ESPOO MAGAZINE 1/2021

ESPOO ESBO 

& 

Nature sea 

Local nature, 

the seaside, 

the proximity 

of services and 

innovation are 

still important 

issues for Espoo 

residents. 

A magazine for Espoo residents 1 2021 

Gabriella Fodor 

passes through 

her local forest 

in Mankkaa 

every day. 

Many ways to 

make a difference 

Enclosed 

Annual report 

”Moments from 

Espoo 2020” 

Outdoor trails are 

there for everyone 

Art as part of our 

surroundings

editorial 

In the editorial, 

Jukka Mäkelä takes 

a stand on issues of 

current interest in 

the City of Espoo. 

Jukka Mäkelä is the Mayor of Espoo. 

Thank you for 

your feedback! 

Home, local nature, the sea, safety, comfortable, 

multiple centres, growth and vitality. This is what 

hometown means to us Espoo residents. We 

received a record number of responses and map 

entries to the My Espoo surveys, which will serve 

as a basis for updating the city’s strategy. 

Based on a national survey on municipal and 

city services, we know that the services offered in 

Espoo are high in quality. In your opinion, what 

Espoo has been most successful at is making its 

digital services accessible. What you want to see 

improvements in are renovations, urban planning 

and housing supply. You want construction 

quality, not quantity. You also want improved 

public transport connections. 

We listen carefully to your feedback. It is 

inspiring to me that you see the Espoo 

of the future as a comfortable, safe and 

vibrant city that is growing, modern and 

innovative. Resident orientation, tolerance 

and caring for residents also came 

to the fore. Three out of four respondents 

thought the city residents are 

Espoo’s best asset, and the vast majority 

recommend Espoo to their friends and 

acquaintances. 

With this magazine, you will 

receive Espoo’s annual report. 

We want to be transparent 

and share information with 

the residents about the work 

we do to develop the city’s 

operations. 

Jukka Mäkelä 

Mayor 

8 

Sisältö 

3 Calendar and Picks 

Municipal elections 

are approaching. 

8 Theme 

My Espoo is green, vibrant and safe. 

14 At your service 

Lawyer as City Council secretary. 

15 What’s on 

Self-organised and virtual 

events on offer. 

20 Right now 

Alternatives for influencing. 

23 Encounters 

Sitting by a campfire. 

24 Pearl 

A bear in the streetscape. 

26 Espoo people 

Safe in Tuomarila. 

24 

28 Swedish in Espoo 

We want to build a reading culture. 

30 Us 

Most people live in 

apartment buildings. 

31 My Espoo 

Proud to be an Espoo resident. 

2

1 March 

The application period for boat berths 

is underway and will end on the last 

day of September. You can submit 

your application using an electronic 

application form that you can find 

on the City of Espoo’s website. The 

applications are processed on a first 

come, first served basis. 

7 April 

The joint application period 

for vocational education and 

upper secondary schools ends 

at 15:00. Possible entrance 

exams and aptitude tests will 

be held in April and May. 

9 March / 6 April / 20 April / 4 May / 18 May 

Apartment search info at Iso Omena Service Centre in rooms Meri 

and Kari on 9 March from 12:00 to 14:00 and on 6 April, 20 April, 4 

May and 18 May from 13:00 to 15:00. Service is provided on a first 

come, first served basis. We recommend you arrive no later than 

half an hour before the end of the event. Apartment search info is 

intended for customers who need help and support in applying for 

an apartment and filling out housing applications. 

You can request to have an interpreter present by contacting 

asumisneuvonta@espoo.fi 

1 April 

The application period for annual grants 

for cultural activities for 2022 begins. 

The application period for cultural 

professionals and cultural associations 

ends on 15 May at 15:45. The application 

period for local heritage societies ends on 

30 September at 15:45. 

calendar Mar-Jun/21 

Check the calendar 

for the main events 

and key dates of 

the spring. 

1 April 

The application period for 

professional artists’ working 

grants for 2022 begins. The 

application period ends on 30 

September at 15:45. 

18 April 

Election day 

for municipal 

elections. 

29 May 

Publication of the 

next issue of 

Espoo Magazine. 

7–13 April 

Advance voting 

in municipal 

elections. 

At the time this 

magazine goes 

to press, there 

are discussions 

under way about 

the possibility 

of postponing 

the municipal 

elections. 

A magazine for Espoo residents 

Public bulletin to all households. FEEDBACK AND SUGGESTIONS: espoolehti@omnipress.fi 

PUBLISHER City of Espoo, PO Box 12, 02070 City of Espoo, 09 81 621, espoo.fi, 

firstname.lastname@espoo.fi EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Satu Tyry-Salo, Communications Director 

EDITORS Omnipress Oy, espoolehti@omnipress.fi MANAGING EDITOR Kimmo Kallonen 

LAYOUT Oona Kavasto/Hank PRINTED BY Punamusta DISTRIBUTION SSM 

NOTIFICATIONS jakelupalaute@omnipress.fi COVER Timo Porthan ISSN 1798-8438

Picks 

According to preliminary data, Espoo’s population grew by approximately 

3,200 people in 2020, which is 2,900 fewer than in 2019. 

Protecting yourself against 

the coronavirus is important 

Protect yourself and your 

loved ones by wearing a 

face mask when moving 

about in places where 

there are other people. 

The city provides free 

face masks to people 

who have a low income 

and are unable to buy 

masks. 

Take care of hand and 

coughing hygiene and 

don’t forget to keep a distance 

of more than two 

meters to other people. 

It is important to reduce 

close contact with other 

people in order to slow 

down the spread of the 

epidemic. 

Download the Koronavilkku 

contact tracing 

app to help you find out 

if you have been near a 

person with COVID-19. 

Large groups of people 

should not get together. 

The coronavirus is known 

to have spread at parties, 

get-togethers between 

friends and when spending 

time in shopping 

centres. At the moment, 

private events are also 

not recommended. 

Coronavirus tests are 

available to everyone who 

has symptoms that suggest 

a coronavirus infection. 

Even if your symptoms 

are mild, please 

book an appointment for 

a coronavirus test. You 

can book an appointment 

yourself using the Coronabot 

service at koronabotti.hus.fi/en 

or by calling 

Espoo’s coronavirus 

helpline, tel. 09 816 346 

00 (Mon–Fri 7:00–18:00, 

Sat–Sun 9:00–15:00). At 

other times, call the Medical 

Helpline, tel. 116 117. 

You can find up-to-date 

information about the 

coronavirus and instructions 

in different 

languages at espoo.fi/ 

coronavirus 

Redesign of Espoo.fi 

website continues 

THE new espoo.fi website will be 

launched in 2021. The current espoo.fi 

website will continue to serve residents 

until enough content has been fed into 

the new platform. 

On the basis of the wishes expressed 

in the residents’ survey and interviews, 

the improvements made to the new 

website concern, in particular, the 

quality of the content and the usability 

of the website. 

The goal is to provide improved 

search features on the new website and 

better ways to present information on 

services and opening hours, as well as 

to make it easier to find information 

about your own district and decisionmaking. 

In the future, news about Espoo 

and events in the city can be accessed 

from the home page of the new website. 

The survey responses also highlighted 

the desire to find information about the 

city’s activities more easily, and this has 

also been taken into account. 

To explore the beta version of the 

new website, go to beta.espoo.fi. You 

can influence the way the new website 

works right from the start by answering 

a survey about the beta version. 

Planning and entering new content 

is at an early stage, and therefore the 

beta version is just a technical framework 

with hardly any content. 

Espoo on 

social media 

Facebook 

Espoo – Esbo 

Posts from different parts 

of the city and news from 

various City of Espoo actors. 

Twitter 

@EspooEsbo 

Timely updates and quick responses. 

Bulletins, answers to 

questions and discussions. 

Instagram 

@espooesbo 

Great moments, events and 

landscapes through the eyes 

of Espoo residents. 

#espoohetki 

Air quality monitoring station in Matinkylä 

THERE are 11 air quality monitoring 

stations in the Helsinki metropolitan 

area, four of which have been moved 

to new places for the duration of the 

current year. One of these changing 

stations is now located in Matinkylä, 

near the Länsiväylä motorway. The 

measurements provide information 

about the effects of this busy road on 

air quality. 

In Espoo, air quality is measured 

on a permanent basis in Leppävaara 

and Luukki. You can follow air quality 

in the Helsinki metropolitan area in 

real time at hsy.fi/en/air-quality-andclimate/air-quality-now/. 

4 A magazine for Espoo residents

Vuo sculpture 

on Vaakunatori 

CHECK 

THIS OUT! 

In this section of the 

magazine, we introduce 

interesting sites all 

Espoo residents have 

free access to. 

ARTIST Vesa-Pekka Rannikko’s artwork 

Vuo – virrat yhdistyvät (Flow – 

streams come together) is the latest 

public work of art commissioned by 

the City of Espoo. This large sculpture 

is located on Vaakunatori in Espoon 

keskus and is part of the EMMA collection. 

It is made of four different-coloured 

structures of steel wire mesh. 

The colourful wire mesh is layered 

and the work appears to be a different 

colour depending on where you 

stand. 

When spoken aloud, the word ‘vuo’ 

(and also ‘flow’) sounds soft and gliding 

and, in fact, the sound refers to 

the form of the work. The wire mesh 

of this brightly coloured sculpture is 

wave-like and forms a channel reminiscent 

of a brook inside that you can 

walk through. 

Vuo reflects the activities of its surroundings, such as the traffic flow, 

and the many meanings of the administrative centre, such as democratic 

decision-making that involves a unified outcome made up of many voices. 

Q & A 

In this section of the 

magazine, we answer 

the most often asked 

questions received by 

the city at the time the 

magazine is published. 

? 

What is a a summer job voucher 

and how can I apply for one? 

The City of Espoo will pay EUR 300 

to all employers who hire a young 

Espoo resident between 1 May and 

30 September using a a summer 

job voucher. The minimum duration 

of the summer job is 10 working 

days and 50 working hours, either 

consecutively or divided into several 

periods. The employer cannot 

be a private household, a family or 

a private person. 

How to apply for a summer job 

voucher: www.espoo.fi/en-US/ 

Youth/Jobs_for_Youth/Summer_ 

Job_Voucher. 

? 

I would like to book a spot for a 

market stand in a market square, 

how can I do that? 

There are six marketplaces in the 

Espoo city area, located in Espoon 

keskus, Tapiola, Leppävaara (Sello and 

Läkkitori), Karakallio and Matinkylä. 

The marketplaces are managed by the 

Espoon torikauppiaat association. 

There are two types of spots for 

market stands available: one is booked 

for a single day and the other for a 

month. The day spots are intended for 

occasional use, such as for travelling 

vendors of goods or individuals selling 

second-hand items. You can ask the 

market manager of the marketplace in 

question about day spots. Long-term 

spots are intended for those engaging 

in full-time market trade. Applications 

for long-term spots are to be 

submitted in writing. To find the contact 

details of market managers and 

the application form for a spot, go to 

espoontorikauppiaat.fi (the website and 

form are in Finnish). 

A magazine for Espoo residents 5

Picks 

At the end of December 2020, there were a total of 17,796 unemployed 

people in Espoo and the unemployment rate was 12.2%. The national 

unemployment rate was 13.6%. 

Sortti Stations open 

on three Saturdays 

HELSINKI Region Environmental Services, 

i.e. HSY, will be testing weekend 

opening hours at the Konala 

Sortti Station from 10 April onwards 

on both Saturdays and Sundays. In 

addition, all Sortti Stations will be 

open on three Saturdays this spring: 

17 April, 24 April and 8 May from 

10:00 to 17:00. 

HSY will first test the new opening 

hours at just one station for a period 

of one year and then make a decision 

on the future. The locations of 

the Sortti Stations and instructions 

for sorting waste can be found at 

hsy.fi/en/waste-and-recycling/sorttistations/. 

The municipal 

employment 

trial was launched 

THE Finnish municipal employment 

trial was launched in Espoo on 1 

March. The trial involves transferring 

the customer accounts of 18,000 jobseekers 

in Espoo from the TE Office 

to the City of Espoo. The TE Office 

will inform all the customers whose 

accounts are transferred individually 

about the change, and no action is 

required from the customer themselves. 

The accounts of all jobseekers 

under the age of 30, all jobseekers 

with an immigrant background 

and all jobseekers receiving labour 

market subsidy or basic unemploy- 

ment allowance will be transferred to the 

municipality. 

Unemployed persons receiving earnings-related 

unemployment allowance 

will continue to be served by the TE 

Office. In the future, the TE Office will 

carry out certain tasks, such as registering 

all unemployed jobseekers. 

The purpose of this trial is to improve 

access to the labour market, education 

and services, especially for jobseekers 

who have been unemployed for a long 

period and who are in a vulnerable position 

in the labour market, are young and/ 

or speak a foreign language as their native 

tongue. In principle, statutory employment 

services and municipalities’ own 

services will continue to be offered as 

before, but the aim is to also create new 

solutions for the employment of jobseekers 

and the availability of skilled labour 

for companies. 

The municipal employment trial is 

being carried out by the Espoo Employment 

Services. The name of the experiment 

in Espoo is simply Employment 

Espoo and the offices from which it is 

run are located on the same premises 

as the Espoo TE Office on Upseerinkatu, 

Leppävaara. 

Have your say in the municipal elections 

BY voting in the municipal elections, you 

can influence who will be representing 

Espoo residents on the City Council 

and other representative bodies of the 

city and deciding on matters that affect 

the everyday lives of the city residents. 

In the elections, 75 councillors will be 

elected to serve for the next four years. 

As this magazine goes to press, there 

is talk about the possibility of postponing 

the municipal elections due to 

the coronavirus. If the elections are not 

postponed, the election day is Sunday 

18 April 2021. Advance voting in Finland 

Please 

bring your 

own pen! 

will be held from 7 to 13 April 2021 and 

abroad from 7 to 10 April 2021. Due to 

the coronavirus pandemic, voters will be 

asked to bring their own pen (preferably 

a ballpoint pen) to the polling station, to 

wear a face mask and keep an adequate 

safe distance to other people. 

You can vote in advance at any general 

advance polling station. There are 

11 advance polling stations in Espoo, 

and you can find their addresses and 

opening hours at espoo.fi/en-US/ 

City_of_Espoo/Influence/Elections/ 

Municipal_elections_2021. On election 

day, you will only be able to vote at the 

polling station that has been assigned 

for you in the voting register and that is 

given in the notification sent to you by 

post. On election day, polling stations 

are open from 9:00 to 20:00. 

In certain cases, for example, if the 

person entitled to vote has a limited 

ability to move or act and they cannot 

get to the polling station without 

undue difficulty, they may vote in 

advance from home. You must register 

with the Espoo Central Election Committee 

at the latest by 16:00 on 6 April 

2021 if you need to vote from home. 

Contact details: tel. 09 8167 3928 or 

vaalit@espoo.fi. 


According to the COVID-19 safety report issued by the City of Espoo, Espoo residents feel that 

they have received sufficient information about the coronavirus and are able to act according to 

the instructions. Of the respondents, 77% said they follow the instructions given. 

The presentation of this year’s 

sports awards took into account 

the safety measures resulting 

from the coronavirus. The award 

for the Espoo Sports Team of the 

Year went to Elecstreme. 

Joonas Kukkonen, 

three-time Finnish 

champion on rings, 

trains between 

20 and 25 hours a 

week. 

Nina Elfvengren 

Olavi Kaljunen 

Awareness of 

gymnastics is growing 

Espoo Athlete of the Year andSports Team of the Year 

2020 were elected by public vote. In both categories, 

the winners were protégés of Espoon Telinetaiturit. 

ESPOO Athlete of the Year and Sports 

Team of the Year 2020 were elected 

by public vote. In both categories, the 

winners were protégés of Espoon Telinetaiturit. 

The Espoo Athlete of the Year award 

was the climax of Joonas Kukkonen’s 

year. Kukkonen, who won gold on rings 

in the Finnish Championships for the 

third time running, is grateful for the 

recognition. 

“It’s especially rewarding because the 

choice was based on public votes. People’s 

awareness of gymnastics in general 

has clearly grown, and this award is an 

indication of that right here in my hometown,” 

Kukkonen says. 

Unlike in other years, the Finnish 

Championships for men's artistic gymnastics 

were not held until November, 

and the European Championships – 

where Kukkonen made it to the finals – 

took place in December. 

“Apart from a break in the spring, we 

have been able to train in a balanced 

way despite the coronavirus. At first, of 

course, it was a bit difficult when competitions 

were being cancelled and we didn’t 

know what to prepare for. It soon became 

clear, though, that the major competitions 

of the spring would take place at the end 

of the year,” Kukkonen says, recalling the 

exceptional circumstances. 

Joonas Kukkonen started gymnastics 

as a little boy. After moving to the men’s 

series in 2015, he decided to focus on 

rings. He won his first Finnish championship 

medal (bronze) in 2017 and has won 

gold three years running since then. 

His main goal for this year is to compete 

in the World Cup competitions, of 

which there are two scheduled for June. 

“I’m aiming for a medal there too,” Kukkonen 

says. 

As a protégé of Espoon Telinetaiturit, 

he is also delighted that the sports club’s 

team of gymnasts received the Espoo 

Sports Team of the Year award. Called 

Elecstreme, the team won the Finnish 

TeamGym Championships last year. 


theme 

The Espoo Story, or the city’s strategy, 

will be updated in September. 

What Espoo residents think about their 

hometown has not changed much. 

Updated every 

four years, the 

Espoo Story 

outlines a plan 

for what the city 

will focus on in its 

operations. 

Text Tiina Parikka Photos Timo Porthan 

The story 

continues 

SERVICES 

i 

nearby. Half 

of those who 

would recommend 

Espoo as 

a place to live 

highlighted the 

fact that services 

are nearby here. 

“Everything you 

need is close.” 

Of the people 

recommending 

Espoo, 49% mentioned 

its nature, 

forests and natural 

parks. 

Local nature, the sea, safety. The 

same priorities arose again when 

Espoo residents were asked what 

their hometown means to them. 

Carried out every four years, the 

My Espoo survey serves as a basis 

for updating the city’s strategy. 

“The results were surprisingly similar to 

those obtained four years ago. In the survey 

conducted in 2012, the residents put a lot of 

weight on local nature. In 2016, safety became 

another priority alongside local nature, and 

it seems the residents continue to value the 

same things now,” says Strategy Director 

Jorma Valve about the recent results. 

The strategy is always updated at the beginning 

of a new council term. To support new 

decision-makers, information is not only collected 

from the My Espoo survey, but also 

from discussion events organised for special 

groups and from other studies. 

“Based on a national survey on municipal 

and city services, Espoo’s services are very 

high in quality,” Valve says with satisfaction. 

What Espoo has succeeded best at is 

the accessibility of digital services. 

More than half (57%) of the respondents 

considered the accessibility of digital services 

good or very good. The same proportion of 

respondents thought that the city residents 

were Espoo’s best asset. 

High-quality services eat up a large portion 

of Espoo’s tax revenue. At the same time, 

though, investments have been needed to 

provide services for the growing population. 

The survey results show that the city residents 

are aware of the imbalance in the city’s 

economy. 

“Throughout the 2010s, Espoo has grown 

by an average of 4,600 inhabitants every 

year. This translates into new kindergartens, 

schools and roads,” says Pia Ojavuo, Director 

of Financial Planning. 

In order to remedy the economic situation, 

a programme for an economically sustainable 

Espoo for 2021–2025 has been drawn up 

to halt the continuous increase in operating 

expenditure. › 


Amanda and Elina 

like to spend their 

free time outdoors. 

A sunny Friday at 

the beginning of 

February brought 

them out to the 

playground. 

Lots of opportunities 

outdoors 

Amanda and Elina like to do things outside. In the 

Olari open playground, the girls like the swings and 

the climbing frames the best. Amanda’s grandparents 

live nearby, so she knows the playground well. 

“I like to skate, ski and go sledging. Many schoolyards 

have a skating rink in the winter, and you can 

do indoor sports at many schools in the evening,” 

Amanda says. 

Elina also goes sledging and plays tennis with her 

father. 

“Before the coronavirus, we used to go and play 

golf at the golf lounge sometimes,” Elina says. 

In the My Espoo survey, young people highlighted 

shopping centres as good places to spend time with 

friends. Amanda and Elina aren’t very interested in 

hanging out in shopping centres yet. 

“We used to spend time in the library before the 

restrictions,” Elina explains. 


theme 

,, 73% 

gave Espoo a rating between 

7 and 10 as a place to live that they 

are happy to recommend to others. 

“I would love to be able to 

visit the archipelago more 

easily, without having to own 

a boat. I could just pop over 

to an island for some fresh air 

and exercise, or take a day trip 

somewhere further. Nature is 

Espoo’s trump card!” 

Based on the responses to 

the My Espoo on the Map 

survey, we have put together 

images of ideas that describe 

the wishes expressed by the 

respondents. 

image: Rasmus Rosenbland 

IN Espoo 

i 

residents’ 

views, the 

areas that need 

improving the 

most are construction, 

urban 

planning and 

the price level of 

housing. Some 

feel that the 

strong growth 

and construction 

are out of control. 

“We are looking at the cost-effectiveness of 

our services. There are no plans to reduce the 

quality of the services or make cuts to them,” 

Ojavuo says. › 

The aim is to improve the utilisation rate 

of the city’s premises, create larger units for 

teaching and reduce the cost of premises, for 

example, by using private-sector daycare services. 

Additional income will be sought by increasing 

property taxes and the fees for sports services, 

among other things. 

Construction will be the city’s number 

one development target. Espoo residents 

want improvements in renovation construction, 

urban planning and housing supply. They 

also feel that there is too much construction 

and that it is getting out of control. Rental housing 

supply in Espoo is considered limited and 

expensive. 

Residents also hope for improvements 

in public transport connections, especially 

towards Helsinki and in cross-town traffic in 

Espoo. 

The same issues also came up in the answers 

to the question, ‘which issues should the City 

focus on in its operations’. 

Espoo is home. The Espoo of the future is 

seen as a comfortable, safe and vibrant city that 

is growing, modern and innovative. Resident 

orientation, tolerance and caring for residents 

also came to the fore. People want to preserve 

the city’s lush greenness, forests and nature. 

On a scale from one to ten, 73% gave Espoo a 

rating between 7 and 10 as a place of residence 

they are happy to recommend to others. Here, 

women were slightly more positive than men, 

although women listed more development 

needs than men. Young people under the age of 

35 are also eager to recommend Espoo. 


Gabriella Fodor 

occasionally goes 

to the nearby forest 

simply to hug 

trees. “I love the 

beauty of the forest, 

the tall trees 

and animals.” 

“Almost like living in 

the countryside” 

The small forest in Mankkaa close to 

Gabriella Fodor’s home is a part of her 

everyday life. 

“I walk through the forest when I 

go to work, the gym and to the shop. 

I take my children there for picnics 

and we go there to pick berries,” Fodor 

smiles. 

Fodor appreciates the tall trees and 

animals. There are squirrels in her 

home yard too, which is a source of 

great pleasure for her. 

“It’s almost like living in the countryside.” 

Gabriella Fodor also enjoys the rugged 

landscapes of Nuuksio, but she 

doesn’t go there as often as to the forest 

near her home. In the summer, she 

likes to take her children to the beach. 

“Matinkylä has a very nice beach 

area. My children also like to go to Oittaa, 

where there are plenty of activities 

to do.” 


theme 

,, Young 

people see the 

Espoo of the future as 

clean, tidy and green, as 

well as safe and peaceful. 

i 6,037 Espoo 

residents 

responded to 

the My Espoo 

survey. Most of 

the respondents 

(49%) used the 

espoo.fi website 

to answer the 

survey, while 

others answered 

using popup and 

text messages 

(22% each). 

As regards specific, individual matters, satisfaction 

varied by age group and gender. For the 

first time, the results were also grouped according 

to the language in which the responses 

were given. People who answered the survey in 

English were clearly the most satisfied and those 

who responded in Finnish were the least satisfied. 

“Good service is a subjective concept. For 

example, many immigrants have chosen Espoo as 

their city of residence because they receive good 

services here. Yet, we can’t unequivocally assume 

that immigrants have responded in English,” says 

Development Manager Niko Ferm. 

The way young people saw their city was 

a surprise. This year, the survey had more 

respondents than in previous years, which is 

partly due to the fact that that schoolchildren also 

participated in the survey. 

“Especially children aged 12 and 15 respondedactively, 

but there were also other age groups,” 

Valve says. 

Schoolchildren answered two questions: how 

would they like the city to reform its operations 

and what does My Espoo of the future look like to 

them? 

Perhaps surprisingly, their answers highlighted 

cleanliness, waste management and comfort in 

general. In addition to facilities for the young, 

such as schools and youth centres , they valued 

shopping centres. 

Young people saw the future Espoo as not only 

clean, tidy and green, but also as a safe and peaceful 

living environment with good facilities for 

sports and exercise. 

Lots of information on the map 

In addition to the traditional My 

Espoo survey, the City conducted 

an extensive map-based survey last 

autumn in cooperation with Aalto 

University. 

“As far as I know, a survey of a 

similar scale has not been carried 

out in Finland before,” says Planning 

Manager Johanna Palomäki. 

In the survey, city residents 

marked places on the map that 

were meaningful to them. 

“After they had marked these 

places, we asked how often they 

visit the place, what role it plays in 

their everyday lives, what vehicle 

they use to get there and whether 

the experience is positive or negative,” 

explains researcher Laura 

Malm-Grönroos. 

The respondents were also given 

the opportunity to add development 

proposals. 

Some 6,600 residents responded 

to the My Espoo on the Map survey, 

one third of whom were schoolchildren 

and students. The result was 

70,000 places marked on the map. 

“I want to thank all the respondents. 

They really thought about the 

questions and were generous with 

their time. This will provide us with 

a huge amount of valuable information,” 

Palomäki says. 

It will take quite some time to 

analyse the answers. Malm-Grönroos 

is already eagerly waiting to 

tackle the material, which will also 

be analysed at Aalto University. 

“We will publish the results bit 

by bit as we make progress. The 

data will also be taken into account 

in urban planning, where the 

results, of course, will take longer 

to implement,” Palomäki says. 

The survey is being carried out 

as a NordGreen research project 

with funding from NordForsk. 


Invigorating the mind and the body 

For Helena Wallo, who moved to 

Espoo from Vaasa in the early 1990s, 

proximity to the sea is important. 

“When my children were small, we 

lived in Matinkylä and spent a lot of 

time on the beach. Now I live in Olari, 

and the beach is still within walking 

distance,” Wallo says. 

The Waterfront Walkway is a beautiful 

and well-maintained outdoor trail 

with good services along the route. 

When taking a walk with a friend, you 

might be tempted to stop off for a 

coffee. 

Helena Wallo met Leena Kaalamo 

through their children's hobbies soon 

after she first move to Espoo. 

“When you go for a walk with a 

friend, you get some exercise and 

some therapy at the same time,” Wallo 

says. 

Leena Kaalamo 

and Helena Wallo 

are both entrepreneurs. 

They 

see their walks 

together not just 

as exercise, but as 

therapy. 


at your service 

In this section 

of the magazine, 

meet employees 

and close partners 

of the City 

of Espoo. 

Text Mia Weckström Photo Timo Porthan 

Focusing on 

legal matters 

Jouni Majuri has worked as the town 

clerk of the City of Espoo and the secretary 

of the City Council since 2009. 

” 

Preparations for the City Council’s 

meetings begin a week and a half 

beforehand. I review all the matters 

that have been passed to the Council 

from a legal point of view and try 

to take into account all the issues that may 

arise when handling the matter. 

My job involves great responsibility, 

because sometimes I have to interpret very 

complex legal issues. I can contribute to 

ensuring that the decision-making process 

proceeds flawlessly in terms of the law when 

the Council makes decisions with the aim of 

making Espoo a good place for everyone to 

live, study, work and run a business. 

Good cooperation in the Council is 

extremely important, and it has always been 

very good. We have a team of professional 

translators and technical secretaries to help 

us, and their role is even more important 

during the coronavirus pandemic. 

Many people may not know this, but 

alongside my work for the City Council, I 

also work as a traditional lawyer. Being a 

lawyer for the city is incredibly complex 

work – after all, the city is quite a conglomerate 

with 14,000 employees. 

Don’t forget that the municipal elections 

are approaching and that by voting you can 

influence the direction in which Espoo is 

being developed. Elected by the residents, 

the City Council is the municipality’s highest 

decision-making body and makes decisions 

on matters that affect all of us living in 

Espoo.” 

“Voting in the 

municipal 

elections is a 

genuine tool 

of grass-roots 

democracy,” 

Jouni Majuri 

points out. 

Espoo City 

Council 

› The City Council has 75 councillors 

and 76 substitute councillors 

› The Council handles 

approximately 200 matters a year 

› The Council has 

12 meetings every year 

› The City Council’s meetings are 

broadcast live. You can also watch 

recordings of the meetings at 

mediaserver.fi/live/espoo 


15 In situ 16 Things to do 19 Exercise tip 

Things to do 

in Espoo 

Strong roots 

Events and 

activities from 

March to June. 

Träskända Manor has played an important role in Finnish history. 

You can sense the times gone by in its magnificent park. 

Träskända Park is known for 

its sturdy, old trees. Having 

stood still for centuries, the 

trees have witnessed a great 

deal. 

“The oldest trees are at least 300 

years old. You can sense the history this 

place has lived through,” says Terhi 

Mäkinen. 

The landscape park surrounding the 

buildings dates back to the 19th century, 

when the mansion was owned by 

Aurora Karamzin. Reportedly, she had 

close ties to the Russian imperial family, 

who are believed to have made conditions 

easier for Finns on many occasions. 

After Karamzin, the manor was 

owned by docent of medicine Adolf 

Törngren, who played a significant 

role in Finland’s independence negotiations. 

He is also remembered for his 

important role in reducing infant mortality 

rates in Finland. 

The City of Espoo has owned the 

manor since the 1920s. 

The surroundings of the Glimsinjoki 

river are known for their abundant and 

noteworthy birdlife and and other animals. 

“Once on a walk in the forest, I encountered 

a grey heron as it emerged from the 

river. It was an awe-inspiring experience. 

People have also reported seeing a wild 

boar, otter, stoat and fox here, which you 

rarely get to see in the Helsinki metropolitan 

area,” Mäkinen says. 

The façade of the manor building 

is under renovation. Mäkinen has 

studied Träskända’s history and environment 

as part of her master’s degree 

in service design at Laurea University of 

Applied Sciences. 

“The goal is to find practical use for 

the buildings that are standing empty 

at the moment, so that the full potential 

of this magnificent area can be realised, 

while being respectful of the landscape,” 

says Mäkinen, who is a native of Espoo. 

Text Tiina Parikka 

Photos Terhi Mäkinen 

The seasons offer delightful experiences 

in the park. In the spring, 

the lively twitter of birds welcomes 

visitors to the area. At the edge of 

the landscape park, under the hazel 

shrubs, you can find a meadow of 

wood anemone in bloom. 


Things to do 

in Espoo 

✱ 

Music • Visual arts ♥ Theatre ✘ For children ✓ Cinema = Espoo ♦ Something else 

434,000 city residents participated in events offered by the Exhibition Centre 

WeeGee, Sellosali, Espoo Cultural Centre, Children’s Cultural Centre Aurora, 

Karatalo, Kannusali and City Events Espoo at home and in public city spaces in 2020. 

Children’s Virtual 

Museum Festival ✘ 

CHILDREN’S Museum Festival will be held 

virtually from 6 to 7 March at 11:00–15:00. 

Captain Futuro’s spacecraft has landed 

in WeeGee’s backyard. The captain brings 

along his cosmic friends from space, who 

will delight the festival-goers with musical 

performances, workshops and art experiences. 

The Children’s Museum Festival will 

feature Sisidisko, led by Vuokko Hovatta 

and Kalle Chydenius, as well as ventriloquist 

Sari Aalto’s Kosminen Show. 

lastenmuseofestarit.fi 

Meet a city employee = 

ARE you wondering about ways you could 

participate and make a difference in 

Espoo? Do you have ideas on how we could 

increase or develop opportunities for participation 

in the city? Meet Development 

Manager Marion Ticklén, who is in charge of 

resident participation. These meetings take 

place online over Teams, and the idea is to 

get together and chat. Welcome! 

Tue 23 March at 17:00–18:00, Tue 13 April 

at 17:00–18:00 and Tue 11 May at 17:00–18:00 

Further information and a link to the event 

at espoo.fi 

Virtual tour of a waste 

water treatment plant ♦ 

TO end the week that starts with World 

Water Day on a high note, an HSY expert 

on municipal water supply will present the 

operations of the Viikinmäki wastewater 

treatment plant using a virtual platform 

with 360-degree panoramic images. Join 

this Teams event to see what kind of treatment 

the waste water produced by more 

than a million inhabitants in the Helsinki 

metropolitan area goes through before the 

water is released into the Baltic Sea. 

Saturday 27 March at 11:00–12:30 

Further information and a link to the event 

at hsy.fi 

Experience culture 

digitally ♦ 

URBAN Espoo is a digital cultural centre 

designed to provide digital cultural services 

and to develop them. It is produced 

by the City of Espoo Event and Cultural 

Services and the Children’s Cultural 

Centre Aurora, along with various other 

actors. The content is presented digitally, 

but Urban Espoo also encourages you to 

experience things without a smartphone. 

urbanespoo.fi 

This year, the Children’s 

Museum Festival will be 

held virtually. 

The content of the Urban 

Espoo website is updated and 

developed monthly. 

1 2 3 4 5 6 

LISTEN 

Espoo Talks 

podcast: Puhetta 

Espoosta (Talk 

about Espoo) 

bit.ly/ 

Linkki_1 

VIEW 

Guided tour: Metro 

architecture 

bit.ly/ 

Linkki_2 

VIEW 

Documentary series 

Super Duper 

bit.ly/ 

Linkki_3 

PLAY 

Sensory excursion 

for young children 

bit.ly/ 

Linkki-4 

PLAY 

Colour bathing for 

babies and parents 

bit.ly/ 

Linkki_5 

LISTEN 

Espoo Adventure 

Radio 

bit.ly/ 

Linkki_6 


WeeGee’s museums attracted 

approximately 240,000 visitors in 2020. 

In 2019, there were 404,901 museum visitors. 

For more tips: 

espoo.fi/ 

tapahtumat 

Espoo City Museum is 

constantly creating new 

historical content online. 

You can explore Elmgreen & 

Dragset’s 2020 exhibition with the 

help of a mobile exhibition guide. 

A Thousand Stories about Espoo 

is the Espoo City Museum’s 

permanent exhibition that delves 

into the city’s history. 

Museum tours from the 

comfort of your home • 

EMMA’S remote tours bring the museum’s 

exhibitions to wherever you are. Your 

group will be accompanied by a guide who 

is present at EMMA to take you through 

the exhibitions. The remote tour allows 

you to experience the current art exhibitions 

in conversation with an expert guide. 

The tour will be adapted to the specific 

wishes of your group. During the one-hour 

guided tour, you can experience a single 

exhibition or a customised selection of art 

and design from different exhibitions. 

More information: emmamuseum.fi 

Tapiola Sinfonietta 

on YouTube ✱ 

YOU can now watch the Tapiola Sinfonietta’s 

free concert recordings on the 

orchestra’s YouTube channel. The channel 

offers a wide range of content, such 

as orchestral works, chamber music, 

children’s concerts, Sydänten tahdissa 

introductions of musicians, Know Your 

Orchestra lectures and the Bach Sketches 

presented on Facebook in spring 2020. 

A Thousand Stories 

about Espoo 360 = 

THE Thousand Stories about Espoo 360 

virtual exhibition takes the audience on a 

journey through five different eras, in five 

different places: Stone Age seal hunters in 

Bosmalm, farmers from the Middle Ages 

in Mankby, gentry and common people in 

Alberga, factory workers in Kauklahti and 

urban life in the suburbs. The exhibition 

reveals how Espoo came into being, who 

the residents of Espoo are and how Espoo 

became what it is today. 

The virtual exhibition: bit.ly/Espoo360 

Glims Farmstead 

Virtual Museum ♦ 

THE heart of Glims – its lovely old farmhouse 

– is now available as a virtual 

museum with 360-degree panoramic 

images. The images allow you to explore 

this 200-year-old inn and residential building 

even when the museum is closed or 

you can’t be there in person. You can also 

pop over to do some old-fashioned shopping 

in a modern virtual way at the Tilkki- 

Vihtori cottage, which has been furnished 

as an early 20th century village store. 

Check out the virtual museum: 

bit.ly/glims360 

7 8 9 10 11 12 

VIEW 

Documentary 

series: Taiteen 

lyhyt oppimäärä 

(Introduction to Art) 

bit.ly/ 

Linkki_7 

VIEW 

Amateur artists’ 

photographs of 

Espoo today 

bit.ly/ 

Linkki_8 

VIEW 

Artist interview: 

Tacita Dean 

bit.ly/ 

Linkki_9 

LISTEN 

EMMA Talks: 

Elmgreen & Dragset 

bit.ly/ 

Linkki_10 

VIEW 

Documentaries 

about artists: 

Rut Bryk & Ernst 

Mether-Borgström 

bit.ly/ 

Linkki_11 

LISTEN 

ARTPOD podcast: 

Ihminen ja luonto 

(Humans and 

Nature) 

bit.ly/ 

Linkki_12 


Things to do 

in Espoo 

✱ 

Music • Visual arts ♥ Theatre ✘ For children ✓ Cinema = Espoo ♦ Something else 

The Pentala Achipelago 

Museum’s area consists of more 

than ten buildings. 

Admire architecture by Kaija and Heikki 

Siren in the virtual museum and on Espoo 

City Museum’s YouTube channel. 

The urban adventure game Portti 

gives you the opportunity to solve 

puzzles and mysteries in Karakallio. 

Pentala Archipelago 

Virtual Museum = 

PENTALA Archipelago Virtual Museum 

will take you on a tour of this fisherman’s 

estate from a bygone era located 

on the island of Pentala in Espoo. The 

virtual exhibition makes the museum 

more accessible, as you can explore 

what it has to offer remotely without 

worrying about how to cross the sea 

to get there. The Archipelago Museum 

is only open in the summer, whereas 

the virtual museum welcomes visitors 

all year round. In the virtual museum, 

you can tour the Pentala fisherman’s 

cottage, the storage shed by the shore, 

Gurli’s House, Villa Rosergård, Lilla Villan 

and the cowshed. 

Check out the virtual museum: 

vreal.fi/vtours/pentala 

Access a museum 

at the click of a mouse = 

YOU can explore Espoo’s historical sites 

with the help of the museums’ mobile 

tour guides either in situ or from the 

comfort of your own sofa. The mobile 

guides of the Espoo City Museum will 

help you immerse yourself in the history 

of the Pentala Archipelago Museum, 

the Villa Museum Villa Rulludd, the 

Träskända Manor Park, the Tapiola 

urban centre, or places in Leppävaara 

where some of the battles and other 

events of the Finnish Civil War of 1918 

took place. 

Mobile guides: tarinasoitin.fi/ 

espoonkaupunginmuseo 

Espoo City Museum offers 

treasures on YouTube = 

ESPOO City Museum’s YouTube channel 

is a treasure trove of fascinating and 

enjoyable videos about Espoo’s history, 

such as a guided tour of the exhibition 

Everything and Nothing – Architects 

Kaija + Heikki Siren. There are playlists 

that include lectures from afternoon 

events for seniors and the lectures from 

the Espoo Treasures (Espoon Helmet) 

lecture series. 

Historical material 

in one search = 

WHAT did Espoo use to look like? To 

explore selected pieces of the Espoo 

City Museum’s collections, go to the 

Finna.fi search service. Finna regularly 

publishes new photographs and other 

material. In Finna, you can examine, 

for example, the housing foundation 

Asuntosäätiö’s materials on Tapiola, 

Kivenlahti and Soukka. The material 

published in Finna is freely available. 

finna.fi 

Creative activities 

to do at home ♦ 

EMMA’S website includes a wide range 

of creative activities that you can enjoy 

at home. The website includes, for 

example, documentaries about artists, 

exhibition-specific interviews of artists 

and podcast episodes. 

emmamuseum.fi 

Architecture by 

the Sirens virtually ♦ 

ESPOO City Museum’s latest exhibition 

Everything and Nothing – Architects 

Kaija + Heikki Siren is now available 

virtually. The virtual exhibition provides 

the opportunity to visit, for example, 

the Otaniemi Chapel, designed by the 

Sirens, and admire its distinctive altarpiece, 

which changes with the seasons. 

The chapel is normally closed, so a 

virtual museum tour is an easy way to 

explore it. 

Check out the virtual exhibition: 

vreal.fi/vtours/siren140 

Urban adventure Portti 

begins at Karatalo ♦ 

CAN you solve the mystery? Portti (The 

Gateway) is an urban adventure game 

that will take you to the streets and 

paths of Karakallio where you will need 

to solve puzzles and mysteries with the 

help of clues. You can move from one 

place to the next at your own pace. 

To solve the mystery, you need a 

mobile device, perceptiveness, wit and 

solid teamwork. To play, you need to 

download the free Actionbound app. 

Scan the QR code on Karatalo’s outdoor 

noticeboard and start your adventure. 

The game is suitable for people 

of all ages, and you can play it alone 

or with a group. The recommended 

group size is 2 to 4 people. The game 

has been created and implemented by 

Room Escape Running Rabbit. 


Fitness trails 

in Espoo: 

l Espoonlahti (2.1 km) 

l Hanikka fitness trail (2.5 km) 

fitness equipment available 

along the trail 

l Haukilahti fitness trail (0.8 km) 



l Kalajärvi fitness trail (1.5 km) 



l Karakallio fitness trail (1.4 km) 



l Kauklahti fitness trail (1.3 km) 



l Central Park (4.3 km) 

l Laaksolahti fitness trail (1.4 km) 

l Lahnus shooting range (1.5 + 1.1 km) 

- 1.5 km crushed stone trail, 

illuminated with LED lights 

- 1.1 km additional trail on varied 

terrain without lighting 

l Latokaski fitness trail (2.5 km) 



l Leppävaara fitness trail and 

Kuntokihara (5.4 km) 

- fitness equipment available 


- Kuntokihara (1.0 km) 

- fitness equipment available 


- suitable for wheelchair users 

l Matinkylä fitness trail (1.0 km) 



l Oittaa fitness trail (4.7 km) 

l Olari fitness trail (4.7 km) 

l Siikajärvi fitness trail (1.5 km) 

Fitness trails can be 

found on the Helsinki 

metropolitan area 

service map at 

palvelukartta.hel.fi 

Hiking routes with 

room for everyone 

Getting around by bike or on foot is 

easy with so many tracks and routes 

available. The Leppävaara hiking route 

is available all year round. 

Espoo has a total of 1,400 

kilometres of pedestrian 

and bicycles ways. About 

500 kilometres of them are 

hiking routes and fitness 

paths of various kinds. 

According to Outdoor and 

Recreation Manager Tapio 

Taskinen, Espoo residents have 

quickly learned to make the most of 

the trails and routes available, also 

when travelling to work and school. 

In fact, they have taken to them so 

well that many people have been 

annoyed that ski tracks have prevented 

them from using their normal 

routes for walking or cycling 

this winter. 

“To ensure that everyone can 

move about in the wintry landscape 

without trampling on ski tracks, we 

have built parallel trails for walkers 

and cyclists alongside the busiest 

routes,” Taskinen says. 

One of these routes runs alongside 

the Leppävaara fitness trail. 

From the Leppävaara sports park 

to the Alberga Manor, this five-kilometre 

route makes for a very pleasant 

walk or bicycle ride. You can 

also continue along the route north 

all the way to Nuuksio and south 

towards Tapiola. 

“The trails are illuminated and 

maintained also in the winter,” 

Taskinen promises. 

In winter 2019–2020, fitness 

trails were used for walking and 

cycling throughout the season 

because there was no snow, but this 

winter the new parallel trails have 

been very well received. 

“We have received a lot of positive 

feedback,” Taskinen says happily. 

The actual fitness trail consists 

of three tracks of different lengths: 

2 kilometres, 2.7 kilometres and 5.4 

kilometres. The terrain is varied, 

thus providing a good workout. In 

addition, from the sports park you 

can take an even, asphalted fitness 

trail known as Kuntokihara, which 

is suitable for wheelchair users and 

roller skating, among others. 

“If you start from the sports park, 

the Kuntokihara route is about two 

kilometres long,” Taskinen explains. 

There is also outdoor exercise 

equipment next to the park, which 

is freely available to outdoor enthusiasts. 

Exercise in Espoo 

Walking, on wheels 

or even skiing. 

There are plenty of 

trails available, all 

you have to do is 

choose one! 



ight now 

Espoo is a city 

designed for its 

residents. There 

are plenty of 

avenues available 

to influence 

how things are 

done. How do you 

participate in the 

development of 

your hometown? 


Meet the City 

Meet the City is a new 

kind of opportunity for 

residents and city employees 

to meet each other. 

The meetings organised 

by the City of Espoo have 

no predetermined subject. 

Instead, the idea is to meet 

others and discuss things. 

During the coronavirus 

pandemic, the meetings take 

place online. For this spring’s 

events, see page 16. 

Many 

avenues for 

participation! 

Find out how 

you can make a 

difference! 

Join the 

discussion 

There are several different 

groups on social media 

where you can discuss the 

services on offer in Espoo. 

Some of the groups also 

include city employees, who 

participate in the discussion 

and try to respond and guide 

residents to the right city unit, 

depending on their idea or 

suggestion. 

The Hello Espoo group for 

all English-speaking residents 

of the city is an example of 

the groups maintained by the 

city. In the Hello Espoo group, 

you can share news and 

events and obtain information 

in English about the city’s 

services and living in Finland. 

Our Park 

The aim of Espoo’s Our Park 

project is to remove any 

obstacles that prevent residents 

from having an influence 

on the condition and 

maintenance of their surroundings. 

For example, you 

can mow the lawn, clear small 

thickets, remove invasive alien 

species, or cut reeds near 

your home. Clearing trees 

within the Our Park system is 

limited to thickets that can 

be cut down with gardening 

loppers. The area to be maintained 

must be distinguishable 

from yards or gardens. 

In other words, the city will 

not enter into any Our Park 

maintenance agreements in 

which a garden or yard area is 

extended into the city’s park. 

espoo.fi/meidanpuisto 

Tools for 

influencing 

The City Council outlines the big-picture policies for the city. 

Residents have many avenues available to them to influence 

how things are done in the city at grass roots level. And, of 

course, they have the power to choose who the people are 

who outline the big-picture policies. 


Residents’ Forums 

Residents’ Forums are open to 

everyone and organised at the 

initiative of a preparation group. 

The city’s own working groups 

for seven districts (Espoonlahti, 

Kauklahti, Leppävaara, 

Matinkylä, Pohjois-Espoo, 

Tapiola and Vanha Espoo) have 

been selected by the umbrella 

organisation of residents’ associations, 

which means that 

they are 100% chosen by the 

residents. The city provides a 

framework for the residents’ 

forum activities, such as 

facilities and a small grant for 

organising the activities. 

On request, city employees 

will come to a forum to talk 

about a topic requested by 

the forum and to hear the 

views of the residents. 

espoo.fi/asukasfoorumit 

Town Hall Meeting 

Espoo Town Hall Meetings 

are interactive events where 

various, changing themes 

related to the development 

of the city are discussed in 

English. The aim of the events 

is to increase the possibility 

of international residents to 

influence matters relating to 

the city and to promote a 

sense of togetherness. 

The events increase the city’s 

understanding of the needs 

and wishes of foreignlanguage 

residents. 

Town Hall Meetings are 

workshops that include a short 

introduction by a city employee 

on a topic chosen by the 

Town Hall Meeting. During 

the coronavirus pandemic, 

these events take 

place online. 

Partnership 

Forum 

The Partnership Forum 

is an open forum for the 

City of Espoo and various 

organisations and 

its objective is to find 

and share solutions for 

promoting well-being. 

The forum meets 

twice a year. The theme 

is always a topical issue. 

The City Council is the highest decision-making 

body when it comes to 

matters in your surrounding neighbourhood. 

It outlines the priorities of 

the city’s operations and decides how 

money is spent. 

For this reason, it is not insignificant who sits on 

the City Council. 

The city’s decision-makers – 75 councillors – are 

elected in municipal elections. 

“In the previous municipal elections, there were 

731 candidates in Espoo, and I’m sure there will 

be plenty of candidates to choose from in the next 

election too,” says Town Clerk Mari Immonen. 

In a city the size of Espoo, the Council’s role is to 

see the big picture and steer the city accordingly. 

As regards individual matters, it has given the committees 

of different sectors a framework within 

which to make decisions. Some of the members of 

the committees, including the chairmen, are also 

members of the City Council. 

“The contact details of all the councillors and 

committee members can be found on the city’s 

website. You can contact them directly and share 

your wishes and suggestions. Active councillors 

and committee members also participate in 

various residents’ events to hear city residents’ 

thoughts and views on current issues,” Immonen 

says, encouraging residents to communicate 

actively. 

You can check on the city’s website which councillors 

live in your extended residential area. 

Residents too can put forward an official 

initiative on city affairs. An initiative submitted 

to the Registry Office will be directed to the 

office holder concerned, who is obliged to reply to 

the person who submitted it. If you want broader 

› 


Direct feedback 

You can submit feedback and development 

proposals through the city’s electronic feedback 

system, but also directly to employees in different 

sectors. For example, Espoo´s Public Works 

Department uses a map service where you can 

accurately mark the place your feedback concerns. 

Information 

available 

In order to improve residents’ 

access to information, the city is 

developing a newsletter platform 

that will be shared by the city 

sectors. The goal is to enable 

residents to subscribe to all 

the email newsletters they find 

interesting in one place. The 

city’s joint newsletter platform is 

expected to become available in 

late 2021. 

Residents’ 

Helpers 

If you have an idea or development 

need, please don’t hesitate 

to approach an office holder of 

the city sector in question. 

If you don’t know who to 

contact, Development Manager 

Marion Ticklén will be happy 

to connect residents and city 

employees and to give advice 

on how to proceed. 

You can get help for implementing 

your development ideas 

for your neighbourhood by contacting 

one of our participation 

designers by email at 

asukkaidenapurit@espoo.fi. 

Volunteering 

A resident can organise an event 

or, for example, a community 

work day for volunteers in order 

to make an area of their choice 

look better. The city supports 

such activities by sharing information 

and making facilities 

available for the event. 

Various associations, such as 

residents’ associations for a particular 

neighbourhood, parents’ 

associations from schools and a 

wide range of sports and cultural 

organisations, are an important 

channel for influencing matters 

that are important to you. 

There’s power in cooperation! 

› 

support for your cause, you can also put 

forward an initiative online at kuntalaisaloite.fi 

and start collecting support 

for it. If at least 2% of the municipality’s 

residents support the initiative, the 

Council must take up the matter within 

six months of the initiative being submitted. 

“Initiatives with more than one person 

behind them that have recently 

been put forward concern issues such as 

asphalting, making use of an old health 

centre and free parking,” Immonen says. 

Residents can voice their concerns 

at residents’ evenings. In addition, 

the city commissions residents’ surveys 

on many topics, and feedback can always 

be submitted through the electronic 

feedback system. 

“We receive some 20,000 feedback 

messages a year, half of which are proposals 

for action,” says Immonen. 

In addition, various influencing bodies 

are heard in decision-making. 

“The influencing bodies required 

by the Local Government Act include 

the Youth Council, the Elderly Council 

and the Disability Council. The Youth 

Council organises its own elections for 

young people. The members of the councils 

are appointed by the City Board 

and they include representatives of 

local organisations, councillors or other 

members of committees, as well as city 

office holders,” Immonen explains. 

Separate residents’ panels are also 

assembled for individual development 

projects and experts-by-experience are 

invited to them to share their views. 

“I recommend volunteering for these 

groups,” Immonen says. 


Sitting by a campfire 

When club activities for young people had to be suspended due to the coronavirus, 

new ways of keeping in touch were needed. Members of the woodworking 

club have been catching up with their instructor in the glow of a campfire. 

encounters 

› Something special is going on in the Gräsa 

industrial area on Luomanportti. A fire is blazing 

merrily inside a concrete manhole ring. Logs are 

crackling, and sparks fly all around. A man and a 

boy are pottering about around the fire, chatting 

happily. 

Youth Worker Juha Mattila invites his 

9–23-year-old metal and woodworking club 

members round for some non-alcoholic mulled 

wine, gingerbread biscuits and a chat by the 

campfire while cooking sausages on a stick. Due 

to the coronavirus, these get-togethers take place 

individually, while club activities are suspended. 

“I started these campfire get-togethers so 

I can catch up with my club members and see 

how they’re doing. How are they coping with the 

restrictions? Some of them are studying from 

home, so I wanted to cheer them up. One week, I 

met eight club members,” Mattila says. 

Tino Westerholm says he likes to do things in 

nature. 

“It was nice to come here for a barbecue.” 

Westerholm is a little annoyed that the club 

has been suspended. His unfinished woodwork – 

fingerboard skate ramps – are in the woodshop, 

waiting for the restrictions to be lifted. His lessons 

at school currently include handicrafts, which has 

made him miss woodworking even more. 

“Every year, we get handed brochures at school 

about what’s going on in Gräsa. I spotted the 

woodworking club there and joined at the beginning 

of the summer holiday.” 

During the coronavirus 

epidemic, 

Espoo’s Youth 

Services has 

developed various 

options for meeting 

young people 

face-to-face. 

Text Heli Koivuniemi Photo Timo Porthan 

Youth Worker Juha Mattila dug out 

the campfire site from the blanket 

of snow that a storm had left there. 

Toni Westerholm is one of the young 

people from Mattila’s woodworking 

club who has joined his instructor by 

the campfire during the restrictions. 

“When club activities resume, we 

won’t need to have these campfire 

get-togethers anymore,” Mattila says. 


pearl 

Art is for 

everyone. In Espoo, 

art has been 

made a part of the 

streetscape, along 

residents’ daily 

routes. 


Art as part of the streetscape 

Over the past year, art museums have 

been closed, and most people have 

not had a chance to view art indoors 

at all. But you don’t always have to go 

to a museum to enjoy art – you can 

find and explore art all over Espoo; 

for example, on a school wall. 

The façade of the Otaniemen lukio 

upper secondary school, which was 

opened in August 2019, has been 

decorated with images of a bear in a 

work called Otakarhu by artist Jussi 

TwoSeven, who is known for his animal 

figures. The bear mural has been 

received with enthusiasm by students, 

staff and visitors to the school. 

EMMA’s art is also displayed all 

over the city, and many of the works 

in the EMMA collection are accessible 

to all Espoo residents. Art can 

be found both outdoors and in public 

spaces, such as schools, hospitals, 

swimming pools and metro stations. 

You can explore Espoo’s versatile 

street art at bit.ly/Katutaide and on 

the Urban Espoo website, where you 

will find EMMA’s public art paths in 

Espoon keskus and Tapiola. Along the 

art paths, you can enjoy works of art 

from the neighbourhood. 


Saana Kaidesoja, 

Matias Varjonen and 

Elle Hietanen stopped 

to admire Otakarhu. 

Numerous artworks 

have been made a part 

of people’s everyday 

lives in Espoo. 


Espoo people 

The history of 

Tuomarila began 

in 1903, when the 

railway line from 

Karis to Pasila was 

completed and the 

farms near the Espoo 

Church began to make 

way for new housing. 

Text Hanna Ojanpää Photo Timo Porthan 

Kati Leskinen moved to Tuomarila two 

years ago. As well as being the ideal suburb 

for an outdoor person, the area also has 

great transport connections. 

Life tastes like 

champagne 

When Kati Leskinen started 

looking for a new home, she 

had two criteria: it had to 

have a south-facing garden 

and be close to the sea or 

a forest. She knew nothing about Tuomarila 

before then, but she feels her new home at 

the end of a terraced house in a small housing 

company is perfect for her and her dog Max. 

“The sun shines into my garden from 

morning till night, starting from early spring 

and far into the autumn. The Central Park is 

just 300 metres away,” says Leskinen, who 

works in the sports sector. 

Her other criteria included excellent 

transport connections. Although 

Leskinen’s commute is now longer in terms 

of kilometres, it takes her less time to get to 

work than it did from her previous home: 

she can get to the centre of Helsinki by train 

in just half an hour. Once a week she goes to 

Leppävaara or Kauniainen, just ten minutes 

away, to get most of her groceries, but otherwise 

the small local shop has everything she 

needs. 

The housing company has proved very 

peaceful. The same goes for the entire 

Tuomarila area. Kati Leskinen gives a short 

laugh and says that her real estate agent told 

her that, in proportion to the number of 

inhabitants, there are more police officers 

living in Tuomarila than anywhere else in the 

city. That means that peace is assured! 

Leskinen can often be seen raking or clearing 

snow in the housing company’s yard. She 

has also got to know many other outdoor people 

when walking her dog. She thoroughly 

enjoys her new lifestyle and calls her new 

residential area Domppala, which could be 

translated as Dom Pérignonville. 

“My new life tastes like champagne!” 

Tuomarila 

• called Domsby in 

Swedish 

• roughly 3,000 

residents 

• located in the 

Espoon keskus area 

between the Central 

Park and Kasavuori 

in Kauniainen 

• consists of 

detached and 

semi-detached 

houses, terraced 

houses and low-rise 

apartment blocks 

• has expanded, 

especially to the 

west towards Suna 

and Suvela 

New technology in an old setting 

THE TUOMARILAN KOULU primary 

school, designed by Aura Meller 

and Veikko Rauhala, was 

built in 1958. The plastered 

stone building is considered 

a good representative of early 

1950s school architecture, 

which is why the building is 

protected under the local 

detailed plan. The protection 

applies to the building’s 

exterior, colouring, roof shape, 

materials and the original 

structures of the entrance hall. 

“Meeting today’s requirements 

within the framework 

of an old building has brought 

its own challenges. Nowadays, 

a higher frame is required to 

make it easier to fit in the 

technology needed,” says 

developer Jorma Mansikka. 

The floor area of the old 

school is approximately 1,548.5 

square metres. The new extension, 

which will include most 

of the teaching facilities, i.e. 

the learning villages, will be 

considerably larger with a floor 

area of 4,476.0 square metres. 

“The plot, however, cannot 

extended. Although the 

old teachers’ hall of residence 

has been demolished to make 

room for the new building, the 

design has had its challenges, 

such as fitting in adequate 

parking and play areas,” Mansikka 

explains. 

Work is currently under 

way to finish the interiors of 

the part under renovation and 

the new building. The project 

was delayed because the 

builders came across bedrock 

in the base floor of the old 

school building’s basement 

and because more hazardous 

materials had to be removed 

than expected. The goal is 

to finish the work in time for 

pupils to start using the refurbished 

Tuomarilan koulu at the 

beginning of the spring term in 

2022. 

Tiina Parikka 


Kati Leskinen 

and her dog Max 

live right next 

to the Central 

Park, where they 

have plenty of 

excellent paths 

for walking. 


Swedish in 

Espoo 

Preschool pupils at 

Rödskogs skola primary 

school ponder 

the tasks of the Joy 

of Reading project 

together. 

Project 

Lukuinto awakens 

children’s interest 

in books. 

Text Sebastian Dahlström Photo Eemeli Sarka 

”We want to inspire 

and create a reading 

culture” 

At a time when children and young people’s fascination 

with reading is fading, the Lukuinto (Joy of Reading) 

project wants to breathe life back into immersing oneself in 

books. Both pupils and teachers have been inspired by this 

initiative, which will run until the end of the academic year. 


Second-graders read Karin Erlandsson’s 

‘Nattexpressen’ (The Night Express) as a 

Christmas calendar, and did tasks related to 

the 24 chapters of the book. 

”We have been doing crafts and drawing 

keys,” Oskar Ekström enthuses. 

Reading is a hobby. During the workshops 

arranged for the school staff during 

the project, Therese Dahl has received good 

feedback. 

”Children think it’s fun to do the tasks. 

And teachers have appreciated the monthly 

inspiration letter we send out,” Therese says. 

In addition, tips for teachers are collected 

on the project website, which will remain 

available after the project has ended. 

Therese Dahl says that the Joy of Reading 

project has not suffered because of the coronavirus. 

”We have had to rethink, develop ourselves 

and find new ways of working. Many 

of the new things will remain permanent 

even after the pandemic.” 

Ordering and collecting books is possible 

despite the libraries being closed and the 

mobile library is touring the countryside. 

”The libraries also arrange author visits, 

book clubs and storytelling hours digitally,” 

says Dahl. 

The best thing about reading is 

that you learn things,” Rasmus 

Ekström says. 

Rasmus and his brother 

Oskar are in the second grade at 

Rödskogs skola primary school in Espoo. 

Books have been the brothers’ hobby for 

years – ever since they learned to read at 

the age of four. 

”We mostly like to read nonfiction 

books,” Rasmus says. 

The Ekström brothers’ favourite book 

is called Jordens fantastiska fakta (Earth’s 

Fantastic Facts) a collection of several nonfiction 

books within the same cover. 

”It’s about the extinct animals of the 

earth and underground places,” Oskar 

explains. 

”And the lost treasures of the earth,” 

Rasmus adds. 

When the brothers aren’t reading nonfiction, 

it’s all about comic books. 

”Donald Duck is our favourite,” Rasmus 

says. 

Bookworms Rasmus and Oskar are 

exceptions. Studies show that children’s 

appetite for reading has decreased in recent 

years. This trend is to be reversed, and 

hence the initiative for the project Joy of 

Reading was born. 

”We want to inspire and awaken the 

fascination with reading,” says project coordinator 

Therese Dahl. 

She works with the Joy of Reading project 

within Espoo’s Swedish Education and 

Cultural Services. 

Joy of Reading is a nationwide government-funded 

project running during the 

academic year 2020–2021. The focus is on 

pupils attending pre-primary education 

and the first two years of basic education. 

During Nordic Literature Week, pupils 

attending pre-primary education were 

allowed to participate in a digital storytelling 

session and a digital crafts session. 

First-graders have been doing exercises 

based on a book that they’ve been gifted by 

the libraries. 

” 

Children 

think it’s fun 

to do the 

tasks. 

29

us 

The share of apartment buildings within the housing stock is growing 

Espoo’s population 

grows by an 

average of more 

than 4,000 

inhabitants each 

year. Growth also 

requires new 

construction. 

Crossword 

puzzle 

There were 

139,884 

homes in Espoo 

at the beginning 

of 2020. 

Of all apartments, 

60% were in 

apartment blocks 

26% were detached 

houses, 14% were 

terraced or semidetached 

houses.* 

* The figures are from 

the statistics for 2017. 

4,297 

new homes 

in 2019, 

of which 

On average, 

Espoo residents 

occupy 

36 m 2 

per 

inhabitant.* 

80 

were in 

apartment 

blocks. 

69 

percent of 

households have 

1 to 2 people 

living in them. * 

Test your 

Finnish with this 

crossword puzzle! 

Book prizes! 

Write the letters from the orange boxes (1–14) below and send the answer with 

your name and address by e-mail to espoolehti@omnipress.fi by 31 May 2021. 


together 

Awarded annually, this 

year the Espoo Medal was 

presented to 14 people in 

recognition of their work 

to promote Espoo. One 

of the award winners is 

musician and managing 

director Tommi Koistinen, 

also known by the stage 

name Setä Koponen. 

The Espoo Medal, 

designed by Kauko 

Räsänen, has been 

awarded as recognition 

of praiseworthy 

action for 

the benefit of the 

city since 1972. 

Proud to be an Espoo resident 

Surprised and grateful. These are the words 

Tommi Koistinen, a rap musician and managing 

director of a small brewery, used to 

describe his reaction when he heard he is 

one of the people to be awarded the 2020 

Espoo Medal. 

“It feels particularly good to think that rap music 

and the microbrewery business are considered worthy 

of recognition. I would have imagined that official 

symbols of recognition would be given to people 

in more conservative sectors.” 

Koistinen grew up in Olari where certain subcultures, 

such as rap music, skateboarding and graffiti, 

were very strongly represented. For all these reasons, 

he wants to thank Espoo for its open-mindedness. 

“Receiving recognition like this shows Espoo’s 

courage and modern approach, which I find very 

welcome qualities. This is a great thing for the subcultures 

I represent too.” 

“I’m sure being an Espoo resident means 

something different to everyone. For me, it 

means roots and home. I’m proud to be an Espoo 

resident.” 

Even though he currently lives in Helsinki, 

Koistinen still spends a lot of time in the city of his 

childhood and youth. 

“The best outdoor and sports places are in Espoo. 

In the winter, I head to the ski tracks of Espoo and, 

in the summer, I cycle the length and breadth of the 

Waterfront Walkway.” 

According to Koistinen, Espoo is among the 

top places in Finland in terms of the microbrewery 

scene. 

“The Olarin panimo brewery has Espoo in its 

genes, as well as its name. Our values are rooted in 

the history and today of Olari.” 

In addition to beer, Olari is also known for its 

rap music, although Koistinen himself has slowed 

down his pace of releasing music. Setä Koponen has 

recently produced new material together with rap 

artist Edu Kehäkettunen. 

“I used to make music whenever the mood struck 

me, but nowadays I find that it strikes less frequently. 

However, the sound and uniqueness of Olari are still 

there.” 


Other Espoo medallists 2020: Restaurant owners Lea Rantala and Tom Aschan / Member of Parliament Tiina Elo / Chairperson of Espoon 

Perinneseura (Espoo Heritage Society) Martti Hellström / Bishop Kaisamari Hintikka / Infection Control Nurse Laura-Maria Lehtonen / Member of the 

Board of Espoon Sotaveteraanit ry (Espoo War Veterans’ Association) Helena Luukkonen / Director of Social and Health Services Juha Metso / 

Competitive Sailor Oskari Muhonen / Development Manager of Espoon Diakoniasäätiö Jyrki Myllärniemi / Executive Director of Espoon Jääurheilun 

Tuki ry (Espoo Ice Sports Support Association) Jari Nyberg / Squash player Emilia Soini / CEO of Pohjola Hospital Markus Torkki 


CORONAVIRUS 

VACCINATIONS IN ESPOO 

Check the current vaccination 

situation and whose 

turn it is to get vaccinated at 

espoo.fi/coronavaccination. 

The vaccines provide effective 

protection against the coronavirus 

disease, especially severe 

forms of the disease. The City of 

Espoo offers the vaccine free of 

charge to everyone who wants it. 

Residents are being vaccinated 

in phases based on age and risk 

groups, in accordance with the 

national recommendation of the 

Finnish Institute for Health and 

Welfare (THL). 

According to the recommendation, 

the first ones to be 

vaccinated are the people with 

the greatest risk of developing a 

severe or fatal form of the coronavirus 

disease and people with 

a significant risk of encountering 

the virus at work. The rest of the 

population will be offered the 

vaccine after these groups. 

We will send, in phases, a vaccination 

invitation letter and 

appointment booking instructions 

by post to all Espoo residents 

who turn 70 this year or 

are older than 70. 

Although coronavirus vaccinations 

have begun, it is still important 

to protect yourself and others 

and follow good hygiene 

practices. Information on current 

recommendations and restrictions is 

available at espoo.fi/coronavirus.

ESPOO MAGAZINE 1/2021

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