Malmi is a diverse and vibrant urban centre with good rail connections. Malmi’s countless street-level shops, small businesses, services and amenities have made the area into a colourful ‘city within a city’. Malmi – approachable, rugged, authentic, diverse and tolerant. People there are free to pursue a life of their own making. You won’t find a place like Malmi anywhere else!
Malmi is located in northeast Helsinki along the main railway line. Its centre consists of commercial services and workplaces. Malmi’s rich cultural heritage is visible in the cityscape. Highlights of the urban landscape include the Ylä- and Ala-Malmi squares, Ala-Malmi Park, Ormusmäki and the collector streets leading to the city centre. The squares and parks in the city centre provide spaces for events, meetings and seasonal activities.
The centre of Malmi is dominated by apartment blocks and surrounded by large areas of detached houses and small industrial areas. The Longinoja valley, the Fallkulla manor area and Malminkenttä with its old buildings create an area with unique characteristics.
Malmi is one of the four suburban regeneration areas that the city will invest heavily in developing over the coming years. Suburban regeneration means long-term development of Malmi through infill construction and expanded services, as well as short-term measures to improve the urban environment, for example, in the station area and other public spaces.
New residential development is planned for the Pikitehtaankortteli area, as well as infill construction and development of existing small residential and industrial lots. The aim is to create a diverse residential area with services and jobs that complement the existing urban structure. Construction on the streets will start in 2025.
In Sepänmäki, there are plans to intensify residential development and to place local services, such as a daycare centre and small-scale commercial facilities. Detailed planning is underway.
Nallenrinne is the first section of the construction of Malminkenttä. 2,800 homes will be built in the area. The residential blocks will also include local services that serve the area, as well as a daycare centre. Street construction will start in 2025, and the first homes will be built in winter 2025–2026.
There are plans for seven residential blocks, a rescue station, a school and a daycare centre around the old airport buildings at Lentoasemankorttelit. The history of the area and its temporal layers will be made visible in the new urban environment, and new construction will be adapted to the local cultural and historical values. The old airport buildings are protected. Construction on the streets will start in 2025. Construction on the first homes will start in 2026.
Kiitotienkorttelit will form the central area of Malminkenttä. In addition to housing, the area will also be home to Malminkenttä’s main services. An extensive network of parks will connect the area to the local environment. Detailed planning is underway for Kiitotienkorttelit. Construction will begin in the 2030s.
The Sunnuntaikortteli area is located in Ala-Malmi, between the centre of Malmi and Malminkenttä. Plans for construction in the area include new housing, services and parks. The goal is for Sunnuntaikorttelit to become a diverse and ecological residential area with services and jobs. The plans also take into account the area for small detached homes at Sunnuntaipalstat and the Longinoja watercourse. Detailed planning is underway.
Malmi is undergoing comprehensive renovations of its existing parks and squares. The renovation of the main squares and parks in the centre of Malmi is well underway. The renovation of Ylä-Malmi Square and Ala-Malmi Park will start in autumn 2025.
The planned network of parks in the Malminkenttä area creates the necessary conditions for preserving the area’s many natural values and for building connections to existing green spaces. The main park area is Lentoasemanpuisto park, which covers around 20 hectares. An international idea competition for the design of the park was held in 2021. The park will be built in phases and will take many years to complete (10–20 years). Construction on Lentoasemanpuisto park is expected to start at the end of this decade.
Nallenrinteenpuisto park will be the neighbourhood park of the new residential area and will be connected to the Longinoja valley via Sepänmäenpuisto park. Construction of Nallenrinteenpuisto park is expected to start in 2026. Two smaller parks will be built at Lentoasemankorttelit: Hyppytorninpuisto and Lentoreitinpuisto parks.
Malmi will grow into a strong, attractive and versatile centre for northeast Helsinki as the city invests in developing Malmi over the coming years. The most significant changes will occur at Malminkenttä. Over the coming decades, the area will become a diverse, vibrant and urban area. The urban structure in Malmi city centre will be made denser, and more housing will be added. The aim is to strengthen the vitality of Malmi city centre. In the future, the new VIIMA light rail line will run through the city centre from Malmi Hospital to Malminkenttä.
Malminkenttä serves Helsinki residents as a versatile venue for events and recreation, covering dozens of hectares. Malminkenttä was opened for recreational use by city residents in February 2022. The area now has an outdoor gym, a playground, a bird-watching tower and, in winter, a cross-country skiing trail. There is also an outdoor recreation trail that circles around the area. In 2025, a street sports area will be built, signage will be improved, and events will be organised in the area.
Malminkenttä also provides a temporary location for various city functions. There is a designated outdoor area at Malminkenttä for the Helsinki Vocational College and Adult Institute’s logistics training. In addition, the northern parts of the site will have a temporary snow reception area and storage areas to support construction, among other things.
Public art will be acquired for the service buildings and public areas of Malmi in line with the Percent for Art principle. The Helsinki City Executive Office will work together with the Helsinki Art Museum (HAM), the Urban Environment Division and the Culture and Leisure Division to manage the art acquisitions. In 2025, preparations will be made for the acquisition of a new work of art for Ala-Malmi Park.
Local detailed plans determine the land use of an area, for example, where apartments, offices, parks, streets and other roads will be built.
Malmi is situated close to good rail connections – from the city centre and Helsinki-Vantaa airport, Malmi can be reached by train in about 15 minutes. There are also plans for Viikki-Malmi light rail (ViiMa), which will run from the city centre via Viikki through Malminkenttä to Malmi centre and on to Malmi Hospital.
There are a large number of bricks- and-mortar shops, small businesses and cultural and sports facilities in Malmi. Over the next ten years, many new public services will also be built in Malmi.
In addition to housing, schools, day-care centres, streets, parks and a commercial centre with services will be built in Malminkenttä. In the beginning, residents will find their daily services in Malmi centre, which will be redeveloped in phases to coincide with the construction of Malminkenttä.
In Malmi centre, the construction programme includes a new family centre, a health and well-being centre, a new school and day-care centre as well as a major extension to Malmi Hospital. The new Malmi rescue station will be built in Malminkenttä in the early 2030s.
