Finnish Environment Institute has defined population density, which allows cost efficient public transport. It is 20 inhabitants per hectare. In the most populated parts of Finland (figure below), nearly half of The Helsinki Metropolitan Area is dense enough. However, there is still work to do. For example the corridor of future underground extension will need some infill development if wanted to pay off.
In some other parts of Finland, regions face different kind of challenges. Albeit city of Seinäjoki is growing fast, in an entire state of Southern Ostrobothnia (figure above), there are only four 250m x 250m squares that are dense enough for cost efficient public transport. By the way, the figure above is part of a first commision of my newly founded firm, Urban Analytics Helsinki. It was made with an open source software (QGis) as well as of open data (Statistics Finland, National Land Survey of Finland). The figure below is made just for the fun of it. :)
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Althought I truly support dense neighbourhoods, I have had some worries about Jätkäsaari in Helsinki, a new neighbourhood in the edge of the western side of the inner city. Former harbour area. A walk with a camera on a sunny day proved my worries mainly needless anyways. Here are two pictures of sunny facades in of one of the most densest parts of the residential area. But these are bit too dense alleys in my opinion :( Apartments in lower floors don't get light, one of the key doctrines of functionalism. Even I am not the greatest supporter of functionalism, I try to find some positive from every school. These are on the waterfront so they should get access to light when shining from the right direction. But what it is with the facade on the first building? Those are not windows, I guess. Where there would be sea views. Strange :o
This blog post discusses about the results of an review I wrote in Finnish Journal of Urban Studies. Earlier blog post's insights into segregation and the change in segregation, are now added with the introducing of well to do high rise areas. As low density areas tend to success in relative measurementd, I was interested in statistically significant combination of urban density and socioecomic status, High density areas with high status cluster mainly in Southern and Western Helsinki (picture 1). Also some new areas like Arabianranta and Viikki differentiate from the average Spatiality of improved dense areas seems cluster in the same areas where the status was already high (Picture 1). However, there are some areas in addition to above mentioned (Picture 2). These areas locate especially in Eastern inner city and inner suburbs. Picture 1. High density areas with high relative economic (red clusters). Picture 2. The change of relative economic status in high density areas. Positive change indicated as red.
In recent study published soon, we tested whether clusters of innovation locate in proximity of human capital, i.e. skilled, educated and tolerant workforce. We found out that this holds true in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. However, as a grace note we were able to show evidence of agglomeration externalities in the HMA.
We concluded that "urban density is an essential, and often underrated, circumstance for innovative growth. Considering planning and the mixed land use paradigm, the results show evidently that innovations emerge the best in dense and mixed urban structure." "The geographical characteristics are that clusters of innovation and human capital as well as clusters with potential growth form a larger spatial entity (an innovation “horseshoe”). Finding is in line with “Smart Café City” concept (Fu 2007), where human capital externalities are highly localized in the most central areas of the metropolitan areas." |
Photo by Rob Hurson
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July 2018
AuthorJuho Kiuru, geographer living in Helsinki, Finland. |