Nordicum - Real Estate Annual Finland 2016 | Page 58

Destination: Aviapolis
Vantaa is building the blueprint for a next-gen Airport City
The odds are, the first thing you’ll
see of Finland is the Helsinki-Vantaa
International Airport. There are
70,000 passengers going through
the airport daily – but that’s just half
the story. Just outside the terminals,
there’s an entire Airport City taking
shape.

V

antaa’s master concept for the “aerotropolis” of the future is Aviapolis
which combines business edge with
residential reach. Hannu Penttilä, Deputy
Mayor for the City of Vantaa, says that airport and its environs are quite unique in
international comparison:
“We have integrated the airport very
closely to the community structure, whereas
elsewhere, the airports are rather removed
from downtown areas.”
The trick, Penttilä reveals, is in careful consideration of the challenges posed by
constant air traffic, and, most notably, by the
noise generated by those big, big planes. The
City has identified “noise-free pockets” all
around the airport and really capitalised on
those in terms of residential construction.

Strategy Comes First
According to Penttilä, just about anything
is possible via thorough planning – and that
is exactly what the City wants to do. The
City has drawn out a master plan for the
future development of Aviapolis, calling for
a human-scale community, where walkability is a big element.
“In addition to car traffic, there must
be plenty of pedestrian appeal, too,” Penttilä says.
The Airport City of tomorrow will

be ecologically and culturally sustainable,
and a true destination of its own right. “The
Airport City concept should be extremely
appealing also from the point of view of
innovators, since this is a great area for the
introduction of totally new things,” Penttilä says.

jobs) – but still, Penttilä believes that Vantaa’s Airport City can trump all of these.
“We have a setting with all the required
services, where the distances are short and
logistics very smooth indeed. The ‘bonus,’
so to speak, is Europe’s most convenient
access to Asia. It’s simply a combination
that is hard to beat,” Penttilä sums up.

Best in the World?

Going Global

In the future, the new Veromies District –
located just off the airport – will feature
20,000 people. According to the plans, by
2025, the entire Aviapolis area will house
up to 23,000 people.
“All and all, we are building the best
airport city in the world,” says Penttilä,
who has studied the formula for a successful “winged city” all around the Europe.
He refers to Manchester as one example of
delivering an effective package, as well as
Schipol and Zürich (especially in terms of
Photo: Innovarc Oy

56 Nordicum

Against this backdrop, it is not hard to see
why companies – big and small – are flocking to Aviapolis. For years, Aviapolis has
demonstrated the biggest growth in jobs in
the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. At Vantaa,
Aviapolis is in a league of its own: during
the last ten years, 65 % of all new jobs have
materialised in Aviapolis.
“Currently, Aviapolis holds over
20,000 jobs and is a clear favourite for internationally-minded companies who simply
need to be connected,” Penttilä says, adding that the City is aiming for 40,000 jobs
in the area in the coming decade.

Ride the Rail
Connectivity is not all about wings, either.
On July 1, 2015, the new Ring Rail Line
opened, providing an effective rail link
between Helsinki city center, Helsinki-Vantaa Airport and the rest of the country. While
introducing five new stations – Vehkala,
Kivistö, Aviapolis, Airport and Leinelä – the
Ring Rail offers Vantaa plenty of opportunities to solidify the urban structure.
“The Ring Rail Line has re-energised
the scene, providing a much needed push for
not only mass transport but also community
development.” O