Mikkeli Masterplan

With a population of 50 000 of which more that 18% are 65+ of age, Mikkeli fights severe depopulation. The University of Applied Sciences has the largest number of students in the South Savonia, but after finishing studies students are forced to move to more attractive cities such as Lahti, Helsinki, Stockholm or even Russia. Mikkeli has the necessary knowledge and infrastructure for developing the city in a sustainable manner implying technology and practical skills. It only needs to create markets and conditions for implementing ecological solutions. In order to become the a growth center for modern services, Mikkeli also needs to create a new brand as a sustainable hub and kick start the ecological development of the Saimaa shoreline.

Strategic principles employed:

Social action. Mixing social categories and increasing social participation to community life and common actions will enhance social cohesion.
Densify urban structure. Adaptive and flexible urban structures will make for a more efficient use of land.
Improve mobility. Enabling new forms of transport and circulation and setting up intermodal nodes will improve accessibility and urban mobility.
Sustainable building materials. Give priority to local resources such as wood and building traditions.
Bioclimatic urban design. Involving new ways of preserving and reducing energy consumption.
Use of modern technologies. Making use of new technlogies for the functioning and maintenance of public spaces and providing efficient use of urban services.

Details