Nordicum - Real Estate Annual Finland 2016 | Página 21

Energy Edge
Various smart development activities have
been realised in Kalasatama earlier on, too.
Perhaps the most far-reaching and ambitious
among them is the smart energy project –
carried out by Helen, ABB and Fingrid –
which will turn the district into a testbed for
ambitious smart grids.
As part of the smart traffic agenda, the
use of electric cars is encouraged in Kalasatama and other new solutions with regards
to smart transportation and traffic will be
tried out here, too. In line with the green ideology, Kalasatama also features an underground waste collection system.

The Kalasatama Spirit
Hannu Asikainen and Veera Mustonen note
that Kalasatama will be different from similar international projects, since the district will not rely on a single technology or
scheme – but, instead, the master plan is to
develop Kalasatama comprehensively into a
smart city district on broader basis.
“We know we’re doing things a little
differently in Kalasatama – and the City is
fully committed to making sure that it turns
out great,” Asikainen says.
Effective public transport – spearheaded by the Kalasatama metro station –
and the central location add to Kalasatama’s
appeal. And the sea is right there, too: if you
fancy a stroll, there is a six-kilometre promenade by the shore.
“The sea is already a big part of the
Kalasatama identity and we’re looking to
expand on that,” Asikainen promises, adding
that while the area is still being developed,
there’s already a strong community spirit
– an atmosphere of doing things together.

High Times
Kalasatama will also bring plenty of vertical
and visual appeal. The Kalasatama Centre,
known as REDI, will consist of eight tower
blocks which will feature 20–35 storeys (the

Hannu Asikainen is responsible for the
construction of Kalasatama.
highest tower reaching 132 metres). The
towers will be complemented by a versatile commercial centre as well as a nearby
social and healthcare centre.
According to Hannu Asikainen, REDI
will be a strong anchor for the community.
The idea here is that the commercial functions will go well beyond what people
expect from a regular shopping centre – providing the patrons with more than a glimpse
of Experience Economy. The concept, created by the developer SRV, will combine
seaside atmosphere, high-rise buildings and
superb connections.
With REDI serving as the beating heart
of the new neighbourhood, Kalasatama will
have convenient access to just about all
types of services.
“This is well in line with the City’s
plans, since the vision of Kalasatama is to
become so resource-wise that residents will
gain an ‘extra hour’, so to speak, every day
– since everything is close at hand, there’s
no time wasted on transport,” Asikainen
sums up.

The heart of Kalasatama is the experience, housing and shopping centre Redi.
that these pilots represent only the tip of the
iceberg – in total, there were 52 high-quality applications to the project.
“We can clearly see now that the vision
of Kalasatama as an innovation platform
is starting to bear fruit,” Mustonen says,
adding that the best ideas of those entries
not making the cut will be processed further on.
“We look for smart solutions that provide scalability. We can invent and develop
it here and take it out to the world,” says
Mustonen. The first five pilots will be carried out in early 2016, as the services will
be tested in the authentic urban environment
in Kalasatama, working together with the
citizens.
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