Mervi Huhtelin plans solutions for the future of Tampere
After working for the construction company NCC and University Properties of Finland for a long period, Project Development Manager Mervi Huhtelin joined the City of Tampere three years ago. The start date recorded in her employment contract was the April Fools' Day.
– This was my choice, because you need a sense of humour in working life, too, Huhtelin says, smiling.
Her friends spotted the vacancy for a project development manager and encouraged her to apply. The recruitment process was over in a month, indicating that the candidate's and employer's views were well in line.
– The time was ripe for this turning point, as I had worked for University Properties of Finland for 13 years, and their new strategy was no longer the best match with my personal interests, Huhtelin explains.
Working on an underground city, Kaupinlaakso and Nurmi
Mervi Huhtelin's role in Tampere involves strategic development of projects whose impacts are measured in billions and which must remain effective for up to hundreds of years. For example, she is currently working on the underground Tampere and centralised above-ground parking facilities as well as the new residential areas of Kaupinlaakso and Nurmi golf course.
Huhtelin explains that taking cars underground will make room for other activities above the ground. Underground construction, if anything, requires thinking ahead. Once a cave has been excavated, it can no longer be filled in.
– You also have to think about what you might find above the ground in 400 years’ time, and where. And of course, we need to consider what else you can build underground in addition to parking facilities. Underground spaces can keep many important functions safe, including data centers.
– Contemplating such large-scale complexes and multiple options is precisely what I like about my work, and it is also what I do best. I want to be on the side of the goodies, and when I work for the city, I can do good things for a large number of people. Such plans cover the whole spectrum of life, and to help manage this task, the city employs people with really diverse expertise, she says.
One of Huhtelin's key ideas is to combine business, people and nature.
– Projects cannot go ahead without economic resources, but they must be there for people. And they cannot be sustainable unless you think of the environment, she points out.
Planning involves choices
While she was working for University Properties of Finland, Mervi Huhtelin sometimes produced hundreds of scenarios describing the consequences of different economic choices and, on this basis, determined what was feasible and what was not. She finds that this was one of the turning points for her. While she was employed by NCC, she already learned that choices and exclusions are necessary as every plan cannot go ahead.
– As the Campus Arena in Hervanta was being planned, I realised that when people have the same interests and objectives, they will work together to achieve them, whatever their backgrounds. I think we should see what people have in common, rather than focusing on differences.
"I want to be on the side of the goodies, and when I work for the city, I can do good things for a large number of people."
Huhtelin loves her current job. She finds it inspiring and meaningful. She has not come across things in her work that she would not be comfortable with.
– However, you should encounter and overcome challenges, not expect that every day will be like a child's play.
She also says that her current job has taught her to be more forgiving towards herself and to realise that the end result is often better if you do not overthink things.
Consideration for others works
In the future, Huhtelin hopes to get back to teaching at university. She had a lecture series of her own for five years, and sharing information with others is important for her. She also wants to study new things, as she has done all her life.
– I was working on my doctoral dissertation for ten years alongside work, child-rearing and building a house. It took a lot of perseverance and determination. On the other hand, I am used to doing lots of things at the same time.
Huhtelin has always been interested in the arts, and currently she has been inspired to build a mannequin to her measurements and use it to make a dress. The mannequin stands in the window of Huhtelin's home for passers-by to admire.
Huhtelin has a word of advice for anyone who is about to enter the world of work and also those already in it.
– Listen to your heart, but also listen to others. Take others into consideration and involve them in discussions to get support for your decisions and actions. No one can manage these big projects alone, she points out.
Mervi Huhtelin
- Project Development Manager in Strategic Urban Development
- Doctor of Science (Technology) from the University of Tampere, Master of Science in Technology, Authorised Estate Agent, several other qualifications
- favourite place in Tampere: surroundings of Lake Kaukajärvi
- hobbies: horse riding, nature activities, Pilates, arts, gardening and exercise
- Wow! While Huhtelin is not into motorcycling, she has taken photographs of the Isle of Man motorcycle race and written a three-piece article series about it for the Motorrad magazine.
