Tampere professor highlights environmental concerns over land reclamation projects in Finland

Alternative options exist for land reclamation in water bodies, according to Juho Rajaniemi, a professor of urban planning at Tampere University. Many cities and municipalities in Finland are expanding their building areas through land fill. Tampere, in particular, has seen significant projects in recent years, where millions of cubic meters of rubble have been deposited in lakes. The next planned reclamation site is Viinikanlahti on Lake Pyhäjärvi.

While the aim is to minimize environmental risks in water license decisions, these land fill projects inevitably impact aquatic ecosystems, potentially altering water flow and increasing turbidity. There has been limited foundational research on the effects of lake reclamation.

Rajaniemi considers the recently developed artificial island of Näsisaari, situated in southern Näsijärvi, to be an undesirable option. He argues that the tram could have been better served if it had followed Pispalan highway, which would have been more beneficial for the existing population and technically easier to implement.

Funding considerations played a crucial role in the choice of Näsisaari, as the city needed to demonstrate substantial new construction along the tram route to secure government funding. Rajaniemi is open to denser development in existing areas but advocates for preserving green spaces in downtown Tampere for the benefit of both people and nature.

He deems the Viinikanlahti project reasonable, as much of the fill area is intended for recreational purposes. If approved, the reclamation could begin by 2025. Rajaniemi also suggests raising the height of apartment buildings and incorporating accessible areas throughout the Tampere region rather than concentrating all development in the city center. For instance, he highlights the potential for creating residential areas around a train station on the Tampere-Helsinki rail line.