With the completion of Vuosaari Harbour in 2008, the urban structure of Helsinki will undergo its most radical transformation since the industrial era. The city’s cargo terminals and heavy road and rail traffic are now consolidated to the eastern edge of Helsinki in this new harbour facility. As a result, as many as six large logistical spaces (including Jätkäsaari) are being redeveloped to meet the needs of Finland’s modern information economy with office and commercial space, residences and infrastructure.
Moving the ports out of the city centre provides the rare opportunity to reconsider the city’s urban structure and systems. Current thinking about carbon emissions, strategies for efficiency, sustainable systems and mobility can be layered into the city at a scale with the critical mass to affect change and improve the lives of its citizens. This could create an environment where modes of living and individual choice can shift to become aligned with the goals of sustainable development.
A master plan for Jätkäsaari has been under development by the Helsinki City Planning Department since 2002 and was awarded final approval in 2006. It covers a plan area of 100 hectares of mixed-use development and infrastructure. The plan is extremely detailed. Zoning, street sections, programming, transportation, parking, services, utilities, lighting, and pathways are all addressed within the plan documents.
The master plan is organized around three key components: a phased build-out; transportation and parking infrastructure; and wind mitigation. Phase I (of which this competition is a part) will be completed by 2012. The southwestern edge of Jätkäsaari will be the final area of development. This provides a large window in which to evaluate and, if necessary, alter how development proceeds in the remaining phases.
It is expected that by the completion of all phases of the master plan in 2025, Jätkäsaari will house 16.000 inhabitants and 6.000 new jobs. The city intends to attract a mix of young professionals, families and retirees to the development as well as diverse income groups. The total housing area will be between 571.000-634.000 m2. The total service and office area will be between 308.000-338.000 m2.
Public transportation infrastructure is provided for as part of a mobility management plan. In general, the plan seeks to increase the use of public transportation, walking, cycling and minimal use of cars through enhanced accessibility and incentives.
Wind is a significant factor on Jätkäsaari where velocities frequently reach 10 m/s from the southwest. This is a result of the southern edge of the island being exposed to the open sea without the protection of other islands as is typical with most of central Helsinki’s shoreline. The shape of the central park and sectional shifts from south to north are designed to help mitigate the unpleasant effects of wind in public spaces.