Together with the Estonian Association of Architects, Tallinn University organized an architectural competition for the section of Narva maantee in front of its campus. After announcing the winner, the university stated that, according to the winning design, the street section would become a green boulevard and an urban space accommodating all types of users.

Tallinn University Chancellor Kristi Vinter told ERR that the next step is to develop the winning concept into a full design — refining both the street-space solutions and the outdoor exhibition concept.

"The next phase focuses on turning the competition idea into a realistic and feasible solution. Ideally, the design work could be completed this year, after which it would in principle be possible to move on to construction, allowing work to begin as early as next spring if the university decides to proceed," Vinter said.

According to the winning proposal, the number of traffic lanes on this stretch of Narva Road would be reduced, and the tram stops would be shifted toward the city center. The historic tree-lined boulevard would also be restored.

However, the city is dissatisfied. Deputy Mayor Kristjan Järvan (Isamaa) told ERR that the city's positions were largely ignored during the competition, resulting in a design that is difficult — if not impossible — to implement.

"If the street's urban design solution has not actually been coordinated with city departments, especially the Tallinn Transport Department, then the hope of ever implementing it is very small — if not nonexistent — and the city pointed this out earlier," Järvan said.

While representatives from the city's Environment and Public Works Department and City Planning Department were on the jury, Järvan noted that when it came time to choose the winning entry, a key question was whether to select a design that could realistically be fully implemented — especially on Narva maantee — or not. "My understanding is that the jury chose not to bind itself to that and instead focused more on the design's conceptual unity and coherence," he said.

City opposes lane reductions

Confusion was also caused by a change in city leadership. Planning for the architectural competition began in August last year, when the previous city government introduced a bicycle lane project for Narva maantee. Elections followed, and the administration changed. The current city government halted that project in January this year.

"However, during close cooperation with various city departments last autumn, it was agreed that the winning design would still be considered in new plans. Cooperation with the city will continue when work begins, even if the city itself does not proceed with reconstructing Narva maantee," Vinter said.

Järvan confirmed that the city currently has no such plans. Instead, it will focus on redesigning Petrooleumi tänav, including the intersection with Narva maantee. He added that the university may have gotten slightly ahead of itself with the plans presented in the winning design.

"The main issue with the press release issued by Tallinn University is that it creates the impression that Narva maantee will be fully reconstructed and will look like this in the future, even though all parties understand this is not the case," he said.

Järvan emphasized that reducing the number of lanes on this section is not possible. This was also the reason the city abandoned the EU co-funded bicycle lane project: reducing car lanes was not acceptable to the current administration.

"The winning proposal also changes tram stops and reduces traffic lanes. This has an impact on the whole city. Simply telling residents of Pirita that they will now spend an extra hour commuting home because the university wanted a different street in front of its property — unfortunately, that is not reasonable," the deputy mayor said.

Vinter noted that the competition area was deliberately divided into two parts so the project could be implemented in stages. Cooperation with the city will be necessary at every stage, and multiple city departments were involved during the preparation of the competition.

The winning entry, titled "Sharp Pencils," was created by architect Villem Tomiste of Stuudio Tallinn. The jury particularly praised its human-centered street design and the realistic, phased implementation strategy.

According to plans, work would begin around the university's main entrance, including new crosswalks and the creation of the boulevard.

"It is still too early to say how much the reconstruction will cost. The university will certainly need to invest as well. Since the work can be carried out in stages, more precise costs will become clearer after the ideas are further developed into realistic and implementable solutions that meet the university's requirements," Vinter said.

The winning design calls for preserving the hedge

In the proposed traffic layout, tram tracks remain in the center of the street, with cars and bicycles traveling on separate lanes differentiated by surface materials and elevation. Traffic would be calmed through design features such as cobblestones on the roadway and additional crosswalks. Green strips would be created along both sides of the street to separate pedestrians from moving traffic.

The plan includes green zones with trees, benches, and landscaping on both sides of Narva maantee. The existing dense hedge in front of the university's main building would be preserved. The design notes that this hedge is currently the only high-quality element along Narva maantee and serves year-round as habitat for hundreds of sparrows and blackbirds.

"This hedge must not be destroyed or replaced. Growing a new hedge of comparable density would take 20 years. It can be trimmed slightly lower and openings can be created," the proposal states.

A spacious, terrace-like public area is planned in front of the main building, featuring seating areas, meeting places, and cafés. One of the core ideas is to make the university more open and inviting — for example, by opening the ground floor of the Astra building toward the street and extending the gallery directly into the urban space.

Järvan acknowledged that the aspects of the design located on university-owned land look good and are certainly functional. He also saw no issues with the sidewalk-related parts.

The idea of Narva maantee as a boulevard is not new: historically, it was lined with trees, many of which were removed during the occupation period and later in the 1990s and early 2000s.

"The original grandeur of Narva maantee from the 1930s has long since been lost, and today it has become one of the poorest-quality streetscapes in Tallinn," Vinter said, who also chaired the jury.

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