Reinventing Vallila
Vallila District is looking for change – in a major way
Re-energising existing neighbourhoods is a big challenge in urban development . The key to success lies often in “ digging deep ”: one must get to the core of the identity of the community , and find the strengths therein .
T he Vallila District , located just east off
the Pasila railway station , is a prime example of a neighbourhood that has been doing some soul-searching of late . Pressed between Pasila and the new city district Kalasatama , Vallila needed to find a road map to a future that would allow for growth and prosperity .
Due to this concern , the local real estate owners set a task force to work on Vallila Vision : an agenda for the future development of the district . With the new city plan emerging , the property owners considered it vital to take stock of the local assets and come up with a strategy that would take the neighbourhood forward .
34 Nordicum
Boosting Businesses
The starting point is a good one : the new city plan has marked Vallila down as a significant zone for businesses and services , calling for consistent development to push this enterprising mentality onward . There ’ s simply a lot going on : the city plan acknowledges that Vallila has what it takes to be a real hot spot for productivity , since it has a great location just off downtown Helsinki , great connectivity and also a diverse mix in place when it comes to residential / business / commercial assets .
In the local business profile , ICT and health & life sciences industries have a strong foothold . With GE Healthcare taking the lead , there ’ s even a dynamic “ Health Innovation Village ” for healthcare startups located in Vallila . The Health Innovation Village is a great example of the local progressive mindset : smaller companies benefit from being in the vicinity of the big industry players as networking and joint projects become easier .
Vision Quest
Vallila Vision came to exist as a joint effort by the local property owners and the city , with WSP serving as consultant . Project Manager , Architect Timo Metsälä from WSP says that the commitment level was