VOLTA BLOG | Four ways in which North Tallinn is Tallinn’s greenest district

One of the greatest riches of North Tallinn is its ample greenery: a long stretch of seaside, beautiful beaches, a secluded nature reserve with a bird watching area, hiking trails and more parks and greenery than in several other districts put together.

In addition to maintaining and protecting the existing greenery, the city works hard in order to make local life as environmentally friendly and comfortable for people as possible.

Functional greenery

Parks and other green areas in the city must be designed in perfect harmony with the infrastructure and population density of each area. This requires all parks and green spaces to be situated sufficiently far away from major highways and traffic noise in order to offer residents in the area quiet and peaceful spaces to retreat to from busy city life.

Great examples of functional greenery in North Tallinn are Kopli park and the recently restored Kase park which is slightly wilder in both appearance and nature. Another quiet and beautiful park is situated in Kalamaja, with Noblessner marina and a beach promenade on one side and Volta quarter on the other. In the very middle of Volta quarter, another new functional park with lots of greenery and leisure areas for all ages will be built soon.

The new park is designed to be sheltered from the hustle and bustle of the city so as to offer future residents of the quarter a private and quiet place to spend time with friends and family. The park will feature clever and modern playgrounds for all ages, ping-pong tables, a petanque court, a place to exercise and spend time with your four-legged friends. Plenty of fruit trees and bushes will be planted throughout the whole park.

Those longing for a true nature getaway, can head straight to Paljassaare nature reserve with its many hiking trails through the forest and meadows and along the shoreline with beautiful views of the sea high up on the cliffs. Paljassaare reserve is home to the highest number of different bird species in Tallinn which can be observed from the watchtower, as well as Highland cattle grazing in the meadows each year from early spring until late autumn.

Quiet hiking trails can also be found in the small forest area running parallel to Stroomi beach. Up until recently, a new highway was planned right through the forest but the inhabitants of North Tallinn who love and value nature rejected that idea for good. Today, Merimetsa area is under local protection and will soon have a new bikeway to reduce car traffic.

Lets drive less

Large-scale development projects and population growth are predicted to bring up to 30 000 new inhabitants to North Tallinn. The city must actively take steps in order to avoid the district being flooded by cars.

This summer, the first bigger change in traffic regulations took place in Kalamaja. The goal was to limit the number of cars passing through the many narrow streets of Kalamaja and to make traffic safer for pedestrians and cyclists. The majority of car traffic was directed outside of Kalamaja which enabled the city to create a new two-way bikeway on Rannamäe tee. The new bikeway completes the new circular bikeway around Old town.

Another positive effect of lighter traffic is that public transport becomes faster and more user-friendly. If public transport surpasses car traffic in speed and efficiency, people will start to prefer traveling via buses and trams instead of cars.

The Volta quarter in the heart of Kalamaja has also opted for an urban environment tailored primarily to pedestrians and cyclists. Parking will be entirely underground and the quiet and peaceful streets of the quarter are meant for pedestrians and cyclists alone. The location of the quarter allows its inhabitants to commute easily by foot, bike or public transport because all your daily needs and destinations are just 10-15 minutes away.

Walk or bike

A large proportion of people living in North Tallinn are already choosing to commute by foot or bike daily.  The journey from Kalamaja to city centre via Kalaranna street takes 5-10 minutes and the journey from Kopli to Baltic Station 10-12 minutes.

To make life even better for cyclists and pedestrians in the future, the city plans to update the district’s infrastructure bit by bit. First, the stretch of road starting from Telliskivi Rimi, which at present day functions as a parking lot with no road for pedestrians, will become Kass Arturi (named after the famous local cat Arthur) promenade in the future. The new promenade will run parallel to the tramway from Malmi street to Graniidi street. The project includes plans for greenery, benches, swings, stands for selling food and goods, a public drinking fountain and a gallery. The maximum speed for cars driving by the promenade is 20 km per hour.

Another major project in North Tallinn is the Vana-Kalamaja street which establishes a direct connection between Kalamaja district and Old Town, limiting car traffic in the area and making the streets a more pleasant place for pedestrians and cyclists. The calm and quiet main street will be home to a variety of little shops and cafes. The reconstruction of Vana-Kalamaja street began this summer and will be completed by August 2023.

A new railway?

In addition to improving the existing roads and infrastructure, the city has a couple of more intriguing ideas in mind. A zoning plan of Tallinn valid until 2038 sees the development of bikeways as well as expanding the existing tramways. One idea is to build a tramway to Paljassaare or Stroomi beach. The zoning plan includes another hugely popular idea: to restore large-scale train traffic in North Tallinn.

As a former industrial district, North Tallinn has an extensive railway network, developed for the transportation of goods during the past century. The railroads connect the tip of Kopli peninsula, Volta, Krulli, Telliskivi and Skoone bastion area. In the present day, the railway from Kopli could easily be connected to the railways leading to the city centre and Ülemiste district.

Public transportation is already considerably faster than car traffic in many areas but railway traffic between Kopli and Ülemiste would surpass even trams and buses. Trains would help curtail the heavy traffic load of North Tallinn and reduce the need for a personal car and help transform the city into a truly peaceful and safe environment for all.

You can follow the progress on the Volta Quarter by visiting the Volta website.