Hiedanranta: From industrial past to carbon-negative urban prototype
Abstract
Hiedanranta, a post-industrial lakeside district in the City of Tampere, Finland, has emerged as a testbed for the city’s urban regeneration strategies. This practitioner paper examines the potential of the red-brick district in shaping attractive, resilient and adaptive urban futures through collaborative, inclusive and environmentally conscious urban planning. The paper examines how this former industrial zone is being transformed into a vibrant, multifunctional hub that seamlessly connects the city and nature, heritage and innovation and permanence and meaningful transformation for Tampere’s residents. Specifically, this paper sets out to ask: What has worked well in Hiedanranta? What lessons can be gathered from Tampere’s research-led urban renewal approach, and how might these insights be replicated in other cities around the world? The vision for the new district has been defined as follows: ‘Hiedanranta is a new lakeside district on the shores of Lake Näsijärvi, where work, activities, living and events are creatively intertwined. Together with Lielahti, it forms a new-generation sustainable and smart hub just minutes away from Central Square’. This paper will share the holistic thinking behind the district’s strategic master plan and evolution of ongoing regeneration efforts, illuminate the values embedded in the city’s change process, and explore the Hiedanranta district’s potential role in accelerating regenerative urbanism practices in the Finnish context. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/business/.
The full article is available to subscribers to the journal.
Author's Biography
Teppo Rantanen is the Executive Director of Economic Policy, Competitiveness and Innovation at the City of Tampere. He focuses on industries such as semiconductors, defence, energy and the experience economy, which shape the strategic economic policy of the city. He leads the city of Tampere through collaboration in extensive international networks towards a human-centric Citiverse. He has a Master of Arts degree in Business, Economics, and Law (MA) and a Graduate Degree in Business.
Jasper De Jonge is a specialist in strategic project development at the City of Tampere, and an expert in urban resilience and transformation. He holds a Master of Social Sciences in European and Global Politics from Tampere University, Finland. Jasper is a committed advocate for human-centric urban transformation, with a practical focus on participatory community engagement, nature-based solutions and digital innovation to enhance well-being, safety and resilience in cities.
Elina Uusitalo is a Marketing and Communications Designer at the City of Tampere, specialising in smart cities and Citiverse communications. She earned a Master of Arts in Finnish Literature and Communications from Tampere University in 2019. She works on data-driven programmes for citizens as well as on the experience economy in the City of Tampere, drawing on her passion for storytelling and text analysis to shape human-centric city communications.
