Planning a sustainable future for city centre and station in Finland

05/07/2025 - 08:47

In early April, nineteen Built Environment students from Breda University of Applied Sciences (BUas) in the Netherlands arrived at Häme University of Applied Sciences’ (HAMK) Riihimäki, Finland campus to take part in a collaborative urban planning project. The assignment focused on the future Hista railway station, part of the broader West Railway development, which aims to connect Helsinki and Turku via a high-speed rail line.

Student work

The Hista area in Espoo, currently a rural landscape, is set to undergo significant transformation. The City of Espoo is planning to expand the area to accommodate 15,000 new residents over the next 15 years. As part of this vision, the BUas students were tasked with designing sustainable land use and transportation solutions that would make northern Hista an attractive and liveable environment for future inhabitants. Their planning had to consider green urban spaces and long-term sustainability.

A Week of Intensive Fieldwork and Urban Analysis

The project began with an introduction to HAMK’s Riihimäki campus, where the students familiarised themselves with the local environment before diving into their assignments. Throughout the week, the students travelled between Riihimäki, Helsinki, and Espoo, gaining firsthand insight into the context and challenges of the Hista development.

Their final deliverables included detailed land use maps indicating proposed population densities, as well as transport maps outlining preliminary infrastructure ideas. These were presented in Espoo at the end of the week, where city representatives provided feedback on the students’ proposals. “We sought ideas to enhance the new Hista development, ensuring it is both highly liveable and appealing to prospective residents,” said Samuel Tuovinen, Planning Manager for the City of Espoo.

BUas student, Maarten, shared his thoughts: “The project has been great, although it was a bit difficult to really get into it because there’s such a short time to work with it. But it’s a very interesting case study. Normally at our school we already have a foundation for the project, but this case is like from scratch. So, a lot of freedom, a lot of creativity, which makes it quite refreshing, especially doing it in a different country.”

HAMK’s Ecological Expertise Anchored the Project

An essential component of the planning process came from HAMK’s Sustainable Urban Design students, who provided a comprehensive ecological analysis of the area. Conducted as part of their Urban Biodiversity course, three student groups presented their findings, which included key data on local ecosystems, such as carbon storage capacity, water purification, and flood mitigation.

Their work formed the foundation for the BUas students’ design proposals, ensuring that ecological sustainability was embedded into the urban plans from the outset.

Reflecting on the experience, BUas lecturer Joost van de Pas commented: “This experience was a fantastic opportunity for our students to apply their skills in real-world scenarios and contribute to meaningful urban development.”