Sibbesborg: Competition for Sustainable Community Development

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1 Sibbesborg: Competition for Sustainable Community Development Pseudonym "Sibblings" Description The urban structure of Sibbesborg is based on a combination of several mutually connected centres. Each of the larger four centres has a population, which supports a wide selection of public and commercial services. Centres are however so small in area that services are accessible by walking. Two of the centres will have their own metro stations. Centres are connected by a circular bus line, which connects also the smaller villages. This way the centres and villages will be joined together as sibling towns. The form of the city is derived from two main characteristics of the site. From geographical point of view, the main feature is the Sipoo Bay. The city structure surrounds the bay, but leaves the shoreline intact. The man-made existing infrastructure appears in the form of an east-west traffic corridor, being divided into two channels, the motorway and Highway 170. Present land use is centered in and near Söderkulla and along Highway 170. To minimize the environmental impact, new infrastructure metro extension and HELI railroad is located in the motorway channel. The existing highway 170 will be developed as a local, boulevard-type axis. The areas surrounding highway 170 are to be developed first, using existing infrastructure and filling in the gaps within existing land use. The large unbuilt areas near the motorway are suitable for a larger scale construction, being feasible once the metro line reaches Sibbesborg. Two new centres are located in the southern part of the competition area. Eriksnäs planning has already started, and our proposal is based on these plans, however modifications are made to better follow the general concept. A new seafront development, Hitå Beach, will be built along the shoreline. This almost mediterranean part of the city will provide very attractive housing as well as recreation and entertainment for the whole area. The total population will be about Most of the population, about , would live in central and urban areas. The density of the urban areas

2 is around 90 persons per hectare, somewhat higher near the metro stations. This density represents the optimum between comfort and functionality, there is enough space and greenery, but distances to services are short. The scale of construction is very suitable for wood. Most of the suburban areas already exist or are currently at planning stage. No major development is forced in these areas, though reasonable additional building is encouraged. Phasing of the construction and public transport system The path of implementation is logical and largely determined by geography and also decisions made already before this competition. Creation of the transport system is strictly integrated to land use developments. Stage 1. Eriksnäs and surroundings of the existing highway 170 The first steps must be taken in areas that are supported by existing infrastructure i.e. near Söderkulla and Highway 170. As the planning process is well advanced in the Eriksnäs area, it will be the first large new area to be built. Accordingly, the new traffic corridor between Eriksnäs and Söderkulla will be developed. As Eriksnäs is located behind Söderkulla as seen from Helsinki, the development will strengthen existing Söderkulla centre. Bus connection to Helsinki will provide good quality public transport, running at ten-minute intervals. The new bus lines along highway 170 will also serve the development along the highway and also in southern Massby district.

3 After this stage, around the year 2025, the population of the competition area will be about Stage 2. Hitå Beach and Mist Valley The unique coastal developments of Hitå Beach and the peaceful forest villages of Mist Valley will be built next. The bus line is extended to a droplet type circular line, connecting to the extended metro line in Sakarinmäki. The bus line will use a new bus/bicycle/pedestrian bridge that connects Hitå Beach and Eriksnäs. This stage will increase the population to about by the year Stage 3. Metro stations Joensuu and Sibbesborg Once the metro is extended into the competition area, the new Sibbesborg station will be located between Söderkulla and Eriksnäs, giving an additional boost to this area. Joensuu station will open a new major area for construction. The bus line will be changed into a circular line, which provides rapid connections to the stations as well as internal transport around Sipoo Bay. After completing this stage by the year 2050, the growth will be slower and turn inwards, meaning that old buildings and infrastructure will gradually be replaced. This will mostly occur in Söderkulla and other presently built areas, where increasing land value will encourage new construction. THEME 1: Unique Methods of Organizing Transport On national and regional level, Sibbesborg area is well connected to the road network. The main transport link will be provided by rail as the extension of Helsinki Metro system. The proposed railroad between Helsinki and St Petersburg (HELI) would further improve the connections. The corridor for this railroad shall be aligned with the Metro as well as with the motorway. The environmental impact of these corridors is thus greatly reduced, and decent noise barriers can be built where needed. The main rail/metro station is Sibbesborg, which will become the new city centre together with the old Söderkulla centre. Somewhat smaller new Joen-

4 suu centre will be formed on the other side of Sipoo Bay. About 40% of the population will live within walking distance from the Metro stations. Other communities are located along the circular bus route. Each bus stop outside Sibbesborg and Joensuu centres, located metres apart, serves a population of persons. Major townships Hitå Beach and Eriksnäs have several bus stops within the area. Most bus stops will have a small grocery store or at least a kiosk. Almost all new apartments are located less than 500 metres from the nearest bus stop. Circular bus line will take about 30 minutes to drive around. Travel time from any of the bus stops to one of the metro stations is seven minutes or less, and to any given Sibbesborg bus stop less than 15 minutes. Only six buses are needed to provide continuous transport both clockwise and counter-clockwise in ten-minute intervals. During rush hours, more capacity is needed and the buses will run even more frequently. In similar townships of Uusimaa province, about 50 60% of the daily 3,3 trips are taken by a private car. Public transport has a 10% share, and the rest of the trips are walked or cycled. In Sibbesborg, even this share would provide enough passengers to support the proposed service. In this structure, with bus stops near homes and very frequent service, we estimate that 20% share is very realistic. As the structure provides short connections, walking and cycling will also be popular. As the private car is not necessary for everyday transport needs, the amount of households with two cars or more will be considerably smaller than in other "garden cities". The CO 2 emissions will be about 30 50% less than in existing similar townships, mostly due to public transport and short distances to local services (supermarkets, schools). Hybrid buses are recommended, and later also electric buses or light trams may be considered. THEME 2: Unique Ways of Living and Life-Styles Our proposal breaks the urban fabric into several townships, each having deliberately different characters. Each township will have diverse housing stock: semi-urban blocks of 2 3 story urban villas and apartment houses are to be

5 found in each of them, some have a denser downtown area with higher buildings and corner stores, some are tuned towards gardening and ecological lifestyles. Sense of community is essential part of this city. There are several levels in this. Houses form blocks creating communities of neighbours, who mostly know each other. Areas around one bus stop form a community of persons, in which people do not know all members of this group, but share a lot besides the bus stop: local store, bar, dog park, football field, kindergarten, school, various free time organisations etc. Last but not least, life in Sibbesborg is a common feeling of sharing the various identities of each township and location. Inhabitants take the metro and do the serious shopping in Sibbesborg City Centre, swim in Hitå Beach, barhop in Joensuu, jog along the bay, take boat trips to the archipelago from the Marina of Eriksnäs, pick berries in Västerskog wildlife park, and use the circular bus route to reach all the various activities provided by the spectrum of different townships and villages. The sibbesborgian identity will also be reinforced with a common intranet with many functions. A completely new way of living, Rental Fellowship for Urban Nomads, will be provided in Sibbesborg as the first city in the whole world. Each member has a share of an enterprise that owns furnished apartments in every sibling town. It is possible for members to move from an apartment to another every 4 24 months. That way one can keep some of the daily routines (working place, shopping, hobbies) while enjoying different ways of living during the years. THEME 3: A Unique Environment And Landscape The designated nature protection areas have been meticulously studied and taken into account. Main ecological corridors can be preserved, as the heaviest traffic infrastructure is located in the motorway corridor, and the city structure is relatively dense and centered along the circular bus route. Also the noise is can be effectively managed. Large green areas act as carbon storages as well as improve air quality.

6 Especially the shoreline of Sipoo Bay and the large, unbroken Västerskog Forest Park are preserved intact. Small scale natural areas will remain as pocket parks within the built structure. The traditional urban block structure enables backyard gardens and allotments for a big part of residents. THEME 4: Unique Forms of Eco- And Energy Efficiency The city structure is very energy-efficient. In the traditional urban block structure microclimate is favourable. Building types are well known traditional solutions that can be made very energy efficient. But especially it is the effect of the city structure on transport that makes the difference. The carbon footprint caused by transport is normally several times bigger than the footprint caused by heating and use of electricity. Sibbesborg transport system, which lies heavily on walking, cycling and public transport, provides a solid foundation to ecological life.

7 Nine 3 MW wind turbines together with solar and geothermal energy can provide most of the energy needed, and as technologies advance, even surplus. The bedrock is used for storing solar energy surplus of summer months for the wintertime (borehole system). During coldest months and for emergencies, low-emission wood stoves are used to provide heat. Building permit process will be enhanced to encourage energy efficiency, and continuous follow-up of the development is carried out in order to guide future construction. Massby and Bergkulla areas are designated for experimental building and they also act as a nursery for administrative innovations. Run-off water can be effectively managed due to the condensed city structure. Rainwater buffers are built as storage elements in built environment as well as retention ponds within the landscape, allowing the use of rainwater in suitable household and public uses. Subterranean water resources are protected. Sewage water and waste treatment are generally most effective when carried out in infrastructure that has a much larger capacity than the need of Sibbesborg alone would support. Again in this aspect, the city structure is well qualified for an efficient systems provision. Local use of biodegradable waste in gardens and allotments is strongly encouraged. In addition there will be several recycling centres for second hand goods. THEME 5: Unique Methods of Organizing Employment And Services. Areas for offices and even small industry are provided along the traffic corridor. In Joensuu Creative community work, living and service mix in the lofttype houses. Well accessible urban areas offer excellent locations for small enterprises and home offices. Their existence helps to keep the towns alive during office hours, supporting shops and lunch restaurants. The variety of townships helps businesses to find most suitable surroundings. Hitå Beach has strong touristic potential, especially considering the improving transport connections to St Petersburg. Ecology-oriented townships along the river will become local hubs for natural food and health/welfare services. The Sibbesborg City Centre provides a full scale of services in two separate shopping centres combined with a lively pedestrian street.