Espoo’s first cultural environment programme – the growing city protects its cultural environments

“In a rapidly growing and changing city, it is very important to take care of cultural environments. Both new and long-time residents value their local environments and treasure them as a source of wellbeing and as a cornerstone of their identity,” says Riitta Kela, Manager of KAMU Espoo City Museum’s Service Unit.

These are the guidelines defined in Espoo’s cultural environment programme.

• Espoo residents and city operators are aware of cultural environments, and information on cultural environments is available to all.
• Espoo’s cultural environments are protected together with local residents
• In Espoo, sustainable cultural environment work is based on smooth internal cooperation within the city
• Espoo maintains and strengthens the shared values of cultural environments and the surrounding nature
• Espoo’s cultural environment work has sustainable resources.

Created through cooperation between different city operators, the cultural environment programme is a tool for those engaged in cultural environment work and for residents who treasure and are interested in cultural environments. You can find the programme on the City of Espoo website: Espoo’s cultural environment programme | Espoo’s cultural environment | City of Espoo (in Finnish)

Extensive studies of cultural environments in Espoo

Espoo’s City Planning Department is currently working to establish an overall picture of the values related to cultural environments in Espoo. The studies are based on the cultural environment programme and support the master planning process, which extends all the way to 2060. Once completed, the studies will be part of the material collected for the master plan.

The work consists of three parts:

• Locally valuable cultural environments
• Historical roads in the southern parts of Espoo
• Specification of regionally valuable cultural environments at the master plan level.

Espoo’s master plan 2060 is a general land use and transport plan that covers the entire city. It will define the direction, methods and priorities of the city’s development at a general level. The master plan is based on the city’s strategy known as the Espoo Story. The planning process started in the autumn of 2022 and its objectives were approved by the City Board in March 2023. A draft version of the master plan will be available for public review in 2024.

Espoo’s cultural environment programme | Espoo’s cultural environment | City of Espoo (in Finnish).

Webpage for Espoo’s master plan.