City council members can use motions and questions to uncover areas where improvements are needed. If a question strikes a chord, the response is usually somewhat dismissive. Here are the issues I have followed up on:
Combating Segregation Development Espoo has surprisingly developed a few areas where only about 10% of residents are homeowners. Preventing segregation is a commonly accepted goal, but it has not been achieved. While zoning cannot define the form of housing ownership, the city council can use land use agreements to prevent entire apartment buildings from being sold to investors as rental properties.
Expanding the Journey Planner All personal transport services (like taxis, etc.) could be included in HSL’s journey planner, eliminating the need for multiple separate apps for travellers. This would require municipalities to guide HSL toward developing this universal service.
Land Expropriations It is economically sound for the city to carry out land expropriations for green and street areas when needed for specific projects. In a few cases, expropriation projects lacked this justification, and I inquired about establishing a consistent policy.
Cityscape By law, new buildings should adapt to the built environment and landscape and meet requirements for beauty, high-quality architecture, or proportionality. Espoo has an urban design committee that provides statements on building permit projects. Despite this, buildings clearly in conflict with the law have been constructed in Espoo. Where is the problem?
Heritage Buildings Owners have a bad habit of letting protected buildings fall into disrepair to justify their demolition. The city does not stand out positively in this regard. Owners have a responsibility to maintain these buildings, and it is the task of building supervision to monitor this. When results are not visible, I have raised questions about it.
Public Parking Spaces Currently, Espoo has a standard for the number of public parking spaces, but there are shortages. A comprehensive study has now been conducted and is under consideration by the technical department. Parking areas included in zoning plans should be built, and the remaining missing spaces should be allocated to street parking.
Geothermal Wells Many housing associations have switched to geothermal heating, but not all plots have enough space. I tried to get the city to take a favourable stance on allowing wells to be drilled diagonally under city parks and parking lots.
Restoring Peatlands Drained peatlands produce greenhouse gases, and their emissions can be reduced by restoring them to wetlands. Many peatlands were originally lakes and ponds, so restoration could go further. For example, Hista could gain many waterfront plots; a bog from which frost arises makes a poor neighbour.
Shelters at Stops There are significant differences in the weather shelters for public transport. The coastal rail stations lack shelters, and there haven’t been enough for all bus stops either. HSL could pay for weather protection along with rail services, but it doesn’t, and municipalities don’t require it.
Tramline 15 Tramline 15 is notorious for its loud screeching noise. When a steel wheel slides sideways on a steel rail, noise is inevitable. It’s unreasonable for residents that glaring rail noise cannot be resolved.
Snow Management In Espoo, snow has to be transported long distances by trucks (if there is snow). A better solution would be to identify places for nearby storage; storing year by year would suffice, even if the area were set for other use later.
Telecommunication Masts A denser network of telecommunication masts is needed, and they are often forced into problematic locations. It would be better to plan their locations in advance rather than address them case by case.
Other Hobbyhorses I Advocate
Coastal Trail Espoo’s coastal trail is almost fully included in zoning plans; however, plans are missing at both ends. There are four small gaps where construction is progressing slowly. In the master plan draft, an attempt was made to shift the trail away from its current route onto private plots, but the proposal was rejected.
Winter Storage for Boats I once got the city board to decide that only boats transported behind personal cars could be moved away from coastal areas for winter storage. Large boats need storage locations near the coast. Planning at Suomenoja won’t progress until the number of boats remaining there is known. My favourite solution is the current dock area at Marinsatama, which could be filled in and the docks moved farther out.
Building Supervision Reception centres provide accommodation according to the law, and the same construction regulations apply as to hotel operations. Despite this, Espoo’s building supervision has not prohibited placing reception centres in ordinary residential buildings.
Jouni J Särkijärvi 