Tilapäisten käyttöjen hyödyntäminen strategisessa maankäytön suunnittelussa : Tapaustutkimus Vantaan Aviapoliksen tilapäiskäyttöpotentiaalista

This master thesis studies temporary uses as part of strategic land-use planning. The customer is the City of Vantaa. The primary objective of this research is to study City of Vantaa's spatial planning practices in relation to temporary uses. The Secondary objective of this research is to study district of Aviapolis temporary use potential. Currently, Aviapolis district is used as a commuting area. However, City of Vantaa officials are envisioning that in the near future Aviapolis district will be transformed into a mixed use of housing, working and recreation. Traditionally temporary uses refers to a spontaneous action, which seeks to solve small-scale urban problems. Previously temporary uses are to be seen an informal and marginal form of urban activism, but lately temporary uses are increasingly incorporated into a formal usage of land use and spatial planning. In this thesis, temporary uses shall be treated as so-called informal strategic planning of land use. Informal land use strategic planning seeks to compensate the methodological shortcomings of traditional spatial planning systems. The study is carried out as a qualitative case study. The primary data is gathered from nine expert interviews. Thesis interviewees include City of Vantaa regional planning officials, private land use owners and real estate developers and also temporary use experts. The theoretical background is based on a previous study of temporary uses and land-use planning theoretical frameworks. Research shows that Vantaa spatial planning system and its practices are based primarily aggregative conception of democracy, where the interaction between the parties involved is not emphasized. However, temporary uses are characterized by a close and interactive relationship between the parties involved. For this reason, temporary uses should be seen as a means to fill in the methodological shortcomings of the Vantaa Regional Planning. According to this study, temporary uses could be very well integrated into the Vantaa spatial planning system and its practices. Research shows that temporary uses should also be formalized as part of Vantaa and Aviapolis strategic land-use planning. In particular, the temporary uses should be utilized as part of Aviapolis district detailed planning. According to the results, Aviapolis temporary use potential appears to be weak. Aviapolis district structure, the scale, the nature of the area and lack of creative actors are primary obstacles for temporary uses. At least some of the aforementioned preconditions should first be resolved, but on the other hand, part of the problems can be solved by utilizing temporary uses into planning action. For the aforementioned reason, temporary uses should be seen as a practical planning tool for future development in Aviapolis district and also in other city districts of Vantaa. In addition to the latter, temporary uses should be emphasized as a resource for participatory planning. As a final conclusion, the results shows that informalities are greatly encouraged as part of modern urban planning, but also in other administration levels and divisions.