Nordicum - Real Estate Annual Finland 2012 | Page 31

Time to Reload?
As new exciting communities are emerging,
it is important for the City to remember that
not all areas are quite as dynamic. Rinkineva says that it is crucial to recognise that the
cityscape keeps changing and evolving – and
sometimes companies and people need to
be re-energised in certain neighbourhoods.
One example of an area that has lost
some of its momentum over time is Pitäjänmäki in North Helsinki – home to many significant corporate players which employ
about 20,000 people. Nevertheless, Pitäjänmäki has as much as 140,000 square metres
of vacant office space which could provide
sufficient premises for thousands of new
workers.
The City of Helsinki has been working together with its partners to look for solutions in the area. Under the leadership
of Project Manager Minna Maarttola, new
methods and operative models are explored
in order to develop the appeal of the neighbourhood. Of special interest are models
which meet the needs of existing companies and assist in securing new users for the
vacant premises.
“Pitäjänmäki is an important pilot for
us and we have big expectations regarding
the results,” Rinkineva says. If the concept
proves to be a winner, the plan is to take
the best practices from Pitäjänmäki and use
them to vitalise other areas – such as Lauttasaari, Sörnäinen, Vallila and Pasila.

For some people, the answer for the
dilemma is obvious: if offices are empty,
take zoning under review and build apartments in their stead. Rinkineva is familiar with the argument, but says that while
this approach may work in some cases, it’s
no “miracle cure”: “We need to look for
other solutions, too, to upgrade these urban areas.”

Matching Profiles
One key component in the building of new
communities – and in retooling existing
ones – is the question of identity. Rinkineva
points out that corporate areas tend to develop an image of sorts – and it is this profile which helps to attract likeminded companies into the neighbourhood.
“In places like Kalasatama and Central
Pasila we see this process being launched,”
she says, adding that companies looking to
establish operations in Helsinki have an increasing number of options now.
But what is it that especially international companies look for in Helsinki? What
are th