‘The park has a small pond, over which brave children may slide on a zip wire’ – Children participated in city planning in Pupuhuhta

The children became acquainted with the planning of the park in their own daily lives.  To support the brainstorming, a method guide, maps and presentations of the area were sent to the daycare school.  The thought was to obtain ideas and suggestions to support the work of the greenery designer. 

Activities and staying occupied

‘I come to the Pupuhuhta park.  First I see a blue, long and straight water slide.  Nearby the Pupumuori statue I observe large yellow parkour stones, side by side.  The stones are of different heights and shapes.’  Class 1 B

In the children’s ideas the park was constructed from many different parts. Functionality was emphasized: the children devised climbing and hanging places, slides, playgrounds, and agility spaces.  Also, a suspension bridge, swings, a labyrinth, and a trampoline were among the proposals.  Natural materials were used in some of the plans, and others exploited the traditional playground equipment.   Also, making things with their hands and being occupied interested the children, because a sandpit and construction area were desired. 

Verdant and cozy 

‘A little further down, in the middle of the grass, rises a tall fountain.  On a hot day one can go and cool off under the fountain.’  Class 1 B

The children value coziness and the fact that they could peacefully spend time in the park.  Picnic tables, barbeque, campfire site and a water feature, such as a fountain or a pond, were mentioned in many plans.  The drawings also illustrated flowers, a cherry tree and of course a carrot patch since a carrot is Pupumuori’s greatest treat. 

The children’s ideas end up on the designer’s table 

The planning of the new recreation park in Pupuhuhta will be started in the early summer and should be completed by the end of the year.  Besides the children’s plans, earlier feedback received from the local residents will be taken into consideration in the planning of the park.  

- There are many viable ideas in the children’s plans, the most appetizing of which I will pick for the planning of the park, says the landscape designer Eveliina Keski-Korpi. The idea is to present a draft park design to the local residents in August, as a pop-up event.  Furthermore, the lighting of the Pupumuori statue will be tested possibly also at the City of Light event at the end of September.  

A continuation for the Sustainable City project 

The alteration to the development plan for the area was accepted at the beginning of May.  Pupuhuhta school, situated in the area, was demolished and its pupils were transferred to other schools in the Huhtasuo district.  Zoning of the apartment-dominated building stock in Pupuhuhta will be further diversified by the introduction of smaller-scale residential housing.

Support for the alteration of the plan has been received from the Sustainable Cities programme of the Ministry of the Environment, in which the city of Jyväskylä was involved in a project known as Participation in the Multicultural Urban Environment. As a part of the land use plan, new ways to participate in planning have been developed in the multicultural area. The methods have been discussed with the residents and collaborators.  The results have been included into the planning solution, and the dialogue with the residential team has continued during the drafting of the plan.  

The national Suburb Programme project also in the background 

Collaboration with the daycare centres and schools of the area is included in the Well-being and Vitality for Huhtasuo project.  The project is part of the national Suburb Programme 2020-2022, coordinated by the Ministry of the Environment.  The participation of children and young people is also part of the principles of UNICEF’s Child-Friendly Cities.  The City of Jyväskylä has enjoyed ‘Child-Friendly Municipality’ status recognition since the year 2018.