Viewers of the future

At work in Riksu, there is a story series in which the employees of the city of Riihimäki talk about their work.

In many jobs, we live strongly in the moment, but Riihimäki's zoning employees are visionaries who look to the future. Plan designer Otto Mäkelä and general plan architect Anu Ylitalo are already thinking about Riihimäki in 2050.

"We are currently in the process of drafting the 2050 master plan. It's a land use and traffic plan dealing with the big lines of the city of Riihimäki, which aims for the year 2050," explains general plan architect Anu Ylitalo.

The general plan aims to develop the city in accordance with the RakasRiksu2035 strategy. Now we are revising the general plan made in 2017, the target year of which was 2035. So not everything will be planned again, but as the world changes, the themes will be updated. Now, for example, renewable energy and climate change are important. The master plan pays attention to sustainable ways of moving and the city's green areas. You can follow the progress of the master plan on the city's website.

Residents included

Inclusion is a trend in all aspects of city development, but the zoning team has been listening to the opinions of the townspeople even before the word was invented.

"Each formula involves a statutory consultation with the townspeople. We will hold an open event in Riksula in February, where the zoning team of five people will talk about the future general plan. After that, we listen to the residents' wishes for the development of the city. The best stage to influence planning is precisely at the beginning of planning, when the first draft is made," says Ylitalo.

There are many different formulas. Provincial issues are resolved with the provincial formula. The general plan defines the main lines of the municipality's development, for example the location of residential areas, workplaces and traffic routes. A partial master plan can be made, for example, for beach areas and it can be more precise than the master plan. The city council approves the general plan.

Exact site plan

Otto Mäkelä states that the general plan guides the site plan, which is the most detailed plan level. The general plan is the overall structure of the city, and one site plan may sometimes only cover a small plot of land.

"The station plan specifies what can be built, where and in what way. It indicates the location, size and purpose of the buildings. While I rub the corners of the eaves, Anu thinks about the big lines of urban development", compares Mäkelä.

His job is to design a plan map and draw objects in the city's geographic information system with millimeter accuracy, as well as write a plan report. Work is done alone on the computer, but ideas are also exchanged with the team every day.

"Citizens get in touch, for example, to ask about construction on their newly purchased plot of land. When the new site plan project starts, I will visit the terrain. Sometimes we organize a relaxed pattern walk with the residents. Last time we thought about the area's plan change while walking in Haukankaarre in the Metsäkorpi district."

Position yourself to be more alive

Riihimäki is one of the earliest planned cities, as site plans have been drawn up for a hundred years. The spirit of 1920s zoning is best seen on Keskuskatu and Hämeenkatu.

Both Mäkelä and Ylitalo hope to develop the station area, because it and the center are the heart of Riihimäki. When you step out of the station, you should immediately see a lively and versatile urban space.

"In Riihimäki, everything is close and tightly positioned around the station. But the city could be even more attractive if the areas of interest were linked more coherently. Riihimäki must be developed from its original home: rich cultural history, closeness to nature and small-town feel. Riihimäki has all the other attractive factors except water," Ylitalo states.

But the water can also be arranged, because the narrow channel of the Vantaanjoki will be moved to the middle of the settlement in the future Jokikylä. A public park area will be built on its shore.

"Jokikylä is part of the general plan of the station area, a new and dense area of ​​800 inhabitants really close to the station. The site plan process is now in the draft stage, and construction will begin within three years."

In Riihimäki, almost everyone lives about three kilometers from the station, which makes it an ideal compact small town. The community structure is not meant to spread or break up the population. Planning is guided by the fact that old cultural environments and buildings are respected.

"In Riihimäki, zoning is a unified unit. The station planners are also aware of the expectations loaded into the general plan at all times. The red thread and the idea don't get lost in between. Zoning works better than in big cities," says Ylitalo, who previously worked in Espoo.

Reija Ypyä