Save Tartu Park and Uusikyla Park in Tampere

Tartu Park and Uusikyla Park are located in Tampere, in the planning area of ​​the Hakametsa sports area no. 8792, where the City of Tampere, community builder Peab Oy and builder and rental housing company YH Kodit Oy is planning the Hakametsa Sport Campus concept. The plan can be found on the website of the City of Tampere (in Finnish only): Hakametsa Sport Campus area zoning
The plan is to build massive residential blocks and parking buildings on top of the existing parks. The development of the Hakametsa sports area is important and valuable. However, the high-rise construction in the parks, at the immediate interface between Kissanmaa and Uusikyla neighbourhoods, which is important in terms of cityscape and cultural history, worries the city residents. We, the signatories, demand the preservation of the parks.

Valuable cityscape

The borders of the Kissanmaa and Uusikyla neighbourhoods, which are precious elements of cultural history and cityscape, need a spacious and lush interface to new development. The views of the protected Ice Hall must be preserved. High-rise construction and parking must be located in the west-south part of the zoning area. In these neighbourhoods, design and architecture must be high quality and stand the test of time. Also the Architectural Program of the City of Tampere (2023) states that new and extension construction is carried out under the conditions of landscape structures and characteristics of the existing environment.

Transport and traffic volumes

Traffic on Kissanmaankatu and Takahuhdintie streets should not be increased by building a car-parking construction on the Tartu Park area. Intead, transport to the area in the future must be based mainly on public and light traffic. Increased traffic volumes and related parking arrangements must be located to the south-west of the zoning area, where the traffic connections are most functional. In this way, safe streets and the school road can be maintained. Carbon Neutral Tampere 2030 Roadmap includes reducing road traffic emissions. Therefore, number of parking spaces implemented in the new planning area may be significantly lower than the usual parking norm.

Value of green areas

Parks must be preserved and, if necessary, further developed as outdoor exercise areas that nurture urban nature. The multiple well-being effects of public green areas are undeniable from the point of view of both current and future users of the area. Preservation of existing urban vegetation and soil has been researched as the primary means of urban planning to maintain carbon sinks (Co-Carbon project). The City of Tampere must fulfill its commitments: Carbon-neutral Tampere 2030, Biodiversity LUMO Programme (in Finnish only) and the resolution of the inner city master plan (in Finnish only) that existing parks will not be zoned for other use.

The new construction projects of City of Tampere must adhere to sustainable urban planning. We demand the City to preserve Tartu Park and Uusikyla Park at the border of the Hakametsa Sport Campus area. We want the plan to be updated so that no construction is implemented in the parks.

Also involved in the saving of our parks:

Parents' Association of Kissanmaa School ry

TOAS Kissanmaa students' residence committee

As. Oy Ajoksenpirtit, Ajoksenkatu 6
As. Oy Koivuhuhti, Takahuhdintie 16
As. Oy Kokonpetäjä, Uudenkylänkatu 3
As. Oy Kokonhonka, Keltinkatu 1

Tampereen Omakotiyhdistysten keskusjärjestö ry, central organisation of owner associations

Kissanmaan omakotiyhdistys ry, owner association
Uudenkylän omakotiyhdistys ry, owner association

Kaleva-seura ry, neighbourhood association

Pelastetaan Tartonpuisto -yhteisö / Saving Tartu Park group    Contact the author of the petition