Nordicum - Real Estate Annual Finland 2016 | Page 20

Kalasatama is constructed next to the city centre by the seashore.

Smart Kalasatama
Internationally speaking, Kalasatama – Helsinki’s model district for Smart City solutions – is perhaps the most famous of the
trio, having been singled out by urban scientist Boyd Cohen “as a blueprint for future
living”. By the beginning of the 2030s, Kalasatama district will offer a home for approximately 20,000 residents and jobs for 8,000
people.
”Currently, there are almost 3,000
people living in the area,” says Hannu Asikainen, Kalasatama Project Director. He
calls Kalasatama “an experimental innovation platform” which is aimed at co-creating smart urban infrastructure and services.
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“We have the opportunity to do something different here – and we’re fully exploring our options. The key is in nurturing a
culture where you can pilot various innovations and services pretty quickly – and learn
what works and what doesn’t quite soon,”
Asikainen explains.

Think Quick
To push these pilots, during 2015–2017
Smart Kalasatama is also part of a 6Aika
spearhead project of the City of Helsinki.
The 6Aika Six City initiative is a strategy for
sustainable urban development carried out
by the six largest cities in Finland (Helsinki,
Espoo, Vantaa, Tampere, Oulu and Turku).

It was announced in December 2015
that Kalasatama’s programme for fast experimentation has selected its first participants.