Residential blocks next to Vuoresaukio – architectural competition results in updated local detailed plan, now available for review
The planned area in Vuores, south of Särkijärvi and 8 kilometres south of the city centre, covers roughly 2.6 hectares. The area is located to the east of Vuoreksen puistokatu and includes a part of the street.
The limits of the area are Asuntamaanrinne to the north, major pedestrian and cycling route Vuoresraitti in the east, and existing residential blocks. The City of Tampere owns the planned area. There is no natural environment in the area.
Focus on housing
Previous plans for city blocks with business premises have not been realised, and due to changes in commercial structures, the plans included too many business premises. The change in the local detailed plan eliminates some of the unrealised construction rights for business premises. This allows for an increase in construction rights for housing, boosting the population in Vuores and strengthening the area’s residential character.
There was an existing plan, which was the result of a plot competition, but its only realised part so far had been business centre Klaava. In 2024, the City of Tampere and the Finnish Association of Architects SAFA held an architectural competition based on the unrealised blocks.
– When Vuores was first created, an architectural competition also provided a solution on which the new district was based. New ideas and modern design solutions will help us build the central part of Vuores, which is still missing,” says Hanna Montonen, Manager of City Planning.
The winner of the competition was Vihreä vuo, the proposal by Luo Arkkitehdit, which received praise in the competition’s review for its ideas, block structure and handling of the central square, as well as the phased structural parking.
Traffic through additional housing
The new draft of the local detailed plan, which is now available for review, allocates an additional 19,000 square metres for housing construction, boosting the population in Vuores by 400 and strengthening its residential nature. When enacted, the local detailed plan will boost both the population and traffic volume in Vuores.
The local detailed plan includes three different residential blocks, a square, parks, and streets. The residential blocks will feature 4–6-storey blocks of flats and options for business, office, and service premises, which will be spacious and scattered in the area. The southernmost block, named Elinkaarikortteli, can be a site for service housing.
The local distributor road is Vuoreksen puistokatu, which runs north-south on the western side of the plan area. Vuoreksen puistokatu is a main thoroughfare for cars, public transport and cyclists. It connects the centre of Vuores to the city centre of Tampere.
Tram option
There is an option in the area for a tram line and stop on Vuoreksen puistokatu. Even today, there is already a bus stop at Vuoresaukio. If built, a tram line would introduce a new element to Vuoreksen puistokatu and the plan area’s functionality, particularly at Vuoresaukio.
In the general planning for the Vuoreksen puistokatu tram line, its street-side solutions need to be specified to determine the space requirements in the local detailed plan. Vuoreksen puistokatu is a 3.5-kilometre section of the Vuores branch of the tram line, which would run from Sarankulmankatu in Tampere via Lakalaiva and Lahdesjärvi to Vuores. According to current estimates, the Vuores tram line would be built in the early 2040s.
Attractive location for retail and services
There is an allocation for a larger retail store on Vuoreksen puistotie than what is currently there, which, if realised, would boost the attractiveness of the area. It is the goal to create a town centre that is efficient, with mainly structural parking.
The Vuores centre is in the middle of a tightly built residential area with good connections to all of Vuores. From a sustainable accessibility perspective, the centre is the best location in Vuores to run a business. It will have a positive effect on the wider area’s businesses and retail stores, as the growth in population will create customers for other companies and operators in the area.
In addition to grocery shops, the Vuores centre will include restaurants, a lunch café, a gym, a photo shop, a veterinary clinic, beauty and wellness companies, and design offices. Services in Vuores will concentrate on Vuoreksen puistokatu, which is an original design goal of the town centre-type residential area.
Vuores-talo, on the south side of the area, will house facilities for a comprehensive school for grades 1–9 and preschool with a sports hall and classrooms for arts and crafts, the Vuores daycare centre, a well-being and health centre for families with children and a dental clinic. Surrounding the area are extensive recreational areas and the Vuores central park.
Progress in local detailed planning
The preparatory material for the local detailed plan is based on prepared reports, feedback from the initial phase and the reference plan. To support the planning efforts, the city prepared a report on noise, square and yard plans as well as reports on the green factor, storm water, commerce and a preliminary report on bats.
The feedback from the initial phase brought up resident wishes for a clearer centre, services, and a variety of functions. There were also hopes for attractive plants and green areas.
The draft for the local detailed plan and other material, such as the tram line plans for the centre, will be topics for discussion at the public event in Vuores-talo on 12 February 2026 at 5–7 p.m. The event will include planning specialists as well as people in charge of the general tram line plans.
Feedback on the available material may be submitted to the city registry. After the review period and processing of feedback, the local detailed plan will progress into a proposal that will be available for review through the Committee for City Planning.
