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City of Helsinki – Urban space research and placemaking cooperation​

The City of Helsinki has implemented placemaking projects in the suburban regeneration areas of Malmi, Malminkartano- Kannelmäki, Mellunkylä and Meri-Rastila.

Miltton has partnered with the city to carry out an urban space research for children and young people, as well as in the ideation, communication and observation of placemaking experiments.​

Research and insight

Client: City of Helsinki

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Executive summary

The qualitative urban space research for children and young people compiled an overall picture of the cooperation of the city’s services and presented suggestions to strengthen it. In addition, Miltton organised workshops where children came up with ideas for area-specific placemaking experiments. Some of the ideas were put into practice, and Miltton supported the city in communicating about the experiments and carried out an observational study on their effects on the urban space.​ 

Insight

  1. Children’s experiences of safety in areas vary even within a very small radius.​

    Feelings of insecurity are created by stories heard from adults and the restless atmosphere in the areas. Children and young people have a need to be seen by safe adults, but the under-resourcing of services for young people and the lack of multidisciplinary cooperation are a challenge, and the needs brought about by multiculturalism are not always recognised.

  2. Children wish to have places to sit and spend time, event activities, as well as colour and liveliness to the areas.

    Facilities and activities for children and young people were hoped for, especially in areas that are perceived as less safe, such as the Kontula shopping mall and Sitratori. 

  3. The placemaking experiments create an image of the areas as event venues suitable for children.

    Placemaking summer experiments brought seating, colour and life to the areas, and as a result, the passage places gathered children and their families in particular. 

  • photos by Samuli Pentti

Especially in the targeting and implementation of placemaking experiments, we have been able to bring the ideas of children and young people to the development of urban spaces. This will also be widely utilised in the future in more permanent development projects and improvements to public urban spaces. ​

As a child-friendly municipality, we want to further improve the opportunities for children and young people to be involved in creating an urban space that is comfortable and safe for them!

Silja Lindblad

Project Manager, Placemaking​, City of Helsinki, Urban Environment Division

  • photos by Miltton

Results

The urban space research, which was carried out as a result of the cooperation, describes how children and young people use and experience urban areas and their leisure hubs, and creates an overall picture of the cooperation of the city’s services in the suburban regeneration areas. In addition, the observation report, which is based on concrete placemaking experiments, supports urban development in the areas and enables the experiments and their successes to be communicated more widely in the city organisation.​ 

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