Siuntio Urban Village
Siuntio Urban Village – Sustainable and Inclusive Small-Town Transformation
Siuntio Urban Village renews the heart of the municipality through sustainable, human centred and beautiful design. By combining green mobility, nature-based solutions and co-created public spaces such as the Summer Yard and upcoming flagship play park, the initiative demonstrates how even a small municipality can deliver high impact transformation grounded in NEB values.
Finland
{Empty}
Prototype level
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
755: Sjundeå (FI)
The Municipality of Siuntio is shaping its future around a bold and forward-looking Urban Village vision. Urban Village concept is a compact, humanscaled, and green town centre built around walkability, community life, and ecological excellence. Anchored by the railway station and the new education and wellbeing campus, the Urban Village model blends the best qualities of a small Nordic town: intimate scale, proximity to nature, architectural harmony, and a vibrant everyday public realm.
The vision establishes Siuntio’s centre as a cohesive and lively service hub, where homes, schools, workplaces, mobility, and culture converge within a short distance. It prioritises lush green networks, high quality public spaces, mixed use blocks, and architecture inspired by Siuntio’s historical and rural identity. Safe pedestrian and cycling routes form the spine of the area, making sustainable mobility the most attractive and natural choice.
As part of this transition, a Summer Yard serves as a temporary but impactful demonstration space. Located next to the town hall and commercial services, it functions as a small scale prototype of the future central square. Summer Yard offers a wildflower meadow, flexible community spaces, a seasonal café, and opportunities for local entrepreneurship and happenings. Through Kesäpiha, the municipality gathers valuable insights into how residents use and experience shared public space, feeding directly into the longterm implementation of the Urban Village vision.
Together, the Urban Village framework and the Kesäpiha pilot embody Siuntio’s commitment to the New European Bauhaus principles: environmental sustainability, social inclusion, and everyday beauty. Supported by structured municipal planning, strong partnerships, and ongoing implementation steps, the project provides a clear, feasible, and replicable model for small European communities seeking to revitalise their centres through sustainable, human-centred design.
The vision establishes Siuntio’s centre as a cohesive and lively service hub, where homes, schools, workplaces, mobility, and culture converge within a short distance. It prioritises lush green networks, high quality public spaces, mixed use blocks, and architecture inspired by Siuntio’s historical and rural identity. Safe pedestrian and cycling routes form the spine of the area, making sustainable mobility the most attractive and natural choice.
As part of this transition, a Summer Yard serves as a temporary but impactful demonstration space. Located next to the town hall and commercial services, it functions as a small scale prototype of the future central square. Summer Yard offers a wildflower meadow, flexible community spaces, a seasonal café, and opportunities for local entrepreneurship and happenings. Through Kesäpiha, the municipality gathers valuable insights into how residents use and experience shared public space, feeding directly into the longterm implementation of the Urban Village vision.
Together, the Urban Village framework and the Kesäpiha pilot embody Siuntio’s commitment to the New European Bauhaus principles: environmental sustainability, social inclusion, and everyday beauty. Supported by structured municipal planning, strong partnerships, and ongoing implementation steps, the project provides a clear, feasible, and replicable model for small European communities seeking to revitalise their centres through sustainable, human-centred design.
Co‑creation
Sustainability
Nature‑based design
Community spaces
Human‑centred mobility
The initiative’s core sustainability goal is to create a compact, low carbon and ecologically resilient town centre. Concentrating new development around the railway station reduces dependence on private cars and strengthens climate friendly mobility. A walkable structure supported by high quality cycling routes and accessible public transport reshapes everyday movement patterns.
Environmental sustainability is embedded through a connected green network: pollinator habitats, street trees, ecological corridors and nature based stormwater solutions weave biodiversity into the urban structure. Wooden construction, durable materials and efficient land use reduce the carbon footprint and infrastructure needs.
The Summer Yard acts as a hands on prototype, allowing the municipality to test ecological approaches and observe user behaviour before permanent implementation. This evidence based method strengthens impact and local acceptance. Siuntio provides an exemplary model of how small municipalities can link climate action, mobility reform, ecological restoration and community co creation into a coherent sustainability strategy.
Environmental sustainability is embedded through a connected green network: pollinator habitats, street trees, ecological corridors and nature based stormwater solutions weave biodiversity into the urban structure. Wooden construction, durable materials and efficient land use reduce the carbon footprint and infrastructure needs.
The Summer Yard acts as a hands on prototype, allowing the municipality to test ecological approaches and observe user behaviour before permanent implementation. This evidence based method strengthens impact and local acceptance. Siuntio provides an exemplary model of how small municipalities can link climate action, mobility reform, ecological restoration and community co creation into a coherent sustainability strategy.
A key objective is to create a beautiful, human scale and experience rich centre where design enhances wellbeing. The aesthetic identity draws from Siuntio’s rural heritage, natural materials, soft colours and landscape forms. Streets and parks are designed as pleasant, year round settings for social life, rest and play.
Nature plays a central aesthetic role: forests, fields and the Siuntio River are visually and physically connected to the centre through viewpoints, planting and micro landscapes that make walking intuitive and enjoyable. The Summer Yard tests experiential aspects in real use—its meadow, informal seating, wooden structures and seasonal café create a warm, place based atmosphere.
The forthcoming flagship play park further enhances sensory and cultural value, inspired by Siuntio’s landscapes and stories. By pairing design ambition with iterative testing and community insight, Siuntio offers a replicable model for small towns seeking meaningful, place-rooted beauty.
Nature plays a central aesthetic role: forests, fields and the Siuntio River are visually and physically connected to the centre through viewpoints, planting and micro landscapes that make walking intuitive and enjoyable. The Summer Yard tests experiential aspects in real use—its meadow, informal seating, wooden structures and seasonal café create a warm, place based atmosphere.
The forthcoming flagship play park further enhances sensory and cultural value, inspired by Siuntio’s landscapes and stories. By pairing design ambition with iterative testing and community insight, Siuntio offers a replicable model for small towns seeking meaningful, place-rooted beauty.
Inclusion guides the entire Urban Village process—from bilingual participation to accessible public spaces. As a Finnish Swedish bilingual municipality, Siuntio ensures equal communication and engagement for all groups. Long term co creation with residents, youth, businesses and landowners has shaped priorities such as safe school routes, accessible services and comfortable meeting places.
The Summer Yard translates inclusion into everyday practice: it offers free event spaces, accessible toilets, informal seating and opportunities for micro entrepreneurs. Its temporary nature enables observation of how different groups use the space, strengthening “design for all” principles.
The flagship play park will provide an imaginative, inclusive and nature based environment for children of various ages and abilities. Together, these actions demonstrate how inclusive governance and inclusive design reinforce each other and create socially sustainable, welcoming public spaces.
The Summer Yard translates inclusion into everyday practice: it offers free event spaces, accessible toilets, informal seating and opportunities for micro entrepreneurs. Its temporary nature enables observation of how different groups use the space, strengthening “design for all” principles.
The flagship play park will provide an imaginative, inclusive and nature based environment for children of various ages and abilities. Together, these actions demonstrate how inclusive governance and inclusive design reinforce each other and create socially sustainable, welcoming public spaces.
The Urban Village vision has been co-created through workshops, bilingual surveys, map-based tools, open events and continuous dialogue. This engagement has directly shaped the project’s priorities. The Summer Yard functions as both a participation platform and a test site, offering free stalls, events and public amenities that reflect users’ needs. Insights from its use inform the design of the permanent square and green network.
A new nature-themed play park continues this participatory approach, offering an inclusive and engaging space developed with input from families, youth and education professionals. Continuous involvement strengthens local ownership and ensures that the town centre evolves from lived experience, not abstract plans.
A new nature-themed play park continues this participatory approach, offering an inclusive and engaging space developed with input from families, youth and education professionals. Continuous involvement strengthens local ownership and ensures that the town centre evolves from lived experience, not abstract plans.
The initiative is supported by coordinated collaboration across municipal, regional, national and European levels. Locally, residents and community actors influence planning decisions. Municipal committees integrate the vision into strategies and financial frameworks. Regionally, cooperation with Western Uusimaa and wellbeing services ensures alignment on mobility, safety and service development.
Nationally, the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency is a key partner in renewing the station area and mobility hub, ensuring a unified national-local approach. European engagement through NEB processes supports innovation, visibility and transferability. This multi-level cooperation significantly reduces implementation risks and strengthens feasibility.
Nationally, the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency is a key partner in renewing the station area and mobility hub, ensuring a unified national-local approach. European engagement through NEB processes supports innovation, visibility and transferability. This multi-level cooperation significantly reduces implementation risks and strengthens feasibility.
Urban planning, landscape architecture, architecture, ecology, mobility planning, community development, safety, service network planning and municipal administration work together under a shared vision. This collaboration ensures that environmental, social, spatial and experiential aspects are integrated.
Workshops, joint analyses and prototypes such as the Summer Yard allow different disciplines to refine solutions in real-life settings. The outcome is a coherent, climate-resilient and socially grounded model for small-town transformation.
Workshops, joint analyses and prototypes such as the Summer Yard allow different disciplines to refine solutions in real-life settings. The outcome is a coherent, climate-resilient and socially grounded model for small-town transformation.
Siuntio’s approach diverges from mainstream small town development by combining compact design, ecological foundations and iterative prototyping. Temporary interventions like the Summer Yard reduce risks and generate real-world insights before committing to permanent construction.
Transforming a dispersed small-town structure into a compact, walkable “urban village” is novel in the Nordic rural context. The high level of interdisciplinary integration and the blend of temporary and permanent elements position Siuntio as a forerunner in agile municipal development.
Transforming a dispersed small-town structure into a compact, walkable “urban village” is novel in the Nordic rural context. The high level of interdisciplinary integration and the blend of temporary and permanent elements position Siuntio as a forerunner in agile municipal development.
The methodology combines strategic planning with iterative testing. Spatial, environmental and mobility analyses are integrated with resident insights. Temporary prototypes are used to evaluate user behavior and design functionality before final decisions. Multidisciplinary collaboration ensures holistic solutions, while participatory methods bring in local knowledge. This evidence based, phased and user centred methodology enhances feasibility and long-termThe initiative offers a modular and scalable model for small municipalities. Key transferable elements include the iterative planning approach using temporary prototypes; the compact nature connected town centre concept; the interdisciplinary collaboration model; and bilingual low threshold participation methods. These require modest resources and can be adapted to diverse contexts. impact.
The initiative offers a modular and scalable model for small municipalities. Key transferable elements include the iterative planning approach using temporary prototypes; the compact nature connected town centre concept; the interdisciplinary collaboration model; and bilingual low threshold participation methods. These require modest resources and can be adapted to diverse contexts.
The Urban Village is embedded in Siuntio’s long-term plans and investments. Completed steps include the education and wellbeing campus, the structural plan and the operating Summer Yard. Ongoing actions include the renewal of the station area and development of the flagship play park.
Next steps include completing zoning, finalising mobility hub and cycling network plans, constructing the new park, expanding ecological infrastructure and continuing prototype based development. The project is anchored in multi year investment plans, ensuring continuity beyond political cycles. By applying NEB values at every stage, the transformation will remain sustainable, inclusive and beautiful.
Next steps include completing zoning, finalising mobility hub and cycling network plans, constructing the new park, expanding ecological infrastructure and continuing prototype based development. The project is anchored in multi year investment plans, ensuring continuity beyond political cycles. By applying NEB values at every stage, the transformation will remain sustainable, inclusive and beautiful.
