Otaniemi Ecosystem Services Mapped in ABE

Aalto Built Environment Laboratory (ABE) hosted a Climate KIC Pioneers into Practice pioneer for a month in May/June. During her stay, Pirjo Jantunen, an environmental specialist from Helen (previously Helsingin Energia) mapped ecosystem services in Otaniemi. The mapping was done mainly based on public databases and reports.

The mapping provides a new angle for the Otaniemi development process. In addition, the mapping will be used as a base information in Hanasaari Nordic Case Competition featuring Otaniemi Strandpath (Rantaraitti) as one of the topics.

Climate KIC Pioneers into Practice is a EU programme through which Low Carbon Economy professionals spend two four-week placements with host organizations. The idea is to spread and exchange expertise related to Low Carbon Economy and help to create new products and services in the field of the climate change.

Otaniemi ecosystem services were mapped with The Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services (CICES). The CICES classification is divided into provisioning, regulation and cultural services. During the mapping, Jantunen found that many databases already contain data about Otaniemi area ecosystem services but many things would require more research. What is more, the data about ecosystem services could be better used in the future to guide sustainable land use planning.

When it comes to readily available databases related to the ecosystem services, there are several related to the quality and nature of the land and water. Other examples are the crowdsourced Satokartta for food producing trees and bushes on public land and a report how forests are used by schools and kindergartens by the Espoo city (see Tärkeät lähimetsät - Espoon koulu- ja päiväkotimetsäselvitys 2013).

More information: Katri Pulkkinen (@aalto.fi).