Green, greener, Skanssi

New ways of more nature-friendly living

Skanssi offers a lot more than just the Skanssi shopping centre with its diversity of shops and services. The aim for this growing neighbourhood is to create diverse opportunities for communal and environmentally aware choices. The systematic development work pays special attention to the ecological aspects of living in the area.

Ecological aspects are taken into account in the structural design of the area, in construction and in building use. Efforts have been made to ensure cost-effective design solutions, taking account of the entire lifecycle of the building stock and supporting the use of renewable energy sources. Skanssi provides great access to shared facilities and services and, in terms of mobility, there is a focus on public transport, cycling and walking.

More traditional recycling opportunities are also available: for example, check out the Reuseful second-hand store opened at Skanssi shopping centre in summer 2023.

A view from Skanssi shopping center

Running in the woods, disc golf or nature adventures?

Skanssi is an excellent area for those into spending time outdoors, as the leafy environment features a large number of forest roads and tracks. The district is surrounded by the Levonhaka forest, Skanssinmäki esker area and Skanssinmetsä forest, and Skanssi central park is located in the middle of the area. A popular walking route passes through Skanssi and takes you west through Katariinanlaakso to the Ispoinen fitness trail and Luolavuori, while towards the east the route stretches all the way to Lehmusvalkama and, via the Lauste fitness trail, to Kaarina Central Sports Park.

The massively large Lauste disc golf course is also located nearby. For more training opportunities, Skanssi shopping centre also has a gym.
And if you feel like doing something a bit different, you can visit Flowpark, the biggest adventure park in Finland. The park boasts 19 adventure courses and almost 140 different tasks providing a challenge for everyone with a spirit for adventure regardless of their age.

Skanssi – for active and environmentally aware people

Also being developed in the area is Skanssi Biodiversity Park, a new approach to responding to biodiversity loss and increasing biodiversity in urban green areas. A biodiversity park differs from traditional nature reserves in that it involves not only conserving but also actively increasing biodiverse nature.

The park will also become an attractive area for the city’s residents to spend time in and learn about nature. Thanks to its varied nature, Skanssi is an excellent pilot site: the area has forests of different ages, a small water area, sandy slopes, an old gravel pit site, newer vegetation, old yards and new landscape fields. The biodiversity project creates new operating models for the development and improvement of areas including open and wooded habitats as well as habitats with human residences.

Latest technology

By the early 2030s, Skanssi will receive around 8,000 new residents, who will be able to enjoy not only the green environment but also the latest housing technology solutions. The two-way district heating network in Skanssi is believed to be the first of its kind in the entire world. It will enable heat generated in the properties to be sold for wider distribution and increases in the use of renewable energy sources in heat production.

The aim in Skanssi is to also research and develop various local heat production solutions such as geothermal heat, energy piles, solar collectors, condensing heat from cooling, and heat storage. Brand new approaches also include making use of the district’s stormwater in watering plants.

Activities for young people, services for all

In addition to being a shopping centre with shops and restaurants, Skanssi also features the Citizen Service Centre Monitori, a joint service centre of the City of Turku, the Wellbeing Services County of Southwest Finland and Kela. At Monitori you will find, for example, public transport tickets, fishing licenses, Kela services and advisory services for families. Monitori also has a library and an outlet where you can buy products from the youth workshop Fendari.

Floor 2 of Skanssi shopping centre features a youth centre where you can meet friends, play games and take part in activities under the guidance of trained youth workers. All you need is to be interested, be aged 9–18 and hold the Youth Card. The card is free and you can get it at any youth centre.