City architect: Tallinn's city center is losing its pulse
Central Tallinn is losing its vibrancy as offices in the Estonian capital sit empty and residents and businesses move outward, city architect Andro Mänd said.
Upscale quarters are replacing old commercial buildings in Tallinn. "Commercial buildings and offices are changing, not just in Estonia but worldwide," Mänd said, adding that older offices with small cubicles and narrow corridors are the first to go vacant.
"Everyone wants Google-style offices with ping-pong tables and open spaces," he continued. New buildings that offer this have a clear market advantage.
The rise of empty office buildings, however, poses a major challenge. Mänd said Tallinn has allowed commercial spaces to leave the city center too easily.
"Right now, large office buildings in the city center are standing empty, and we've let life drift away from the heart of the city," he acknowledged. "And when life leaves downtown, that doesn't jus affect the city center, it affects the entire city."
Since the 2001 citywide master plan, city planning in Tallinn has shifted to district-level plans — and all but Põhja-Tallinn and the City Center District are now covered. The latter two are also among the fastest developing in town.
"That's why we're launching a new citywide plan this fall," Mänd said, adding that the goal is a complete picture of the capital. "District plans alone can't manage citywide networks," he explained.
The Põhja-Tallinn plan was on the agenda for Thursday's Tallinn City Council meeting. Once passed, the next step is public disclosure, letting residents and developments submit proposals and feedback — and by law, every comment must be considered and addressed.
"If it doesn't pass, it'll end up dragging on for months again," Mänd said.
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Editor: Neit-Eerik Nestor, Aili Vahtla
