Nordicum - Real Estate Annual Finland 2012 | Page 42

ness. As Aalto University decided to place its main campus in Otaniemi, the significance of the area rose even higher. Finally, in Keilaniemi one can find the corporate “dream team” of the land, with a skyline filled with proud towers of such internationals hi-tech companies as Nokia and Kone. Strong Commitment from City The City of Espoo knows full well that is in possession of a national treasure here – and plans to take care of the communities in a fitting manner. The renewal of Tapiola, Otaniemi and Keilaniemi will be the largest single construction project in the history of Espoo. In the coming years, massive investments to the tune of 4-5 billion euros will pour into the triangle. Spurred on by the arrival of the metro, the entire Tapiola centre will go over a complete transformation by 2020. The building of an “innovation campus” in Otaniemi is another great undertaking which will continue for years. The common identity and connectivity of the triangle will be boosted as the Ring Road I will go underground to allow also pedestrian access – from the Tapiola side – to the shoreline in Keilaniemi. Jukka Mäkelä, Mayor of Espoo, is excited about the coming transformation. Still, the road ahead is not an easy one: “As a specific challenge, I would say that land use planning must be flexible enough. With regards to Tapiola centre and Otaniemi we are trying to affect significant change and take 40 Nordicum care of the valuable heritage of the areas at the same time,” Mäkelä comments. Reinventing Tapiola For example, Tapiola is a not an easy target for a beauty treatment, since the original Garden City has a permanent place in the hearts of Finns. The community is internationally known as a groundbreaking effort in city planning and construction; architecturally speaking, the area is held in very high esteem, receiving lavish praise also for its versatility. Next year Tapiola will celebrate its 60th birthday. Antti Mäkinen is in charge of the Tapiola Development Project and is deeply aware