Photo: Beatrice Bucht
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Construction of temporary summer streets in Kallio and Alppiharju will begin on 5 May, with the aim of completing most installations by 12 June. The project, led by the City of Helsinki, involves transforming selected street sections into pedestrian-friendly zones using street furniture and greenery.
The new areas will be built primarily in place of existing on-street parking, without permanent structural changes. This allows the installations to be dismantled easily at the end of the season.
The exact construction schedule will depend on weather conditions and material deliveries.
Work starts on Fleminginkatu and Porthaninkatu, where seating and planting areas will be set up. A performance stage will be installed between Karhupuisto and Kallio Library, scheduled to open on 16 May. Some Porthaninkatu areas will feature wooden platforms reused from previous Esplanadi experiments.
Additional installations will follow near Kallio Church, Torkkelinaukio, Ympyrätalo, and Kolmas linja. Work will generally take place on weekdays between 07:00 and 18:00, with some tasks scheduled during evenings or weekends to minimise traffic disruption. Access to properties will be maintained.
Traffic changes will follow. Fleminginkatu and Agricolankatu will become one-way residential streets. A section of Fleminginkatu through Karhupuisto will close to vehicles, affecting bus routes 73, 74 and 502 from 5 May. The taxi stand near Karhupuisto will be removed, and some parking spaces will be eliminated on Porthaninkatu. Temporary pedestrian routes will be marked during each construction phase.
The Vaasankatu summer street project will begin later, following ongoing pavement and drainage upgrades along the street’s southern edge. Completion is expected by early July. Until then, some parking areas near Vaasankatu and Aleksis Kiven katu will remain inaccessible, with resident parking redirected to adjacent streets in Vilhonvuori, Torkkelinmäki and Vallila.
The City aims to use these summer streets to assess the potential for permanent pedestrian zones and public space improvements. Each site will be evaluated, and successful designs could lead to permanent changes through city council decisions.
Existing street furniture from previous years will be reused and adapted for this summer by carpenters at the city’s Stara workshops. Stara is also responsible for the construction.
The initiative supports Helsinki’s broader goals to enhance public space, promote walking, and improve conditions for local businesses. The city also hopes the temporary changes will encourage residents to spend more time outdoors and consider alternatives to car-based mobility.
HT
- Next Article Helsinki to relax parking space mandates for new housing
Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
