Browsing by discipline "Regional Studies"
Now showing items 41-60 of 146
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(2016)In many Sub-Saharan countries, including Tanzania, people living in rural areas have difficult access to clean water and adequate sanitation. In these areas, traditionally women are responsible for the collecting of water and domestic activities, but at the same time they are not involved in the public decision making. Therefore, a focus on gender has become relevant in development aid practices, including project evaluation. Evaluation helps assessing relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, impact and sustainability of the implemented actions, compared with the proposed outcomes. Furthermore evaluation procedures of water and sanitation development projects should not ignore spatial factors, which are intertwined with societal factors in the operational environment of development projects. This requires acknowledging that interaction between gendered subjectivities and spatial and societal factors produces and reproduces gendered spaces. More particularly, this thesis considers a case study of a rural development project based in Kishapu District, northern Tanzania, implemented by Tanganyika Christian Refugee Service (TCRS). An evaluation framework is formed and used for unofficial evaluation of the project component in household water supply and sanitation. The framework has its emphasis in the beneficiaries of the development project and in gender equality, which are central for social sustainability. Emphasising social sustainability also furthers realisation of environmental sustainability. This research applies mixed methods, using both qualitative and quantitative analysis. The main data consists of semi structured stakeholder interviews, analysed using content analysis. The data includes also field observations, discussions, and GPS coordinated (geotagged) photographs of the main water sources. Development project documents are used as supporting material for the evaluation. An evaluative approach can be used as a scientific method in development geography, providing a critical viewpoint to the research and helping to connect research results with practical solutions. Evaluation shows the importance of exploring the views and knowledge of the beneficiaries. Through evaluation one can discover the positive effects, possible failures and possible future improvements and the sustainability of a development project. The household water and sanitation sector is a combined field revealing different gender needs that are rarely addressed in any development project, such as the use of toilets, or issues related to menstrual hygiene. There is a need to analyse how space is gendered and what kind of changes the development initiatives cause. For example, in the case study area of this thesis, there was clearly an attempt for public space to be more open to women, but the traditional division of public space being masculine and private space feminine was still dominant in practice. There is a need for change, because this division limits the participation of women and their ability to bring out their needs. The gendered division of space also limits the participation of men in training programs and activities relating to private space, which includes trainings related to household water, sanitation and hygiene.
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(2014)Helsingin seutu on yksi Euroopan nopeimmin kasvavista kaupunkiseuduista. Sen kasvu ja kehitys on hyvin ajankohtainen ja tärkeä asia niin pääkaupunkiseudun, koko Suomen, kuin kansainvälisessä mittakaavassa. Helsingin seudun kehitystä on pyritty tukemaan metropolipolitiikalla, jonka tarkoituksena on vahvistaa kansainvälistä kilpailukykyä ja tasapainoista kehitystä. Metropolialueen kokonaisvaltaisen kehityksen nähdään olevan merkityksellistä koko maan kansantaloudelle. Espoo sijaitsee pääkaupunkiseudun metropolialueen ytimessä, jolloin sen kasvulla ja kehityksellä on olennainen merkitys metropolialueen kokonaisuudessa. Helsingin seudun kaupunkirakenteen voidaan katsoa olevan vahvasti hajautunutta ja harvaan asutettua. Tutkielmani kannalta merkittävänä teemana esiin nouseekin monessa yhteydessä todettu tarve yhdyskuntarakenteen eheyttämisestä sekä asukkaiden paikallistuntemuksen hyödyntämisestä osana tavoitteiden saavuttamista. Vuonna 2000 voimaan tulleessa uudessa maankäyttö- ja rakennuslaissa pyritään tukemaan vuorovaikutteista suunnittelua, jossa 'osallisilla' tulee olla oikeus ja mahdollisuus osallistua suunnitteluun. Erityisesti paikkatietojärjestelmien hyödyntämisen mahdollisuudet osana osallistuvaa ja vuorovaikutteista suunnittelua sekä päätöksentekoa on herättänyt kasvavaa mielenkiintoa niin suunnittelu- kuin tutkimuskentällä. Paikkatietoa hyödyntävien menetelmien myötä esimerkiksi asukkaiden tuottama kokemuksellinen tieto on voitu yhdistää sijaintitietoon, jolloin se on helpommin hallittavissa ja analysoitavissa. Tämä mahdollistaa myös asukkaiden paremman osallistumisen suunnitteluun ja elinympäristönsä arvioimiseen. Tutkimuksen taustalla on Espoon kaupunkisuunnittelukeskuksen halu kehittää kommunikaatiota asukkaiden ja suunnittelijoiden välillä sekä löytää uusia toimivia vaikuttamisen väyliä. Espoon kaupunkisuunnittelukeskus osallistuu valtiovarainministeriön koordinoimaan Sähköisen asioinnin ja demokratian vauhdittamisohjelmaan (SADe-ohjelma), jonka osana on teetetty Dimenteq Oy:n tuottaman Harava-palvelun karttapohjainen verkkokysely espoolaisesta asuinympäristöstä. Tutkielmassa pyritään tuomaan kyselyn pohjalta esiin asukkaiden mielipiteitä onnistuneista ja epäonnistuneista asuinalueita, muuttamisen toivealueista sekä uuden asuntorakentamisen mahdollisesta sijainnista Espoossa. Tuloksia vertaillaan myös aiempaan asumispreferenssitutkimukseen, ja erityisesti vuonna 2000 teetettyyn kyselytutkimukseen jossa espoolaisten asumista ja asumistoiveita selvitettiin edellisen kerran. Tavoitteena on selvittää, minkälaisena hyvä asuinympäristö näyttäytyy tällä hetkellä espoolaisten näkökulmasta. Karttapohjaisten merkintöjen avulla on pyritty löytämään alueita, jonne mielipiteet kasautuvat, sekä kuvaamaan karttamerkintöjä niihin liittyvien täydentävien vastausvaihtoehtojen avulla. Aineiston analysoinnissa on käytetty MapInfo paikkatieto-ohjelmistoa ja Excel taulukkolaskentaohjelmaa. Yllättävää aineistossa oli vastaajien keskuudessa vallitseva yhtenäiskulttuuri niin kokemuksiin kuin toiveisiin liittyen, mitään selkeitä asukasprofiileja ei aineistosta voitu nostaa esiin. Tutkielman tuloksissa nousee kuitenkin selkeästi esiin samat teemat kuin aiemmassakin tutkimuksessa, eli luonnonläheisyyden sekä hyvien palveluiden ja liikenneyhteyksien tärkeys asukkaille. Toisaalta pientaloasumisen sijaan korostuu erityisesti kaupunkimaisen rakentamisen arvostus sekä asuinalueiden imagon ja ulkonäön merkitys.
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(2017)A walkable city has such built environment that supports walking and encourages people to walk. We can generate lively, safe, sustainable and healthy cities by improving their walkability. The continuing urbanization worldwide and the need to arrange transportation in cities in a sustainable way emphasize the significance of walkability research. This master’s thesis delves into those components of the built environment that affect walkability in street space. The goal of this thesis is to uncover how the walkability of street space can be examined by utilizing novel spatial data sets of human scale. The spatial data sets selected for further examination are panoramic images with spatial information, represented by Google Street View, point cloud produced with mobile laser scanning and visually high-quality 3D city model (mesh). Each of these spatial data sets is examined from the point of view of how they are suited for assessing those components of the built environment that affect the walkability of street space. This thesis examines the walkability of streets in Helsinki city centre by utilizing Google Street View and Earth Pro in observing the streets. The data were collected in May-July of 2017 by observing those components of the street space’s built environment that affect walkability in each street segment. These observations were modified into a new spatial data set by adding geographic information in relation to each street. The added value of this thesis is that there previously exists no such spatial data set concerning the walkability of streets in Helsinki city centre. The results present a mapping of those built environment components that affect walkability in the Helsinki city centre streets. Additionally, the best 20 and the worst 20 streets concerning walkability in the study area are recognized and they are compared to the daily amount of pedestrians in those same streets. In summary, it can be stated that by improving the components of the built environment we can create more walkable streets in the Helsinki city centre, and these measures can affect the daily life of thousands of pedestrians. The streets of Helsinki city centre fare well with regards to enclosure and human scale but improvements can be made concerning transparency, complexity and imageability. The hierarchy of walking needs is fulfilled at least moderately in Helsinki city centre streets. Based on the results, it can also be stated that spatial data sets of human scale have potential in assessing walkability and the best end result is achieved by combining the results of different data sets. In the future, automated image content analysis brings new possibilities in producing spatial data sets concerning walkability with efficiency.
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(2017)The Helsinki region is one of the fastest growing metropolitan areas in Europe. The growing population and urban sprawl are threatening to increase private car use and its negative effects. Because of that, transit usage needs to be increased. To encourage transit use land use should be located next to efficient transit like the metro. The aim of this study is to find out what the land use is like in East Helsinki metro station areas using the theory of transit-oriented development, which is all about this mixing of land use and transit. Transit-oriented development's focus is creating dense mixed use communities centered around transit stations. My research questions for the study are: Do East Helsinki metro station areas meet the criteria of transit-oriented development? Which criteria each station area meets and doesn't meet? What factors explain meeting the criteria or failing to meet them? Using four different GIS analysis I examined four important factors for diverse city environment: walkability, mixed use, varying aged buildings and land use density. I also examined the quality of the Vuosaari and Herttoniemi metro station areas using 3D satellite imaging and by making observations on the spot. The Vuosaari metro station area is the only one that can be viewed as meeting the criteria for transit-oriented development. Some station areas don't meet the criteria at all: Siilitie metro station area can be viewed as the exact opposite of transit-oriented development. In many station areas especially freeway-style roads and old suburban apartment buildings had a negative effect on the quality of public environments, land use density and street coverage.
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(2013)Hakaniementori on kärsinyt viimeisten vuosikymmenten aikana negatiivisesta kehityksestä sekä vähentyneinä asiakasvirtoina että myyjien määrällä mitattuna. Muuta toimintaa paikalla on keskeisestä sijainnista huolimatta hyvin vähän. Useat tahot ovatkin pohtineet keinoja elävöittää paikkaa, mutta suurisuuntaisten hankkeiden kustannukset ovat toistuvasti siirtäneet uudistusten käynnistämisen. Päättäjät eivät myöskään ole olleet yksimielisiä hankkeiden hyödyistä ja haitoista. Tässä tutkimuksessa Hakaniementoria tutkitaan ensinnäkin toiminnallisena paikkana. Tavoitteena on ollut selvittää, miten vetovoimaisena nykyinen toiminta näyttäytyy kaupunkilaisille. Samalla on kartoitettu ihmisten torilla käyntiin vaikuttavia tekijöitä ja näkemyksiä siitä, miten toria tulisi tilana jatkossa kehittää. Toiseksi on tarkasteltu, miten torin käyttö ja uudistuminen kytkeytyvät torikauppiaiden, viranomaisten ja poliitikkojen näkemyksiin ja toimintatapoihin. Aihetta on tutkittu kolmen tutkimuskysymyksen avulla, joista tärkeimmäksi nousee kysymys siitä, mihin suuntaan Hakaniementorin toiminnan tulisi kehittyä, jotta paikasta muodostuisi vetovoimainen asukkaille ja tilan käyttäjille. Lisäksi on haluttu tarkastella, miten toria on aikaisemmin uudistettu ja tulisiko toimintatapoja jatkossa uudistaa vai säilyttää tori nykyisessä muodossaan. Primaariaineistoina tutkimuksessa hyödynnetään teemahaasteluista ja kyselystä saatuja tietoja sekä havaintoja torilta. Tutkimuksen tulokset osoittavat, ettei toria ole uudistettu useampaan vuosikymmeneen, joka heijastuu sen käytettävyyteen. Massiiviset suunnitelmat torin alle rakennettavista tiloista ovat osaltaan estäneet pienempien uudistushankkeiden etenemisen. Toisaalta torin toiminnan uudistamista jarruttaa käsitys perinteisestä ideaalitorista. Kuitenkin kaupunkilaiset toivovat kyselyn mukaan pääsääntöisesti torin nykyistä aktiivisempaa kehittämistä sekä toiminnan että olosuhteiden osalta ja tilan hyödyntämistä enemmän erilaisiin tapahtumiin. Torin vetovoimaa kasvattaisi erityisesti torikaupan erikoistuminen ja erottautuminen kauppojen tarjonnasta, ihmisten oleilua tukevien olosuhteiden kehittäminen sekä paikkaa elävöittävät tapahtumat ja palvelut.
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(2018)Kuntien maankäyttöpolitiikka vaikuttaa kunnan talouteen. Maankäyttöpolitiikalla tarkoitetaan maapolitiikkaa ja kaavoitusta. Maapolitiikka on kuntien asettamia tavoitteita maankäytölleen, joita hoidetaan maapoliittisin keinoin. Kaavoituksella (yleis- ja asemakaava) kunta antaa edellytykset toteuttaa maankäytön tavoitteitaan. Taloudellisesti maankäyttöpolitiikka vaikuttaa esimerkiksi välittömästi maanhankinnan kuluina tai tonttien luovutustuloina. Maankäyttöpolitiikan vaikutuksia kuntatalouteen voidaan arvioida yhdyskuntataloudellisilla tai kaavataloudellisilla arvioinneilla, jotka tukevat myös kuntien velvoitetta Maankäyttö- ja rakennuslain mukaan toteuttaa taloudellisesti kestävää maankäytön suunnittelua. Pro Gradu -työn tarkoitus on avata kaavoituksen taloudellisen arvioinnin prosessia sekä arvioinnin vaikutusta suunnittelussa ja lopulta päätöksenteossa. Usein myös taloudellinen arviointi painottuu kustannuksiin, joten työssä pyritään myös avaamaan tulojen ja hyötyjen arviointia ja vaikuttavuutta suunnittelussa. Työn teoria keskittyy yhdyskuntasuunnittelun taloudellisiin käsitteisiin sekä kuntatalouteen vaikuttavista maankäyttöpolitiikan tekijöistä. Yhdyskuntasuunnittelun keskeisimpiä taloudellisia käsitteitä ovat yhdyskuntatalous ja kaavatalous. Yhdyskuntataloudella tarkoitetaan talouden menoja ja tuloja, jotka aiheutuvat yhdyskuntien toteuttamisesta, käytöstä, ylläpidosta ja yhdyskunnan toiminnasta. Kaavatalous tarkoittaa niitä yhdyskuntatalouden osatekijöitä, joihin voidaan vaikuttaa kaavoituksella. Kaavatalous on yhdyskunnan fyysisen rakenteen tuotos-panosmalli, jossa tuotokset syntyvät yhdyskunnan toteuttamisesta ja käyttämisestä ja joita tuotetaan panosten avulla. Maankäyttöpolitiikassa taloudellisuuteen vaikuttavia tekijöitä ovat maapolitiikka sekä yhdyskuntarakenne. Maapolitiikalla vaikutetaan kaupungin kasvuun ja syntyvään maan arvoon. Yhdyskuntarakenne vaikuttaa kuntatalouteen, sillä hajautunut yhdyskuntarakenne on kalliimpi ratkaisu kuin tiivis yhdyskuntarakenne. Työn taustalla on myös suunnittelun arvioinnin teorioita, jotka ovat suunnittelun ja sen ratkaisujen arvioimisen menetelmiä sekä niiden tutkimista. Tutkimuksessa haastateltiin Helsingin, Espoon, Tampereen, Vantaan, Oulun, Turun ja Jyväskylän paikallisten suunnitteluorganisaatioiden kaavoitukseen liittyvän taloudellisen arvioinnin asiantuntijoita. Haastattelut toteutettiin teemahaastatteluina, joita kertyi yhteensä 12. Haastatteluissa kartoitettiin kaavoituksen taloudellisen arvioinnin prosessia, rajausta ja vaikutusta päätöksentekoon sekä kuntatalouteen vaikuttavien tekijöiden, etenkin tulojen vaikutusta ja arviointia suunnittelussa. Haastattelut litteroitiin ja niiden tuloksia käsiteltiin teemoittelun ja tyypittelyn keinoin. Työn keskeisimpiä tuloksia ovat kaavoituksen taloudellisen näkökulman keskittyminen toteutukseen. Yleiskaavoituksessa taloudellinen arviointi keskittyy lähinnä eri alueiden keskinäisen toteutuksen näkökulmaan. Asemakaavoituksessa näkökulmana ovat kaavatalouden välittömät tekijät. Taloudellinen arviointi on toteavaa ja vertailua ei ole kovin paljon tehty eri vaihtoehtojen välillä. Jos kaavan taloudellisuudessa on ollut päätöksenteon kannalta huomioitavaa, niin ratkaisuihin on voitu puuttua lähinnä rakenteellisten ratkaisujen kautta. Kuntatalouden tulojen näkökulma arvioinnissa ulottuu lähinnä maankäyttösopimuksiin ja tonttien luovutukseen ja vaikuttaa ratkaisuihin lähinnä investointien kautta. Maantieteellisestä näkökulmasta yhdyskuntarakenteen ohjaaminen ja sijaintiin liittyvät tekijät vaikuttavat kaavan taloudellisuuteen. Kaavatalouden kiinnostus on ollut kasvussa, joten eri vaihtoehtojen punnitseminen kaavoitusprosessin aikana on tärkeää taloudellisen ratkaisun löytämiseksi. Arvioinnissa on tärkeää ottaa huomioon toteutuksen lisäksi elinkaari, jotta ratkaisussa päästään kestävään ratkaisuun. Arviointia tulisi tehdä kaavoitusprosessin aikaisemmassa vaiheessa, jotta arvioinnilla voidaan vaikuttaa todellisiin ratkaisuihin, jolloin arvioinnista ei tule suunnittelun lopputulema vaan tukee päätöksentekoa monissa eri vaiheissa.
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(2016)The aim of this research is to acquire new information on the first parking-free housing quarter in Finland, located in the urban development area of Kalasatama, Helsinki. Considering future population growth and cumulative land-use pressure, it is important to respond to the growing demand for mobility in an environmentally sound manner. Parking-free concept can be seen as part of urban development which concentrates on car-free planning or the reduction of private car use. Such development aims to defragment urban structures by improving energy efficiency while creating pleasant housing and livable urban space. Historically, people who do not use cars on a daily basis have also ended up subsidize car use and parking. The customary guidelines of constructing parking spaces were able to be left out as an experimental feature with Kalasatama parking-free project. Thus, the resources saved in planning and realizing parking space were placed in the quality of housing. The parking-free quarter encompasses two residential buildings: the City Building (city-owned rental housing) and the Studio Building (housing built by the city under Hitas –regulations). The study examine how and on what basis the parking-free housing concept has been implemented. The main objective of the study is to examine the success of the concept from the perspective of both the residents and the city administration. The aim of the research is also to analyze whether living in a parking-free concept has an effect on residents' everyday mobility and whether those possible effects can be compared between the forms of residence. The research data was gathered with a semi-structured resident survey that was conducted with both buildings of the quarter. Altogether 108 questionnaires were handed out and the response rate reached 49 %. The results revealed that the residents had moved to the quarter because of the good location, good transportation connections and cheaper housing compared to free market prices. The parking-free concept itself was not seen as a significant pull factor. The major factors influencing the residents' daily mobility turned out to be the incomplete structure of the surrounding urban area as well as the scarcity of local services. Nevertheless, there was noticeable evidence that the concept did have an impact on the residents' daily mobility. On a daily basis, the respondents seemed to cycle and use public transport more and drive their own cars slightly less than city residents in Helsinki on average. Comparing the shares of daily mobility, there were differences between the forms of residence. For example, residents of owner-occupied housing used their own cars significantly more than residents of city-owned rental housing. The experiment of parking-free housing can be reviewed rather successful, because the residents highlighted high quality and amenity of their housing. The quality factors would not have been achieved without resources saved from the parking spaces. The results indicate that car-free projects or projects aiming to reduce the use of private cars require that the quality of the surrounding urban structure is to be taken into consideration. The urban structure should be completed in terms of services and the transportation connections. Also, these kind of housing concepts cannot be implemented just anywhere. Characteristics that support the concept such as comprehensive public transport network and easily accessible local services need to be present in the given location. In Helsinki, such locations with complete infrastructure can be found especially in the surrounding areas of metro stations.
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(2013)This thesis explores the renovation taken place in the district of Kallio in Helsinki after the Second World War – the organised demolition and new construction of the old wooden house district. The aim of the thesis is to examine the reasons and objectives of the renovation in Kallio, the modernism ideas appearing in the renovation designs as well as study the influences of the renovation in the contemporary built environment. The objective is to examine the realisation of the designs in terms of buildings, green areas, street grid and modernism ideology. The study is focused on the area of Etu-Kallio, which was the centre point of the renovation. The research methods used are map-analysis, observation, archival material and literature review. The research material used are the renovation plans of the area, Helsinki City Council decisions and the city government reports as well as the material produced by the various committees and competitions. In addition, the detail plan changes and quarter plans of Etu-Kallio and a few draft maps related to plans are also used as a research material. The atmosphere of the era is studied through newspaper articles dealing with the topic, and with discussions with the persons involved in the city planning of Helsinki and the researchers of the field. Earlier research and literature concerning modernism, the city planning of Helsinki and the district of Kallio are used as a background information for the research. The key objective of the renovation in the study area was to replace the old wooden houses with a new modern open space urban structure, which formed a contrast to the traditional solid block construction. The old stone buildings were allowed to stay, although their stone courtyard wings and buildings were to be removed. The demolition of the wooden houses was carried out thoroughly, as all of them situated in the study area were replaced with new buildings. On the contrary, the renovation plans for the stone building parts of the yard did not realise. The events related to the renovation took place between 1930s and 1970s, but the practical implementation happened after World War II. The renovation was carried out mainly through the proposal plan of Etu-Kallio drawn up in the late 1950 by the urban planning section of the Real Estate Department of Helsinki and on the basis of the earlier drafts. Renovation was completed in the 1970s through the quarter plans. The above mentioned plans were usually realised with detail plan changes drawn up for the new buildings. The renovation of Kallio represents development in the urban planning: the rise and decline of modernism, the aspects of renovation in various stages, the rise of the building protection, and the results of modernism in the current urban structure. The renovation of Kallio was a multi-step process involving a variety of plans, discussions and reflections on the future of the wooden house district and the permitted building volume allowed by city's building code and, ultimately, the practical implementation. A number of plans were prepared for the renovation, from which part of them guided the later plans while some solutions were eliminated. The plans were drawn up at different times and therefore represent the stages of modernism in the history of Helsinki city planning.
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(2014)Ilmastonmuutoksen tultua tieteellisesti tietoisuuteen ja 1900-luvun viimeisen kolmanneksen aikana tapahtuneen 'ympäristöherätyksen' myötä on lähdetty etsimään ratkaisuja kasvihuonekaasujen vakauttamiseksi. Ilmastopolitiikka painottaa jatkuvasti enemmän kestävän energian, etenkin uusiutuvien energialähteiden käyttöä avaimena kasvihuonekaasujen hillitsemiseksi. Samalla ympäristöstään ja vaikutusmahdollisuuksistaan tietoisempi kansalainen on merkittävässä asemassa lähiympäristönsä kehityksestä ja suunnittelusta. Useat maat EU:n johdolla ovat asettaneet kunnianhimoisia tavoitteita uusiutuvien energialähteiden kapasiteetin kasvattamiseksi. Tuulivoimalla on oletettu olevan suuri rooli tavoitteiden saavuttamiseksi. Tuulen potentiaalia energialähteenä ei ole kuitenkaan täysin hyödynnetty, etenkään Suomessa. Suomella on hyvät edellytykset tuulivoiman tuotannolle, sillä rannikoilla, merialueilla ja Lapin tuntureilla tuulee varsin paljon. Suomella on kuitenkin vielä matkaa verrattuna muiden Euroopan maiden tuulivoimatuotantoon. Suomessa tuulivoiman osuus vuonna 2011 kokonaiskulutuksesta oli 0,5 %. Tutkimukset osoittavat, että ihmiset kannattavat ideaa uusiutuvan energian kehittämisestä ja tuulivoiman hyödyntämisestä energialähteenä. Kannatuksen on kuitenkin huomattu laskevan radikaalisti paikallisten hankkeiden yhteydessä. Syy tuulivoimahankkeiden viivästymiselle tai hankkeiden kaatumiselle on liitetty paikallisten asukkaiden vastustukseen. Tuulivoimaloiden paikallinen vastustus on Suomessa verrattain uusi ilmiö, sillä laajoja tuulipuistohankkeita on vasta viime vuosina alettu suunnitella. Vastustusta selitettäessä on usein viitattu NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) -ilmiöön. Ajatusmallin mukaan ihmiset kannattavat tuulivoimaa abstraktilla tasolla, mutta vastustavat tiettyjä paikallisia hankkeita, itsekkäistä syistä. Itsekkäät syyt liitetään usein alueidenkäyttöön, kuten ulkoiluun sekä voimaloiden läheisyyteen. Tuulivoimaloiden vastustukseen on esitetty lukusia syitä. Syyt vastustukseen liittyvät usein voimaloista koituviin ympäristö- ja terveysriskeihin. Melun ja vilkkumisen oletetaan olevan terveydelle haitallista ja voimaloiden pelätään aiheuttavan linnustokuolemia. Esiin on myös noussut kysymys oikeudenmukaisuudesta, maan 'arvosta', asukkaiden sosiaalis-ympäristöllisestä paikkaan kiintymisestä sekä taloudellisuudesta. Useimmiten paikallinen vastustus on liitetty voimaloista aiheutuviin maisemavaikutuksiin. Tuulivoimalat ovat teknisiä rakenteita, jotka eroavat usein materiaaliltaan ja luonteeltaan ympäristöstään, ja luovat ympärilleen teknistä maisemakuvaa. Vuonna 2013 aloitettiin Keski-Pohjanmaalla 8 tuulivoimapuistohankkeen suunnitteluvaihe. Kannuksen alueen tuulipuistoon ollaan suunnittelemassa 17 voimalaa ja Toholammin alueelle noin 100 voimalaa. Tutkielmani tarkoituksena on selvittää mitkä tekijät vaikuttavat voimaloiden suunnittelunaikaiseen vastustukseen. Lähestyn aihetta lähiasukkaita koskevan kyselytutkimuksen sekä diskurssianalyysin kautta. Tuulivoimaloiden vastustuksen tutkiminen perustuu usein strukturoituun kyselylomakkeeseen. Tämän tutkimustradition nimissä päädyin käyttämään samaa menetelmää tuodakseni esiin vastustuksen asteen luonnetta. Menetelmän avulla saan ilmiöstä kattavan kuvan. Aineisto on avattu tilastollisin menetelmin ja keskustelussa esiin nousseet puhetavat analysoitu perusteellisesti. Diskurssianalyysin avulla syvennän asukasnäkökulmaa, sen avulla asukkaiden mietteitä ja vastustukseen ajavia syitä saadaan avattua laajemmin. Tutkielma tarjoaa kattavan kuvan siitä, mikä johtaa paikalliset asukkaat vastarintaan tuulipuistohankkeita vastaan ja miten vastustusta voidaan jo hankkeen alkuvaiheessa vähentää.
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(2014)Kauppakeskuksia käytetään muuhunkin kuin vain tavaroiden ja palveluiden hankkimiseen. Ne vahvistavat asemaansa sosiaalisen kanssakäymisen ja ajanviettämisen areenoina. Eläkeläiset ovat nuorten ohella toinen suuri kauppakeskusta oleskelemiseensa hyödyntävä väestöryhmä. Heillä on paljon vapaa-aikaa ja kodin ulkopuolisista aktiviteeteistä haetaan vaihtelua ja seuraa. Kauppakeskusoleskelulla voidaan nähdä olevan ainakin viihtyvyydellisiä, mielenterveydellisiä ja aktiivisuutta ylläpitäviä vaikutuksia ikäihmisten elämässä. Kauppakeskuksen puolijulkisen tilan käyttö sen alkuperäisestä käyttötarkoituksesta poikkeavien ei-kaupallisten tarpeiden mukaisesti voi kuitenkin olla haasteellista. Tila voidaan suunnitella poissulkevaksi ja lisäksi sen käyttöä valvotaan ja kontrolloidaan. Samaan aikaan myös yleiset käyttäytymissäännöt ja esimerkiksi asenteet ja valtasuhteet tilaa hyödyntävien väestöryhmien välillä vaikuttavat siellä toimimiseen. Tilaa dominoidaan ja sitä otetaan haltuun. Tässä tutkimuksessa on selvitetty, miten ikäihmiset hyödyntävät kauppakeskusten tilaa oleskelemiseensa. Koska ikäihmisten kauppakeskusoleskelua ei ole aikaisemmin Suomessa tutkittu, on tutkimuksessa ensin luotu yleisluontoinen kuvaelma näistä oleskelukäytänteistä. Oleskelukäytänteisiin paneutumisen myötä on pyritty pohtimaan myös tilan sosiaalista avoimuutta. Miten hyvin tila edustaa ikäihmiset huomioivaa kollektiivista käyttöpotentiaalia? Tutkimuksen empiirinen osuus on toteutettu kvalitatiivisia metodeja hyödyntäen, pääasiassa teemahaastattelujen avulla. Teemahaastattelut ja niitä tukeva havainnointi toteutettiin pääkaupunkiseudun kahdessa kauppakeskuksessa. Aineiston käsittelyyn käytettiin laadullista sisällönanalyysiä. Tutkimustulosten mukaan kauppakeskuksen tarjoama tila on tärkeä ja merkityksellinen paikka siellä oleskelevien ikäihmisten arjessa. Oleskelu on säännöllinen rutiini, joka tuo vaihtelua kodin ja lähipiirin tarjoamista tutuista kaavoista. Kauppakeskuksen tiloissa eläkeläiset nauttivat erityisesti seurasta, keskusteluista tuttujen kanssa ja ympärillä tapahtuvien asioiden seuraamisesta. Oleskelun ydinkohdat ovat muotoutuneet keskeiselle paikalle kauppakeskuksen käytävätiloissa sijaitsevien penkkien ympärille. Oleskelun sosiaaliset tarkoitusperät korostuvat monin paikoin. Tutkimuksen mukaan kauppakeskuksen tilassa ikäihmisiin ei kohdistu erityistä kontrollointia tai rajoittamista oleskelun suhteen. Myös muut tilan käyttäjäryhmät sallivat ikäihmisten oleskelutoiminnan. Yleisestä tyytyväisyydestä ja kitkattomasta ilmapiiristä huolimatta tila vaikuttaa jakautuneen ajallisesti eri ikäisten käyttöön. Ikäihmisten kauppakeskusoleskelu painottuu erityisesti aamupäiviin, kun taas myöhemmin päivällä annetaan tilaa muille käyttäjäryhmille.
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(2015)An increasing amount of attention has recently been paid to urban growth and loss of biodiversity, which has also awakened planners to consider urban green areas and both their ecological and social values more thoroughly. Nature is, however, dynamic and diverse and has turned out to be a challenging target of planning especially with current methods. The incorporation and consideration of complex natural processes in the planning system has proved to be challenging and has raised significant issues and problems, which are the focus of this thesis. Moreover, the phenomenon is related to a wider paradigm shift in planning, where the rationalist planning tradition has had to step aside and make way to agonistic and communicative planning theories. A major focus of the study is the concept of wicked problems. The concept was developed to better understand the complex problems planners face today and which are impossible to solve with traditional planning practices. The concept of wicked problems has often been linked with the concept of clumsy solutions, which are imperfect and only partial solutions to complex problems, but accepted as such and only expected to contribute something to the solution of wicked problems. The main material used in the study has been collected though semi-structured expert interviews conducted by researcher Maija Faehnle as a part of ENSURE –research project. The interviewees represent planners and other professionals with special expertise in planning of urban green infrastructure. The main method of analysis is a thematic content analysis aimed at recognizing the main problems and challenges the planners and other professionals face in the process of planning urban green infrastructure. The problems have been grouped into themes that help recognize the interrelations between different problems and their connections to more pervasive underlying problems. The first theme is formed by problems related to the planning system. The theme also includes two sub-themes: problems between different planning levels and problems related to conflicts caused by different interests and goals. The second theme consists of problems related to planners' needs and demand for information. This theme is again divided into sub-themes related to the use of scientific expert knowledge and the experiential knowledge provided by residents and other participants. In addition, some problems arising from outside of these two themes have also been included in the analysis. Finally, the material has been used to recognize conflicts and contradictions as well as suggested solutions to the addressed problems. According to the data, planners face severe problems when planning urban green infrastructure. Many interviewees hoped for more specific norms and sizing guidelines to help protect nature in cities. However, many interviewees simultaneously wished that there would be more flexibility and adaptability in planning practices. In many cases, the goals and expectations set to different planning levels were quite ambitious. Behind the recognized problems, however, lies a more complex and wicked problem that is related to different goals and professionals not meeting properly. It also has to do with the more general complexity and wickedness of the addressed things and phenomena. When aiming at solving this wicked problem, it is crucial to recognize the wickedness and complexity of the problem and accept the clumsiness of the proposed solutions. Aiming for solutions that are too holistic and ambitious can result in more conflicts and contradictions instead of contributing to the solution of the problem at hand. Consequently, the whole process is locked.
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(2012)Cities are formed when a number of people, different societal functions and structures are densely concentrated in certain areas. Because of continuing urbanization and changes in society, cities will face a number of challenges in the future. Therefore it is necessary to define urban and rural areas even if dividing them strictly in two has attracted much debate over the years. To be able to evaluate for example urban development and to be able to recognize differentiation of areas, developing and testing a new classification approach was appropriate. Spatial and statistical data from various sources were used when developing the new classification method. The main source was Grid Database of Statistics Finland. Gross floor area values from Population Register Centre database were linked to the same 250 m x 250 m spatial grid. Distance calculations were performed by using Digiroad, a National Road and Street Database. YKR-villages and localities developed in Finnish Environment Institute were used in defining and categorizing chosen variables. The aim of this paper was to develop a method to be used in classification of areas according to how urban they are in nature i.e how high is the degree of urban features they contain. The motivation for the work was linked to the practical need to develop a classification which is independent of administrative boundaries but which is in further analysis applicable to municipalities as well. The method developed in this paper was based on the idea that the areas which are classified into the same urbanity class can contain different features if the intensity of the variables is high enough. The variables were chosen so that they represent different dimensions of urbanity but the emphasis was put on built environment. The key variables were: population, jobs, estimated daytime population, gross floor area and accessibility. At first all variables were reclassified into four categories according to quartile ranges calculated from YKR-locality values. An exception was the accessibility variable; the highest decile formed its highest class. Thus every square in the grid was given values 1–4 from every variable. The variables were then added together and every square was finally scored with urbanity values 1–20. Urban classification for municipalities was constructed by using these square values. By using the developed method, urbanity is described through concentrations of functions and structures. The grid data results show that the urban population share in Finland is 60–70 % depending on the interpretation. The urban population share is 60–80 % if the focus is on municipalities. The method was especially effective in making the degree of urbanity visible on a grid data, but a limitation lies in classifying municipalities: an area has still an impact on municipality ranking. Examining different variables, grid sizes and threshold values could be beneficial in the future. In addition it turned out that describing urbanity in just one scale is challenging. Despite these issues the method provides interesting insights into the urban phenomena in Finland. In further studies this kind of approach can be used in many ways because of its simplicity and because of the various modification possibilities it offers for different areal research purposes.
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(2018)Even though levels in walking and cycling to school in Finland are high when compared internationally, the level of active travel to school has decreased over the past decades. Meanwhile, decreases in children’s physical health and independent mobility worry researchers and policymakers worldwide. Various factors affect the decision-making regarding the means of transport to school; however the physical length and the perceived safety of the trip, by especially the parent but also the child, are seen as important factors. This master’s thesis examines the active accessibility of elementary schools in the Finnish city of Turku. The analysis is based on modelled school trips representing the shortest potential school trip via the walkable road network. Active accessibility is measured through the physical length of the potential school trip and examined against hotspots created of points representing perceived insecurity among school children. In addition to examining the current situation based on the current pupils’ home addresses and school network, this thesis aims to shed light on the future based on current development aims, projects and predictions concerning the school network, transportation systems and population. Accessibility research has been criticized for lacking contextual foundations. This thesis aims to build an adequate background for inspecting active accessibility of schools from the viewpoint of children’s active travel. This thesis also experiments using perceived insecurity as a measure of accessibility, which to my knowledge has not been done before. In addition, the thesis aims to contribute to the field of children’s geography. The methods used were based on analyses within geographical information systems. Modelled school trips were created using pupils’ home addresses as starting points and their school’s address as end points. The routing was done through calculated shortest paths in the OpenStreetMap road network, which was classified based on the walkability of road segments. The lengths of the modelled school trips were calculated and examined for each school through classification. The classification used was based on active travel thresholds appearing in literature. 1500 meters was used as the threshold of walkable distance, and 3000 meters for travelling by bike. The modelled school trips were also examined through overlay analysis with a layer containing hotspots of the children’s perceived insecurity in Turku. The hotspot layer was created by calculating the density of points expressing the pupils’ perceived fear and insecurity around their schools and on their school trips. The results show that over 80 % of the examined pupils (n=4,779) live within a 3-kilometer active travel distance to school via walkable road segments. However, there appeared great differences between different schools concerning the lengths of pupils’ school trips and the perceived insecurity around school and school trip environments. The perceived insecurity was concentrated around the center of Turku as well as the school areas. However, the reasons for these emotions were not examined due to the scale of this study. The future of active accessibility of schools in Turku seems likely to improve, provided that the current development and planning aims and projects are carried through. Especially plans concerning the improvement of walking and bike routes may result in shorter routes to school and improving perceived security. The future development of family locations is always problematic and hard to assess due to changing residential expectations and desires. There emerged many demands for further research and development concerning the materials and methods used, and the results that have arisen in this thesis. For one, more road network data is needed for researching of walking and bicycling environments. Secondly, accessibility should be further studied from the children’s point of view. Also, perceived insecurity should be further examined as an influence on accessibility. As the obtained emotion data was not examined other than in the form of a hotspot layer, the perceived insecurity data should be examined more closely as it included specific and significant information on reasons why children are feeling insecure in their every-day environments. Especially when planning pursues to develop sustainable and health-promoting environments, cities and communities should investigate and deepen their knowledge of factors restricting active travel in every population group. The goals of a safe, healthy and sustainable city are all intertwined. The development of walking and bicycling conditions might play a role in achieving these goals, in addition to making cities more lively and comfortable for all inhabitants, irrespective of the demographic group.
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(2014)Theories and interpretations related to urban networks and polycentricity have risen to the core of the international debate concerning structural and functional development of urban regions. At the same time regional development zones have gained attention since they are seen as a way to endorse polycentricity. This applies e.g. to the spatial strategies of the European Union and the Finnish government. The aim of this study was to examine the status of development zone strategy at a regional (municipality) level by studying two zones from Helsinki and Stockholm metropolitan regions: the Helsinki–Hämeenlinna–Tampere (HHT) and Stockholm-Uppsala (ABC). In addition, the main similarities and differences between the zonal developing of these two regions were considered. The main materials used for this study were the development visions and strategies and zoning plans of the municipalities located along the studied zones. In addition, interviews of urban planning experts both in Helsinki and Stockholm and an online interview concerning the HHT zone were conducted. The HHT zone was also studied using GIS methods. The zonal developing strategy has been applied in the regional level spatial developing both in the Helsinki and Stockholm metropolitan regions. In the Stockholm region zonal cooperation aims especially at creating corridors with high-performance traffic connections, whereas in the Helsinki region the zonal cooperation is more characterised with visioning and lobbying which aims at creating a competitive areal entity. Small municipalities located between the large cities in both zones emphasize zonal developing in their spatial strategies. For these municipalities the zonal strategy opens up new growth possibilities. However, for the large cities and their surrounding municipalities the significance of zonal strategy seems to be diminutive. In the European Union, as well as in the Finnish government and regional levels the concepts of polycentricity and development zones have been combined in a straightforward manner and almost without criticism. However, critical approach should be recalled when offering development zones as a tool for endorsing polycentricity. In academic debate a fair amount of criticism has been aimed at the concept of development zones, and their capability to realise polycentricity has been questioned. Moreover, due to the scalar nature of polycentricity and development zones, zonal developing differs strikingly depending on the spatial scale. Different planning actors at all spatial levels should keep this in mind. Zonal strategy has a potential to endorse functional polycentricity in both Helsinki and Stockholm regions by improving regional traffic connections, which could lead to multidirectional commuting flows. Affecting structural polycentricity through zonal developing is likely to be more difficult. However, if zonal developing focuses on enhancing railway connections and the attractiveness of areas surrounding stations, also structural polycentricity could be reinforced. If zonal developing is to be continued in Finland, it is crucial to extend the actor group involved in building development zones. Currently this actor group is too small and unilateral which makes it difficult to carry out successful zonal development projects. Making the development zone concept more widely known among the public could attract companies and other actors to take part in zonal development projects. It is also important to find common interests for developing the zones and this way ground a basis for continuous cooperation.
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(2013)Finland's development cooperation with non-governmental organizations has grown in importance, especially since the 1990s and the resources allocated to development cooperation of state appropriations have been on the rise. Due to increased funding NGOs have become increasingly dependent on government support, and this has created pressures on the relationship between Ministry for Foreign Affairs and organizations. NGOs' growing dependency on the funding of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs has raised questions on the use of power, and governing the activities of NGOs to increase development cooperation coherence of the state. Especially small and medium-sized NGOs are highly dependent on the funding provided by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Purpose of this study is to determine relations between the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, and small and medium-sized non-governmental organizations, and to explore if the Ministry for Foreign Affairs pursues direct NGOs' development cooperation project applications in certain areas and how the project applications regional placement supports Finnish bilateral aid placement. Study methods include both qualitative and quantitative methods. The primary methods of the thesis are qualitative and quantitative content analysis, complemented by interviews. The main data of the thesis consists of NGOs' development cooperation project funding applications, limited to the years 2003–2011, as well as other archives of unit for nongovernmental organizations of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Background analysis is based on books which were concerned with development cooperation in general. In addition, the data includes publications that guide the Foreign Ministry's development cooperation, as well as interviews with the NGOs. Interviewed small and medium-sized organizations consider that the project support is important instrument enabling the Finnish NGOs operate in developing countries. With the project funding supported NGOs development cooperation projects regional placements into Finland's long-term partner countries have been low in 2003–2011 although the Ministry for Foreign Affairs has recommended NGOs to carry out development projects for its long-term partner countries. The projects approved each year from 40 to 50 countries, and the regional distribution of bilateral cooperation did not appear to significantly contributed to the distribution of projects supported by the project funding, on the contrary, most of the projects carried out elsewhere than in Finland's long-term partner countries. In searching of the project funding, the main problems of NGOs are related to the administrative and financial capacity shortages. The interviewed organizations were mostly satisfied the Ministry for Foreign Affairs actions as an authority. Recommendations and priorities imposed by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs will be monitored, but the Ministry is not seen to guide NGOs activities and they are allowed to operate with its own strengths and regionally where the organizations have contacts and networks. Dependence on the Ministry support is very strong, especially activities in developing countries would be almost impossible for many NGOs without the support of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Kepa's role of NGOs' parent organization and the trustee is an important point, especially for small NGOs. Fluent cooperation between the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Kepa is an important factor for the development of NGOs. Distribution of a wide spectrum of projects regionally impedes the monitoring and evaluation of their results, because the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, and in particular unit for non-governmental organizations does not have the resources to monitor outcomes. Also, the amount of bureaucracy should be reduced, and smaller NGOs increasingly dwindling resources and a weak economic capacity should be taken into account for project support allocation criteria. Kepa's role should be strengthened and bring it more and more, particularly in small and inexperienced NGOs development. In the area of project support partner organization's expertise and knowledge of the field should be utilized by directing small NGOs project support management to Kepa when the amount of work to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs would be substantially reduced.
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(2014)Sustainable development is mentioned in the Finnish land use legislation so, it has to be noticed in planning. However, the concept hasn't been determined specifically, which enables a possibility for different views to its fulfillment in practice. Evaluation of its realization has also been inadequate. The purpose of this research is to conceive what sustainable development means within the field of land use planning, focusing on values, concrete actions and connections between these two. In other words, the aim is to get the picture the whole field of sustainable land use. The subject is also examined with a master planning-case of Östersundom which is located in Helsinki. Used methods were semi-structured interviews, discourse analysis and content analysis. Data for the last two were the planning documents from the case and interviews were held to four land use planners that had been working with the case. Sustainable development is seen as an extension to environmental politics that began in the 60s, and its roots are as far as in the beginning of conservation movement in the early 1900s. The core issue of sustainable development is the relationship between man and nature. Ecosocial symbiosis is a term that describes nature as a very solid part of humane life and holds an assumption that the relationship has to be mutualistic instead of parasitical to be sustainable. Idea of ecological modernization on the other hand proposes social and technical innovations to solve environmental problems. Most famous determinations of the concept are Brundtland's commission's ability for future generations to fill their needs and the three dimensions: ecological, economic and social sustainability, which were declared in UN environmental conference in Rio in 1992. Campbell has later added the idea of the three dimensions being in contradiction with each other's. The concept also withholds balancing between sustainability and development; 'weak' sustainable development is said to be focused on market economy and ecological modernization instead of conservation. In 'weak' sustainable development the perspective is human centered and in conservation ecosentric. Land use has most effect, within the three dimensions, to the ecological sustainability, whose right fulfillment on the other hand is seen controversially. Especially the need for ecological and green corridors within urban structure and the scale in conservation issues are disputed. Generally, within urban areas, the most sustainable solution is considered to be compact and harmonized structure which is interconnected to railways which has benefits from the perspective of all of the three dimensions. On the other hand more loose structure can also be seen as sustainable, but only from the social perspective. Eco-efficient solutions, which are based on reducing emissions and consumption with different technical ways, are also considered to be sustainable, their problems usually relating to economical reasons. Östersundom's master planning mainly followed the general principles mentioned in the theory chapter. The planners wanted a metro based, compact and urban structure, but Helsinki's political will gave the structure more looseness. Because of this and out of sheer building in the area, emphasis on the plans has been on economy and social reasons; in other words on the 'weak' sustainability. The biggest threads to the sustainable development were considered to be financial issues, which have mediation to the other two dimensions of sustainable development. In the process there has also been a lot of dispute over the green areas and in the plans the nature was valued from human perspective. In practice this meant reducing their area (also exclusion areas), redundancy of green corridors and highlighting green areas within the urban structure. Practical ways and principles of cultivation were developed in the process with which the desired nature could be created to the area. Legislation didn't warm up to these procedures near the Natura-areas and so, the planning process had to continue and plans to be changed. In the beginning of 2014 the process was still unfinished.
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(2018)Tämän pro gradu -tutkielman aiheena on tutkia ketterien ohjelmistokehitysmenetelmien ilmenemistä tilapäiseen käyttöön liittyvässä kaupunkisuunnittelussa. Tutkielman teoreettisena taustana käytetään tilapäisen käytön ja ketterien ohjelmistokehitysmenetelmien tutkimuksen ja teorian lisäksi inkrementalismia. Teoriana käytetään myös kaupunkisuunnittelun uusia suuntauksia, kuten taktista urbanismia ja tee-se-itseurbanismia. Ketterät ohjelmistokehitysmenetelmät syntyivät vastareaktiona perinteiselle menetelmälle, jota kutsutaan vesiputousmalliksi. Ketterät ohjelmistokehitysmenetelmät ovat iteratiivisia ja inkrementaalisia prosesseja, joilla pyritään nopeaan kehitykseen epävakaassa ja muuttuvassa ympäristössä. Tilapäinen käyttö puolestaan on määräaikaista ja toissijaista toimintaa, jossa aluetta käytetään muuhun tarkoitukseen kuin mihin se on alun perin suunniteltu. Tilapäinen käyttö on usein kansalaisten toimesta tapahtuvaa epävirallista toimintaa, jolla pyritään ratkomaan kaupunkiympäristössä koettuja ongelmia. Tilapäinen käyttö on nykyään otettu myös osaksi viranomaisten tekemää kaupunkisuunnittelua. Ketteriä menetelmiä ja tilapäistä käyttöä yhdistää syntyminen kritiikkinä alojensa vakiintuneisiin suunnittelumenetelmiin. Tutkielma toteutetaan kvalitatiivisena vertailututkimuksena. Tutkielmassa selvitetään ketterien ohjelmistokehitysmenetelmien erityispiirteet tutkimalla niistä kirjoitettua aineistoa. Tämän jälkeen erityispiirteitä verrataan tilapäisestä käytöstä julkaistuun aineistoon. Tutkielmani tuloksissa ketterien ohjelmistokehitysmenetelmien erityispiirteiksi nousivat mukautumiskyky muutoksiin, kommunikaatio asiakkaan ja kehittäjien välillä, itseohjautuvan tiimin käyttö, inkrementaalinen prosessi sekä iteratiivinen kehitys. Jokainen ketterien menetelmien erityistekijöistä toistui yli puolessa tilapäiseen käyttöön liittyvästä kaupunkisuunnittelusta kirjoitetussa aineistossa. Mukautumiskyky muutoksiin ilmenee tilapäisen käytön yhteydessä esimerkiksi valmiutena muuttaa suunnitelmaa milloin vaan tai olemassa olevien sääntöjen uudelleen tulkintaa. Avoin kommunikaatio lisää tilapäiseen käyttöön liittyvää vuorovaikutusta julkishallinnon ja kansalaisten välillä sekä mahdollistaa viranomaisten toimimisen taktisesti. Tutkijoiden mukaan tilapäinen käyttö on itseohjautuvaa toimintaa, minkä vuoksi viranomaisten tulisi keskittyä tilapäisen käytön mahdollistamiseen eikä puuttua sen sisältöön. Inkrementaalinen ajattelu ilmenee olemassa olevan kaupunkirakenteen hyödyntämisessä tilapäisen käytön suunnittelun pohjana. Taktisessa urbanismissa iteraatioiden käytöllä mahdollistetaan muutosten teko suunnitelmaan ennen seuraavaa tilapäisen käytön kokeilukierrosta. Vaikka tutkielman tulosten mukaan ketteriä ohjelmistokehitysmenetelmiä ei ole hyödynnetty suoraan tilapäiseen käyttöön liittyvässä kaupunkisuunnittelussa, ketterille menetelmille ominaiset erityistekijät ovat olleet jo nyt läsnä tilapäiseen käyttöön liittyvässä kaupunkisuunnittelussa. Tämän vuoksi tutkielman johtopäätöksenä on se, että ketterän ohjelmistokehitysmenetelmän johdonmukainen hyödyntäminen voisi olla mahdollista myös tilapäiseen liittyvän kaupunkisuunnittelun yhteydessä.
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(2014)The experienced everyday life, importance of feeling comfortable in one's own neighbourhood and attachment to place have been popular research topics in recent years. One important reason for this is that feeling of belonging is important for everyday wellbeing. Taking care of the neighbourhood is also beneficial for the society. Active moving especially in the metropolitan area rises questions are residential areas filling the demands of a good neighbourhood. The aim of the study is to find out which factors make residential area a good place to live from resident's point of view and how residents experience their everyday life in the area. The aim is also to consider the importance of experiential knowledge can be exploited in regional planning. The research area in this study is Matinkylä neighbourhood in the city of Espoo. This is a qualitative study and the research material consists of five interviews made in Matinkylä including observation in the research area. All the interviewees live in the area. The interviews were made using the Go along-method that means walking with the participant in the research area while interviewing. Walking route consists of places that are important in the everyday life. The research material was categorized and analysed by using discourse analysis. One of the main results in this study is finding three criteria that are needed to feel comfortable in one's own neighborhood. The found criteria are the importance of the social relations in the area, functioning public transport and good accessibility to local services and the closeness of green spaces in the area. The places of everyday life contains in addition to home, local services and recreational areas. Analysis also tells that residents divide the neighbourhood in smaller areas on the basis of the areas appearance and how the resident experiences the area. Dividing the areas leads in a situation where some of the areas start to feel distant or even unsafe for the residents and it effects the ways of using the whole neighbourhood. According to interviews Matinkylä is a good place to live, but when observing the ranges of attachment the attachment is strongest in the area close to home. Including for example home street, and other places situated near home. This study verifies the importance of neighbourhood attachment to the residents. The importance of neighborhood areas motivate planners to develop high quality residential areas to improve the quality of life. Experiential knowledge collected from the residents brings added value to residential planning by giving planners information they could not have from anywhere else. Exploiting this kind of information is important especially in the beginning of the planning project. Exploring the neighborhood especially by walking creates a possibility to use the area more diverse and diminish the possible feelings of insecurity in the area. The results suggest that feeling comfortable in the area and attachment to place have strong influence for using the area. Without attachment to place the area may lose its users and its importance.
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(2016)The amount of urban dwellers is rising and housing shortage is a constant problem in cities. To prevent urban sprawl, Helsinki has decided to build high-rise. The future high-rise areas Keski-Pasila and Kalasatama are being built right now. At the same time several urban planners and urban theorists are concerned about the effect that tall buildings have on the urban public space on ground level. Indeed, high-rise buildings produce long shadows and sometimes hard winds to the ground level. Also they very often have monotonous facades. This master's thesis will be examining the relation between high-rise buildings and urban public space. There is very little scientific literature about the topic. The thesis evolves around the question of how can we design convivial urban public space on the ground level of high-rise buildings. Moreover what makes a good public space? The methods used are interviews and a comparative study. In the absence of high-rises in Finland, a case in point was found in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. A closer examination of two areas is conducted: the future high-rise area Keski-Pasila in Helsinki and the high-rise area of Kop van Zuid in Rotterdam. Expert interviews were held in both cities and opinions about the topic seemed to vary. The results of the study show a set of criteria on how to mitigate the negative effects of high-rises on urban public space. The successes and failures of Rotterdam can guide good practices of future high-rise projects everywhere. The criteria should be applied to high-rise projects already in the planning phase. The most important aspects of a good public space on street level of high-rises are a mixed-use of functions, permeability, active use of the plinth and pedestrian friendly surroundings.
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(2018)Motoring is the most popular way of travelling among Finns, but the manner of it needs to be transformed into a more efficient and sustainable model: cars in urban areas are stationary about 90 percent of the time and in city areas were population is constantly growing there is pressure on organizing motoring and parking. Traditional parking lots are no longer sustainable due to lack of space; hence parking is directed to underground car parks or parking houses, whose building costs increase housing prices. There is already a noticeable change in the trend of car usage both in Finland and globally: explanatory factor is thought to be the different lifestyle of millennials through transition to sharing economy and changed mobility needs. Carsharing is thought to be a possible solution to meet the problems of urbanization, to achieve sustainable ways of transportation and to fulfill the changing needs of mobility. Compared to traditional motoring, benefits of carsharing are seen in reduced emissions and required parking space. The practice of carsharing has already been brought to zoning plans to reach these goals. However, simply changing the physical environment by reducing the number of parking spaces is not enough: the change in car use is done by the end-users, the motorists, themselves. This Master's thesis focuses on examining the potential of end-users for using shared vehicles to reduce parking space and car ownership in urban areas. The research has been carried out in cooperation with Kojamo Group which offers carsharing as a supplementary housing service to some of their residents. The empirical part of the study was carried out by sending an electronic survey to all households who are offered shared cars in their immediate vicinity. The survey sought to find out daily travel behavior, experiences of car sharing and car ownership. 48 replies were received of which 60 per cent were from Helsinki Metropolitan Area. The rest of the replies represented the cities of Jyväskylä, Tampere, Lahti and Oulu, out of which 80 per cent of respondents were living in urban areas. Carsharing did not prove to be an important part of the respondents' travel behavior: 21 per cent of the respondents reported to have used, or to be using, a shared car, but the average usage activity was only once per month. A majority of people who use shared cars represent car-free households. Half of respondents who have not used shared cars are considering using them in the future and more than half of respondents who own cars are considering abandoning them and switching to shared cars, if the service is always available when needed. Based on the results, the greatest potential for using shared cars is found among car owning households where the car is not in daily use due to comprehensive public transport. The total amount of cars or car usage has not decreased in any of the surveyed households by the effect of carsharing. In the already car-free households, the shared cars naturally increase the total car usage, but the mileage driven is however very low on a monthly level. As a summary of the results of the theoretical and empirical part of this study, it can be stated that station-based carsharing can be seen as a potential way of reducing the need for parking space in urban areas, as long as the service is reliable, and it serves different needs of transportation.
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