.
In addition, Circus and Theatre School
Esko’s students will delight the residents
of Espoo’s care homes for the elderly with
their circus performances on Saturday, 29
August.
@espoopaiva
#espoopäivä
The members of Circus and Theatre School
Esko’s theatre groups met in August for their
first rehearsal together since the period of
remote teaching this spring.
20 A magazine for Espoo residents

Take a peek
backstage at
Kannusali
After being closed for a year due to
renovation, Kannusali will open its
doors to the public on Espoo Day.
On Friday 28 August, the audience
will have a chance to see the new
premises and meet the staff. Introductory tours
organised non-stop for small groups will take
you to places where audience members seldom
get to go: backstage and the dressing rooms.
“There will also be small musical performances,
perhaps snatches of coming films and
snacks,” says Kannusali’s Operations Master
Simppu Silaste.
The actors
rehearsed putting
their soul into the
characters they
were playing by
practising their
way of walking.
On Saturday, Kannusali will reopen its cinema
activities. There will be three showings.
In future, Kannukivi will be once again
showing films on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
As well as films, Kannusali’s framework of
programmes consists of its music club and theatre
activities.
“Our new auditorium is adaptable so that
instead of sitting in a traditional sloping one,
the audience can enjoy music and dance on the
level floor like in a rock club. Theatre, stand-up
performances and films work better with the
traditional type of auditorium,” Silaste says,
happy with the results of the renovation.
Kannusali will also host other events aimed
at families.
Teatteri- ja sirkuskoulu Esko
Kannukino
Esko’s adult group will perform Maria Jotuni’s
play Huojuva Talo. The play will be available on
the Espoo Day (Espoo-päivä) YouTube channel.
Kannusali will launch its movie activities by showing new
French-Tunisian comedic drama Arab Blues, which won
the Audience Award at the Venice Film Festival.
21

Events for
all tastes
Coordinated by the city, Espoo Day has been
celebrated every year since 2008. In 2019, it
had approximately 90,000 visitors.
“Espoo Day reflects our beautiful city and
its residents perfectly. Espoo is a large city
with multiple city centres where each residential area has
a strong identity of its own. The city brings these areas
together. In the same way, there are different, personal
events in different areas and run by different actors during
Espoo Day, and the city provides larger performances that
bring us all together,” says Manager of Event and Cultural
Services Lea Rintala.
This year there will be no large events. Instead, Espoo
Day will comprise small performances and independent
and online events.
“Now more than ever we need a strong signal to show
that we are a tight-knit community. Our positive shared
activities prove that together we can pull through,”
Rintala says.
Other events where the city is the main actor include the
traditional Independence Day Gala Concert, New Year’s
celebration and Espoo Visual Festival which was organised
for the first time last year.
“These events have been more popular than we
expected. The free tickets for the Independence Day Gala
Concert always run out. The New Year’s celebration and
Espoo Visual Festival have attracted some 20,000 participants.
Feedback shows that people wish for more events
all over the city. The important thing with events is to
organise them in a place that people can get to easily,” says
Rintala.
Let’s make Espoo Day
a safe day for everyone
DUE to the COVID-19 pandemic, the preparations for Espoo Day
2020 have been carried out in exceptional circumstances. But
thanks to the creativity of the organisations, communities and
residents involved, we get to enjoy more than a hundred events this
year too, with many of them shown online or run as independent
projects.
Taking part in an online programme or visiting an independent
project are great ways to participate in Espoo Day. We recommend
that especially people at higher risk from coronavirus choose some
of the many fascinating online and independent events or nature
sites available on Espoo Day.
There will also be local events which will mostly take place outdoors.
In order to safeguard the health and well-being of audience
members, performers and staff, the safety instructions and recommendations
currently in force to prevent the spread of COVID-19
will be complied with in the planning and implementation of all the
events. Do not participate in any events in person if you have symptoms
and please always be considerate towards other event guests.
More than
100
events
All the events
of Espoo Day and
more detailed
programme
information:
espoopäivä.fi ja
facebook.com/espoopaiva
REMOTE EVENTS
• Hattuset video concert
for children aged 0–100
(youtube.com: Espoo-päivä 2020)
• Fri 28 Aug at 18:00 Club for
Five streamed from Leppävaara
church (youtube.com:
Leppävaaran Seurakunta)
• Sat 29 Aug at 13:00–16:00 Espoon
Tanssiopisto’s electric dance steps
(espoontanssiopisto.fi)
• Amazing Waste escape
room adventure on your mobile
device (en.actionbound.com/
bound/sohvalta)
INDEPENDENT PROJECTS
• In Bärtil’s Footsteps,
event path in Kauklahti
(kauklahti.fi)
• Orienteering with
a watch in Espoo
(kellomuseo.fi)
• Ilona Niemi:
Personae mythologicae
(Exhibition Centre WeeGee’s
building site fence, Ahertajantie 5)
• Knitted graffiti along
Leppävaaran raitti and in the
yard of the Gallen-Kallela
Museum in Tarvaspää
LOCAL EVENTS
• Fri 28 Aug at 17:00–19:00
Ice disco for the whole family
(Espoonlahti ice stadium Forum,
Espoonlahdentie 2–4)
• Fri 28 Aug at 21.15
Outdoor screening of the film Casablanca
in the Träskända park
(Träskändanristi 2)
• Sat 29 Aug at 11:00–14:00
Höyläpenkki Pop-up in Kauklahti
(Lassen Taitotalo, Hansatie 14)
• Sat 29 Aug at 21.15 Outdoor
screening of the film Cry-Baby at Keran
Hallit
(Keran Hallit, Karantie 2)
22 A magazine for Espoo residents

Family coaching
went online
Eira Mäenrinta, who
is expecting her first
child, says remote family
coaching offers a great
deal of information but
not enough interaction
between the mothers.
Eira Mäenrinta met the
public health nurses
from her maternity
clinic via the Internet.
“Luckily, the coaching
was offered despite the
emergency conditions,”
says a happy Mäenrinta.
› Previously, family coaching sessions
were organised as group meetings with
six mothers attending at the same time,
while in remote coaching the groups are
larger. Everyone can bring their partner
or support person along.
Eira Mäenrinta, 25, lives in Olari
and participated in remote coaching at
the beginning of June. Her firstborn is
due in August.
“I was particularly looking forward
to meeting other mothers, but
remote coaching didn’t facilitate that,”
Mäenrinta says.
Online baby groups supplement
the need for networking. Mäenrinta
is a member of the Facebook groups
Vauva2020 (“Baby2020”) and
Elokuiset2020 (“Babies due in August
2020”).
Despite her disappointment
in not meeting other
mothers, Mäenrinta is
happy that family coaching
was organised
online.
“The coaching provided
in-depth knowledge
about the different
stages of pregnancy.
During the two
hours, we discussed
contractions, the
stages of labour and got practical advice
on when to go to the hospital to give
birth,” Mäenrinta explains.
Opportunities for interaction during
the coaching are being improved.
“In the autumn, parents will be able
to submit questions in advance,” say the
public health nurses who organised the
coaching, Laura Räisänen and Ruut
Korhonen from the Tapiola maternity
clinic.
The online coaching groups have had
up to 43 participants and their support
persons, which means that the sessions
are more like lectures than interactive
events.
“In the autumn, we will try make our
activities more interactive. We are nevertheless
happy that we have been able
to create a new way of providing coaching
in these exceptional circumstances
and have reached almost all the families
that have had a baby in the spring and
summer,” Räisänen says.
Two public health nurses from the
Aurora maternity clinic have
also been involved in providing
family coaching
online in Finnish and
English.
This autumn,
remote coaching
is available
in all seven
greater areas
of Espoo.
encounters
The coronavirus
this spring also
necessitated new
operating models
for family services.
Text Juha Peltonen Photo Timo Porthan
23

pearl
Meadows are not
wasteland. Instead, they
have an ecologically and
culturally critical task
within the cityscape.
Text Mia Weckström Photos Eemeli Sarka ja iStock
Meadows are insects’ paradise
THE City of Espoo’s Nature Management
Unit has tended meadows all
over the city since the 1990s. Currently
there are almost a hundred
hectares to tend. Meadows are managed
by shredding, cutting and baling
using farm machines.
“How they are managed depends
on the meadow. We sow wildflower
seeds also on landscape fields in the
spring,” says Forester Tiina Peippo
from the Nature Management Unit.
The various meadows in Espoo
fall into four maintenance categories.
Landscape fields are fields with
wildflowers close to housing and
along roads. Landscape meadows
have scenic value or are used for
recreation. Areas and landscapes
kept open include ditch banks and
flood meadows. Valuable meadows
are traditional meadows, dry meadows,
cultural landscapes and objects
of protection.
“Meadows are important habitats
for many types of insects and pollinators.
In addition to wildflower meadows,
more natural open meadows
and grass areas are vital for many
threatened species. An open area is
not necessarily wasteland waiting to
be built on, but an important part of
the landscape that increases biodiversity,”
Peippo says.
24 A magazine for Espoo residents

In addition to all kinds
of buzzing insects,
meadows also attract
butterflies. Small
tortoiseshells can be
seen fluttering by up
until October.
The Tonttumaa
meadows are covered
in glorious flowers
every summer.
Meadows offer a
diverse environment
for recreation and
variation in the
landscape between
wooded and built-up
areas.
25

Espoo residents
During this decade, Finnoo will be built
into a maritime residential area, making
use of local knowledge in its design.
The students of the Kaitaan lukio upper
secondary school were given the opportunity
to design a work of art for the
pedestrian underpass leading to the
metro station.
New residential area in
Finnoo will be completed
in the 2030s. Locals are
making their mark on the
overall design.
Text Eemeli Sarka Photo Timo Porthan
Finnoo
• Formerly known
as Suomenoja
• Located in the
districts of
Kaitaa and Nöykkiö
• Along the Länsiväylä
motorway
• One of the stations
of the West Metro
extension will be
located in the centre
of Finnoo
• A residential area that
will house 17,000
residents
• The first new residents
will move in
in autumn 2021
Local art
The students in the art programme at the Kaitaan
lukio upper secondary school, in cooperation
with the city, designed a work of art that depicts
the bottom of the sea for the pedestrian underpass
leading to the metro station.
“The city’s values include inclusive activities, which is
why we chose to collaborate with students in a way that
supports the city’s Education Unit,” says Kimmo Leivo,
Project Leader for the Finnoo area.
The students involved are happy to have a chance to
leave their mark in the lives of the people living there.
“When a local school participates in something like this
it shows that people take an interest in this area and that
resources are being used to make it more cosy,” Robert
Söderman says.
Each area has its own identity. At the beginning of the
design phase, the students learned about the special characteristics
of the area and Finnoo’s design manual, which
steers the area’s development.
“Locals who know the area and its culture bring their
personality into the design. They are able to create a piece
that looks like them and reflects Finnoo,” Väinö Rajakallio
says.
Despite the reforms, the Finnoo region has remained
peaceful, according to the students.
“Although there are numerous new buildings being built,
there is still a lot of forest and space to live,” Rajakallio says.
Nature and the sea are evident in the design of the area,
and since the students’ work of art was going to be located
below ground, they decided to make it about the bottom of
the sea.
The team spirit in the school’s art programme is excellent.
At the beginning of the project, the students separated
into smaller groups and each group presented one idea.
“The hardest part was condensing the different ideas
into one whole,” Söderman says.
It was difficult to conceive the enormous size of the work,
even when using model fish in true scale. The students were
also not familiar with the material.
“One of the proposals suggested using rusted steel at the
top, which would have created an atmosphere in the tunnel
that was too dark,” Anri Pähklamäe recalls.
26 A magazine for Espoo residents

Taking the design view in everything
For safety reasons, cars and pedestrians
will be separated into different
levels in the area surrounding the
future Finnoo metro station. The
long walls of the early part of the
pedestrian subway are well suited
for the cooperation project, which
gave the students the opportunity
to influence their environment, while
giving them valuable work experience.
“I’m sure it was a valuable experience
for their future career to see
how the process goes and how the
customer mostly determines the
theme, size and materials of the
work,” says Project Manager Kimmo
Leivo.
To make the work of art as durable
as possible, the materials chosen
for it were polished stainless steel
and weathering corten steel.
Artistic design has been applied
to all the design in the area. For
example, the facades of the multistorey
car park to be built have a
boating knot theme.
“We want to include artistic
design in the buildings we will be
building. The aim is to bring pleasure
to the people living and travelling
there every day. That is the overarching
theme in Finnoo, along with
sustainable development.”
Väinö Rajakallio (left), Tomi
Ding, Marcello Säisä, Veera
Virtanen, Robert Söderman
and Anri Pähklamäe were
involved in the design of the
work of art in the pedestrian
subway of the future
Finnoo station.
27

Swedish in
Espoo
With
About half of the
master plan area in
northern and central
Espoo is unbuilt. There
are long traditions for
farming in northern
Espoo.
Text Jenni von Frenckell Photos Mauri Ratilainen
tractors
in the
traffic
In northern and central Espoo, a
change to the city’s master plan
is well underway. The City of
Espoo has involved many actors
in the extensive planning work.
Among other things, the road
traffic needs of farmers must be
taken into account.
28 A magazine for Espoo residents

Magnus Selenius
appreciates the interest
the city has shown
towards the needs of
farmers as regards the
new master plan.
The current master plan is the oldest
plan still in force in Espoo.
Measured by area, it covers a large
zone – about half of Espoo. This
means that many of Espoo’s residents
will be affected by the changes to the
master plan. Therefore, residents and stakeholders
were consulted at the preparation
stage.
One of the people who has had an active role
in the planning work is the farmer Magnus
Selenius. Selenius is an organic farmer and
landowner in northern Espoo and works with
both agriculture and forestry. He is pleased
that the landowners have been heard and
invited to participate in the planning work.
“It’s good that the city has shown an interest
in Espoo’s history. The area is of great cultural
historical value. If we want to preserve the cultural
landscape, agriculture and a new generation
of farmers are essential. We have to work
actively to ensure that we have both,” Selenius
says.
The master plan governs land use and
must take the characteristics of the area into
account. On this occasion, the preparatory
work has been unusually demanding. This is
both because the master plan is so extensive
and because the area is so diverse and multidimensional.
The city has collected views on various
issues, such as traffic in the area. For
farmers, traffic poses concrete challenges.
Roads must be accessible to the large, modern
agricultural machinery that farmers need to
cultivate their fields. In the past, the traffic
arrangements have caused problems. Selenius
is hoping for an improvement.
“While they may look modern and nice,
cheap materials with sharp edges, traffic
islands in the middle of the roads, and steep
kerbstones are not particularly suitable for a
tractor or combine harvesters. I hope to see
routes and traffic solutions that take various
needs into account. With a little planning and
good will, it’s possible to find solutions that
work for everyone,” Selenius believes.
The process of renewing the master plan
started back in 2013. The City Council is
responsible for the final approval of the proposal.
“
I hope to
see routes
and traffic
solutions
that take
various
needs into
account.
29

we
Basic education in Espoo
* The figures are from 2019–2020.
This autumn, school
started in Finnishspeaking
schools on
13 August and in
Swedish-speaking
schools on
18 August 2020.
76
Finnish-speaking
comprehensive
schools, of which
44 are primary schools,
13 are secondary schools,
16 are joint comprehensive
schools,
2 are special education
schools,
1 is a hospital school and
11
are Swedish-speaking
comprehensive schools.
Test your
Finnish with this
crossword puzzle!
Book prizes!
More than 29,000
students of whom
6,390
speak a language other
than Finnish or Swedish as
their mother tongue.
Teaching is provided in
38 languages
in Espoo.
Every year, some
3,400
first-graders
begin school.
crossword puzzle
Mark the letters from the orange boxes (1–14) below and send the answer with
your name and address by e-mail to: espoolehti@omnipress.fi by 10 Oct 2020.
30 Espoon kaupungin lehti asukkaille

Creativity blooms
in Kera Kera’s gigantic industrial area offers
space for communal urban culture.
together
› The former Kilo logistics centre and its outdoor
areas are about to start a new life, as they
are gradually turned into a hub for art and culture.
Behind it all is the Kera Collective that
started its activities at Keran Hallit this spring
and is run by a team of five.
“Creating a hub for urban culture in Kera has
been a long-term dream of mine. I have worked
with city events and communal urban culture
and was one of the founders of Kalasataman
Vapaakaupunki (Free City of Kalasatama). The
Kera Collective has a similar ideology,” says the
father of the idea, Jaakko Blomberg.
The activities are organised in Kera temporarily.
The Kera Collective is a combination of
urban culture, art, spending time together and
events that will mostly take place next summer.
This summer, the collective focused on art projects,
such as murals, and urban farming.
“There are about 40 shared grow boxes in
the area and anyone interested in cultivation
can rent them.”
In future, Keran Hallit will make way for the
urban city centre that this former industrial
area will become. Until then, the area offers
excellent facilities for temporary use.
The industrial halls of Keran Hallit have
more than 90,000 square metres of space.
The yard area is huge. As well as the collective,
the area currently houses sports activities and a
small brewery.
“We use the spaces that aren’t used by others.
The huge yard offers plenty of space for art
projects and later for music and events. Our
goal is to create a unique venue that people are
happy to travel to even from further afield. I
can’t wait to see Kera bloom.”
The collective’s activities are made possible
by the city’s development programme
Inspiring, Dynamic Espoo and Event and
Cultural Services, as well as the owner of the
buildings, SOK.
“We collaborate with several different parties
and create content together. We are planning
a flea market and various workshops
inside and concerts in the yard,” Blomberg
reveals.
It has been a busy
summer at Keran Hallit
with good crops to show
for it. Jaakko Blomberg
is already eagerly waiting
for next summer when
various events will be
organised in the area.
New users have found
the logistics centre
that was left empty in
2018–19. Destined
for demolition at some
point in the future, the
industrial halls bring
local actors together.
Text Mia Weckström Photo Eemeli Sarka
31