Prompt the Change: Let’s Bring Life to Karhupuisto Park’s Empty Corner

There is a strange, always empty corner in Karhupuisto, a park in my neighborhood in Kallio, Helsinki. It’s like a small desert in the middle of the city. Sometimes people play games on the gravel area.

Karhupuisto Park’s gravel-surfaced corner is screaming for a makeover. Photo: Timo Hämäläinen.

On some weekends, people set up tables for a flea market in this corner. But this doesn’t happen often because people usually prefer the middle of the park. Most of the time, about 90%, the park corner is empty and quiet.

This corner could be used in better ways to benefit the community. Good public spaces can make life better in busy city areas. The corner is right in the center of the district, and a lot of people walk along the main street next to it. It’s a great place to add new things to the park.

An UrbanistAI-generated glimpse into the future where the gravel has given way to plants and people.

Adding greenery and flowers is an obvious first move to make the space softer. In the summer, the corner could also host a small café. This would bring more people to the park and make the empty corner the highlight of the neighborhood.

The summer cafe or bar service could be delivered with a hut or a food truck. Image generated with UrbanistAI.

It’s definitely time to turn the mini desert into an urban oasis!

Timo Hämäläinen