The redevelopment of the Metsäniitty early childhood education and care centre and school playground is one of the pilot projects under Tampere’s SMARTER initiative. Funded by the EU’s Horizon Europe programme, the project is developing solutions to help cities adapt to the impacts of climate change and strengthen the sustainability of urban environments.
In Metsäniitty, the aim has been to combine children’s wellbeing, biodiversity and adaptation to climate change within a single investment. The playground has been enhanced with additional vegetation, green spaces, natural stormwater management and shade, all of which help to prepare for heavy rainfall and heatwaves.
During the refurbishment, particular attention has been paid to children’s daily contact with nature. A wide variety of plants and various natural materials, such as bio-sand, have been introduced into the playground, offering children new opportunities to play, observe and explore their environment.
Vegetation and other natural elements can also be utilised as part of early childhood education and care. The playground offers opportunities to explore, for example, the cycle of nature, the changing seasons, pollinators and biodiversity as part of everyday activities.
The children have been actively involved in the design of the playground. They were given the chance to explore the options and vote for their favourite solutions, on the basis of which the final choices were made.
The Metsäniitty playground serves as a test bed in a real urban environment, and the lessons learnt can be utilised in future playground and regeneration projects in Tampere and elsewhere.
The impact of the redevelopment is being monitored in collaboration with the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) both before and after implementation. This monitoring will provide information on how nature-based solutions affect, for example, children’s wellbeing, environmental quality and adaptation to climate change.
The final section of the playground will be completed at a later date as part of the refurbishment of the older part of the building at an early childhood education and care centre. This will mark the completion of the entire project.
The Metsäniitty playground is part of the international SMARTER project, which develops solutions for adapting to climate change in urban environments. The aim is to create operational models that will enable climate resilience to be integrated into municipalities’ normal planning, investment and construction work.
From 22 to 24 September, Tampere will host the SMARTER project’s international annual meeting, which will be attended by project partners from several European countries. The Metsäniitty pilot provides a concrete example of how the solutions developed in the project can be applied in practice.
At the same time, the pilot supports Tampere’s climate targets and the development of the Annala and Kaukajärvi areas.
– The revamped Metsäniitty playground combines children’s wellbeing, biodiversity and adaptation to climate change. The aim has not merely been to renovate the courtyard, but to gain practical experience of solutions that can be utilised in future investmentand construction projects in Tampere and elsewhere,” says Harri Mannonen, Senior Property Manager at Tampereen Tilapalvelut Oy.
