Joensuu has done what many others only dream of. The city is growing and attracting tax revenue. New ones are being built quickly, but the old infrastructure is also well taken care of.
Text: Sari Okko
Even though the construction industry is in a strong growth cycle, you don't build just anywhere. The winners are the localities where the municipality invests in developing the region's vitality.
The key is a functioning infrastructure, thanks to which people, goods and information move smoothly, and services can be found within a reasonable distance. It is also safe to make investment decisions on a good foundation that bring tax revenue to the municipality. Joensuu is a good example.
"The background is the city's growth agreements, which include an effort to remove obstacles in the way of development and to increase attractiveness by building a comfortable living environment. Construction is brisk: last year more than 800 new apartments were completed and this year 600", technical director Anu Näätänen says.
Saving money and time
In accordance with the strategy of the city of Joensuu, the existing infrastructure is used when building a new one. This thinking is represented, for example, by the new residential area of Penttilä, which is built on an old sawmill area.
"Through the new bridge, it is only a kilometer from Penttilänranta to the market. The location of the residential area is therefore good in terms of infrastructure, so it has been worth using and developing it," states Näätänen.
According to Näätänen, utilizing the existing structures is affordable and reasonable from the point of view of the community economy as a whole. When no long bets are made, the available money can be used to develop the existing infrastructure.
"This benefits both the municipality and the citizens of the municipality. Residents appreciate the fact that the services are nearby, which in turn reduces the need to travel by car, which is still of great value in terms of the environment."
A river in the middle of the city
The residential area of Penttilänranta fits into the vision of the Symmetrical City of Joensuu, which aims to expand the city center on the east bank of the Pielisjoki by developing the area into a unified whole. The numbers aim for 3500 new jobs and 6000 new residents. In addition, the goal is to densify the urban structure, work traffic arrangements and increase the comfort of residents.
"In practice, we are moving the river to the middle of the city by developing downtown-like construction in new areas. There are already several large projects underway, such as the ongoing development of the Joensuu station area," says Näätänen
The development of a symmetrical city means a cake of about one billion euros, of which public money is about 200 million and private money is 800 million.
"We strongly believe that our goals will come true. Some private money projects have already started and more are coming. We can't promise that everything will be ready next year, but in line with the goals in 2030."
Investments as needed
Joensuu has also taken over the infrastructure inventory in a model way. With the service provider, e.g. determined the condition of street assets, estimated the amount of repair debt, and prepared analyzes and forecasts.
"The purpose has been to develop asset condition management, prepare uniform condition classifications, determine the amount of repair debt and assess its development, and utilize the results in investment planning and financing management," describes Näätänen.
"Now, for example, we know how much we need to invest in order to get the street property in a reasonable condition or how much to get it in a condition similar to new. Since the available investment money is limited, with the help of information we are able to target investments where the need is greatest."
The facts bite the decision-makers
Näätänen emphasizes that repair needs and allocation of investments must be justified based on information. The greatest need is not necessarily where the loudest people can be found. The ultimate goal is to keep the infrastructure in good working order and the services in good condition.
"Facts bite in political decision-making. It may not always be easy, but repeating the arguments is worth it. Miracles don't happen in one election term, so you have to remember to repeat your message again and again from one election term to the next, even if sometimes it feels like this has already been said."
"It's always about big money. Building a new one is easy to see, but maintaining and developing the old one is also important. This message should be promoted and repeated."
Private services to help
Many municipalities have to struggle with the repair debt increased by the associations of municipalities. What is the situation like in Joensuu?
"We are also familiar with the situation. Four municipalities have joined Joensuu, which have been built and whose infrastructure has been managed in different ways. From the repair debt analysis, we see that there are quite a lot of problems, especially in the residential streets of the connecting areas," Näätänen answers.
"A unified tool is also necessary here so that we know how to put funding in acute places. Since there is little staff in the fragmented connection area, we have found private service production to be a working model in managing the areas. When the operating methods and contract models are uniform, we are able to act equitably and ensure a uniform level of quality."
Regional contracts produce results. In the maintenance of streets and public areas, the operating model has reduced costs in the contract area by approximately 15 percent.
More success recipes for municipalities: Infra.fi/Resepti >