Lawns are only watered in a few parks in Helsinki, which is why they look dry. Vallila Konepajanpuisto is even desert-like according to the residents.
Vallilanian Ari Lepoluoto is tired of his neighborhood park. According to him, Konepajanpuisto is bleak and desert-like in general.
“I understand the idea that this park designer had. We wanted to keep the historical engineering buildings visible in the background of the park, and that’s why we wanted such an open area in front of this,” says Lepoluoto.
A large part of the park’s area is occupied by a grassy field, behind which the buildings are visible. However, according to Lepoluoto, the grass looks like it has been burnt to the ground for most of the summer.
“The basic idea has turned against itself. Even valuable buildings look miserable because of the pitch.”
The park there are a few trees on the edge, but they don’t really provide shade for people and, according to Lepoluoto, have remained stunted.
“I’m not a gardener, but apparently they’re in too much heat or they’re not getting enough water. There have clearly been difficulties in their growth, they have wanted to die and new ones have had to be planted.”
In addition to aesthetic issues, the park also has practical problems. The footpaths in the park are made of rather lumpy stones, with the exception of the red pathway visible on the right side of the picture.
“When a person tries to walk along that hump, it feels uncomfortable underfoot, so he walks next to it. In the picture, you can see the paths that have been formed next to those stones, because the stone is so uncomfortable to walk on,” says Lepoluoto.
Rest island published a report on the park issue to the area’s resident group. In the comments, they agree with his opinions and, according to him, the park is referred to as a “dog pissing field”.
“That is perhaps a bit harshly said. Yes, from time to time someone might spread a blanket over it and organize a picnic.”
Lepoluoto would like the idea of planning the park in terms of buildings to be re-examined.
“Would it be more pleasant to have a park with trees, shade, green plantings and plants, which would function as an urban oasis, like many other parks?” He asks.
Helsinki the city’s urban space and landscape planning manager Jussi Luomanen confirms that when planning the Konepaja area, they wanted to maintain a certain kind of openness there, and that’s why there is a grass field in the center of the park.
“As such, the lawn can withstand drying out. In autumn and at the end of the year, when there is more moisture and it rains, it starts to recover,” he says.
“But a yellow lawn that is as dry as breadcrumbs is not pleasant to look at. Why go around it for nothing? If the lawn doesn’t stay green, then the park will be ruined,” says Luomanen.
The city waters lawns only in certain “representative parks”, such as Esplanadi Park, Old Church Park and Sinebrychoff Park. When planning other parks, irrigation has not been deemed necessary.
“When there have been dry and warmer summers in a row and if the lawn has not been watered, it turns yellow at some point. It’s a fact that comes across here in Helsinki and also, of course, in other parts of Finland.”
According to Luomanen the lawn philosophy is partly changing, because we don’t want lawns that look burnt to the ground.
“In the future, we will consider in more detail where to put the lawn in the new park plans.”
Turf has advantages compared to other options. It is very resistant to wear and tear, and you can play, play or sunbathe with it, for example. A short cut lawn also ensures good visibility near traffic.
Meadows or fields would be a better option in terms of biodiversity, but they do not withstand wear and tear in the same way. Luomanen sums up that the lawn is still needed, but now there must be a clear reason for its use.
I’m going to rest thinks Konepajanpuisto is desert-like and dreary, which Luomanen believes. Is the park’s ugliness a criterion for renovating it?
“Yes, it is a criterion that there should be no ugliness. In landscape planning, we look for the spirit of the place, the beauty and the right kind of solutions for those places,” says Luomanen.
According to Luomanen, sometimes things just don’t click in the design the first time. Konepajanpuisto could be evaluated not only for aesthetic aspects but also for example for the material of the walkways.
“If some people prefer to walk next to the road, it means that it is probably worth looking at how to make the park more pleasant to use. There are many residents around the park who have not lived in the area during the planning phase, which means that not everyone’s opinions have necessarily been heard.”
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