Livable Cities and Urban Development- a perspective to urban renewal from the city statistics and urban research

Mari Vaattovaara

Professor of Urban Geography

University of Helsinki

I am not about to discuss livable cities or urban development from the traditional perspectives of my research

Segregation Immigration Housing preferences Knowledge and creative industries …. where the help and statistics from the Urban Facts

has been very central

Thank you Asta Manninen and Pekka Vuori

But rather from a perspective where I think the research and statistics really have made a major contribution

not only by adding analytical understanding but

also by offering a different perspective

An approach to livable city through urban renewal

We - prof. Matti Kortteinen & I together with the

researchers and students worked with the world

known experts in engineering (VTT) and some of

the best architects from Aalto University to create

a livable neighbourhood or a suburb.

Role and importance of suburbs – a major issue in terms of urban future or urban sustainability

1/3 of the apartments locate in the suburbs

1/5 of the population lives in suburbs

the least energy efficient part of the whole housing stock

The process of urbanisation was late in Finland

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

-1920 1921-1939 1940-1959 1960-1969 1970-1979 1980-1989 1990-1999 2000-

Erilliset pientalotDetached houses

AsuinkerrostalotBlock of flats

Rivi- ja ketjutalotAttached houses

1 000 Total 2,6 million apartments

Lähde:Tilastokeskus

Traditional – and as such - more and more advanced way is to start from the technical details and possibilities (Jyri Nieminen VTT)

Heating

VTT Jyri Nieminen

Air-conditioning

Exteriors, doors and windows etc.

Or from architectural or urban planning premises

Potential of the renewal /TKK dept. of architecture

Helsinki University of Technology,

Dept. of architecture/ VTT

Suunnitelma ja visualisointi: TKK Arkkitehtuurin laitos, Puurakentaminen 2009.Suunnitelma ja visualisointi: TKK Arkkitehtuurin laitos, Puurakentaminen 2009.

Urban planning pespective

radan ylittäväkalteva viherkansi(alla pysäköintiä)

radan ylittäväkalteva viherkansi(alla pysäköintiä)

radan ylittävät

siltamaiset talot

portti-

talo

Uudet talot

radan ylittäväkalteva viherkansi(alla pysäköintiä)

radan ylittäväkalteva viherkansi(alla pysäköintiä)

radan ylittävät

siltamaiset talot

portti-

talo

Uudet talot

In our case we started from the historical context – why were they built

Loads of statistical and

planning documentation

was retreived from the

arcives

Peltosaari was born as

part of the late but rapid

industrialisation of

Finland

All the future predictions

and best calculations

expected the

industrialisation and

construction to continue

The population data and forecasts:Over half of the population was predicted to work in the traditional industries during 1990’s

Now the suburb is a part of knowldge intensive, pocket sized metropolitan region And the success or

failure depends on the municipality’s and suburbs ability to attract highly educated middle class

Municipality of Riihimäki has not succeeded too well in the regional competition according to the indicators that we used Kuva 2. Riihimäen asemaa metropolialueella kuvaavien tilastollisten indikaattorien

luokitukset osatehtävän tulosten pohjalta (Helin, Lehto & Stjernberg 2009).

As part of this national restructuring process – several suburbs have lost their position

Male employment rate 2007

Source: Pekka Vuori

HelsinkiHelsinkiHelsinkiHelsinkiHelsinkiHelsinkiHelsinkiHelsinkiHelsinki

VantaaVantaaVantaaVantaaVantaaVantaaVantaaVantaaVantaa

EspooEspooEspooEspooEspooEspooEspooEspooEspoo

PKS 81,8Helsinki 79,4Espoo 85,7Vantaa 83,4Kaun. 87,1

© Helsingin kaupunki, Kaupunkimittausosasto 056/2008

Miesten työllisyysaste, % Ikävakioitu

85,7 - 94,783,4 - 85,679,4 - 83,375,0 - 79,363,0 - 74,9

Peltosaari is in its own category (unemployment rate)

Housing market position in the Helsinki metropolitan area

Peltosaari Havukoski

Asukasluku (31.12.2006) 2292 5439

0-17-vuotiaat 16,9 16,2

18–64-vuotiaat 69,9 71,1

65-vuotiaat ja sitä vanhemmat 13,3 12,7

lapsiperheiden osuus asuntokunnista 17,4 18,8 pienituloisten kuluttajatalouksien (- 25 999€/v) suhteellinen osuus kaikista kuluttajatalouksista 67 48,4

pienituloisten (-13 999€/v)osuus kuluttajista 53,1 33,6

vain perusasteen suorittaneet yli 18-vuotiaista 44,8 39,5

opiskelijat (v. 2004) 9 7,3

eläkeläiset (v. 2004) 22,5 17,2

työttömät (v. 2004) 27 12,1

omistusasuntojen osuus asuntokannasta 30,7 50,9

vuokra-asuntojen osuus asuntokannasta 64,3 46,2

Spatial differences are huge

A survey, the results of which were comparable to a similar survey in the capital region was conducted in this neighbourhood. The comparison between Peltosaari and the lowest spatial decile of the suburbs of the capital region - indicated that the problems related to social disorder and insecurity doubled in this suburb compared to suburbs closer to the regional center.

Adding to this - the problems in everyday life were mainly related to social disorder and feelings of security

Thus the willngness to move out was especially high among the knowledge workers with high education

55 % out of residents with academic degree

Thus

Central challenge is to overcome the rethoric regeneration

“Part of the literature concerning regeneration

comes dangerously close to painting a romantic

picture of large public housing estates as products

of working class political action” (Alan Murie 2009)

The aim should be to develop an area that would

(i) support the strategy of the municipality (positioning in the metro-area)

(ii) fulfill the requirements of modern construction (ecology, architecture)

(iii) take care of the current residents

How?

By at least including aside to the technical and

architectural thinking the historic context,

position in the region (housing market), socio-

economic situation and the social life of the

neighborhood. Which requires

Different approaches, knowledge and methods