Östersundom planning

A partial local master plan is being drawn up for Östersundom. The most important issues to be resolved are the rail link and the related land use, green network, nature conservation areas and ecological links. The goal is for the partial local master plan proposal to be ready in 2025. At the same time, changes in detailed plans are underway for Landbo and the northern part of Karhusaari.
Östersundomin suunnittelualue kartalla.

Current news

The component detailed plan of Östersundom is now in the draft phase. The design principles that the plan is based on were approved by the Urban Environment Committee of Helsinki on 19 December 2023 (link to the committee's decision ). The design principles were on display in September 2023, when they were also presented at a resident event.

The goal is to prepare the component detailed plan draft during 2024. The work also involves various reviews and impact assessments that will be launched during 2024.

The interaction and resident event related to the detailed plan draft are initially planned to be held in Autumn 2024. After this, the component detailed plan is estimated to progress to the plan proposal stage in 2025.

The aim of the area is to create a small town close to nature with rail traffic

In accordance with the design principles approved by the Urban Environment Committee the Östersundom area is being designed as a consistent whole based on the light rail line, with consideration for the green network and the most valuable nature areas. The aim is to make the area into a small town close to nature with robust rail transport.

The light rail line will mainly run along the Uusi Porvoontie road, connecting to Itäkeskus. New construction will primarily be located along the rail line and lean on existing infrastructure. The partial local master plan will preserve areas with the most significant natural values and indicate a comprehensive network of nature conservation areas.

The realisation of the area is tied to the rail transport decision, however, so large-scale construction will only take place in the long term. Until then, the focus will be on infill construction of existing areas with low-density housing, development of the network of green areas and outdoor recreation trails, and the construction of areas of employment.

Background of the component detailed plan's design principles

A partial local master plan identifies the area’s key community structure and focuses on issues that are central to the urban structure, such as housing, the location of workplaces and services, transport connections and the recreational and green network. The partial local master plan steers the detailed planning of the area.

In 2022, the City of Helsinki drew up seven different land-use scenarios for Östersundom. Their impact were assessed on, for example, nature, birdlife, cultural environment, climate, transport and the economy has now been assessed. On the basis of the land-use scenarios, impact assessments and feedback received, design principles have been prepared. They are available for comments from 4 to 29 September 2023.

The design principles will be submitted to the Urban Environment Committee in November or December 2023. A draft partial local master plan is expected to be completed in 2024 and a plan proposal in 2025.

You can find the design principles, impact assessments and The design principles and the change of the local detailed plan in the Helsinki Map Service.

Read more about the partial local master plan, detailed plan and other plan levels

Detailed planning of existing areas with low-density housing

The City of Helsinki is preparing changes to the detailed plan for the existing areas with low-density housing in parallel with the work on the partial local master plan. Currently under way are changes to the detailed plan for Landbo and the northern part of Karhusaari.

A detailed planning programme has been drawn up for the existing areas with low-density housing in Östersundom, specifying the areas where infill development will be possible before starting the project development committed to rail transport in Östersundom.

The areas included in the planning programme are established areas with detached housing and will mainly remain so in the future. Additional construction will require the development of water supply.

Even though the building prohibition is no longer in force, as a rule Helsinki’s unplanned areas can be considered to be action areas, meaning a building permit requires a positive decision on the need for planning. 

As a rule, positive decisions on the need for planning will only be made for the demolition of an existing residential building and its replacement by a new residential building.

Read more about the detailed planning schedule in the detailed planning programme for existing areas with low-density housing in Östersundom 2022 (PDF, In Finnish)

Frequently asked questions

The partial local master plan for Östersundom aims to prepare for population growth in Helsinki, steer the growth in a sustainable manner, increase the supply of diverse housing types, provide building sites for detached houses and balance the regional structure of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area towards the east.

There is no valid local master plan for the Östersundom area.

The municipalities of Helsinki, Vantaa and Sipoo drafted a joint local master plan for the Östersundom area in 2010–2018. However, the Supreme Administrative Court overturned the joint local master plan for Östersundom in 2021. A partial local master plan is now being prepared for the area. It is expected to be completed in 2025.

There is no longer a building prohibition in place in the Östersundom area due to the preparation of the partial local master plan. The building prohibition expired in May 2021 when the Supreme Administrative Court overturned the joint local master plan for Östersundom. An area in the northern part of Karhusaari is subject to a building prohibition due to the preparation of a detailed plan.  Even though the building prohibition is no longer in force, as a rule Helsinki’s unplanned areas can be considered to be action areas, meaning a building permit requires a positive decision on the need for planning. As a rule, positive decisions on the need for planning will only be made for the demolition of an existing residential building and its replacement by a new residential building.

Local master planning stages

  1. Start

    • Map survey 12/2021–1/2022 
    • New Östersundom online event 12/2021 
  2. Participation and assessment plan

    • Opinions 02/2022  
    • Online event 02/2022 
    • New eastern Helsinki online event 05/2022 
    • Online event 05/2022 
  3. Land use scenarios

    • Online survey 11-12/2022 
    • Workshop 11/2022
  4. Planning Principles of the local master plan

    • Opinions 09/2023
    • Discussion session 09/2023
    • Urban Environment Committee 2023
  5. Plan draft on deposit autumn 2024 and interaction with residents

  6. Plan proposal on deposit 2025

Contact information

Name
Pasi Rajala

Title
Director of strategic urban planning

Name
Anne Karlsson

Title
Team leader, Local master plan

Name
Tuomas Lehtonen

Title
Urban planner

Name
Iiris Karvinen

Title
Urban planner

Name
Tuukka Linnas

Title
Team manager, Detailed planning

You can also find this page at hel.fi/ostersundoms-plan.