In a child-friendly municipality, children’s voices are heard even before construction begins – the traffic park is being designed based on children’s wishes

Children’s long-held wish for a traffic park is finally coming true. Planning has begun for the traffic park to be built at the Tuusula Sports Centre, and those most directly affected by the project – the children – have been involved in the process. Listening to children’s views right from the early stages of planning is an important part of Tuusula’s work to become a child-friendly municipality.

In the workshops, children aged 5–8 had the chance to share their ideas on what a traffic park should be like. The aim was to listen to the children’s wishes and highlight the observations they make in their everyday lives – observations that adults might not even notice.

– The children’s ideas were surprisingly insightful and practical. They saw the park as a whole, combining play, learning and practising how to move around safely in traffic, says Viivi Tasso, a landscape architect who acted as a facilitator in the workshops.

During the workshop, the children were able to design a park using Lego bricks, discuss the theme, come up with ideas for movement and draw out routes. The children’s ideas were surprisingly detailed. They wanted the park to have clear traffic features, such as winding paths, bridges and underpasses, pedestrian crossings and traffic lights.

We hope the park will be an inspiring and green environment

The children’s views paint a picture of an environment that is both inspiring and educational, safe and full of opportunities for adventure. Nature and greenery were important to the children: they wanted flowers, trees, bushes and even a small copse in the park. A water feature, such as a small pond or pool where they could play with remote-controlled boats, was also at the top of many wish lists.

The park was seen as a place where children could both play and learn. Children hoped for opportunities to practise road safety rules, familiarise themselves with different modes of transport and try out moving around safely in a place resembling a real traffic environment. Lego constructions were teeming with pedal cars, bicycles, scooters, emergency vehicles and even construction machinery. Many also suggested a mini-town featuring a fire station, a petrol station or perhaps a toy shop. There were also calls for a virtual town where children could practise and learn how to navigate real-world traffic before venturing onto the actual track.

– And then there’d be a game where you could practise driving a car virtually, says Valma, a Year 2 pupil who took part in the workshop.

The importance of services and practical matters was also evident in the children’s thoughts. They felt it was important for the park to have a place to eat snacks and, if possible, a kiosk or café. They were particular about safety: they wanted the area to be fenced off and considered storage solutions for vehicles to prevent vandalism.

What happens next?

The results of the children’s workshops will be used in the detailed planning of the traffic park. The aim is to have the draft plan available for public viewing before the end of this year. The council will provide updates on the draft plan and the progress of the project on its website once it is finalised.

The results of the workshops, organised in collaboration between the council’s engagement team, the parks and leisure department and the public works department, provide planners with a solid foundation on which to continue the design of the transport park. By listening to and involving children, we are building environments that spring from the children’s own wishes – and invite the whole family to share in the experience.

This content has been translated using AI