Hippospuisto Park Scruffy With Graffiti as Hakametsä Ice-hall Rebuild Looms
Hippospuisto, the small park between Kaleva and Hakametsä, looks neglected with graffitied bins, boarded windows and only 20‑cm grass, even though reconstruction work at the Hakametsä ice hall is due to start next year and finish by 2035.
Graffitied bins, cardboard-covered windows and just 20-centimetre grass give Hippospuisto a neglected look. The small park between Kaleva and Hakametsä in Tampere remains in this state even as reconstruction of the corners of the Hakametsä ice hall is scheduled to begin next year and finish by 2035, according to Aamulehti.
Nearby Tapiolanpuisto and Kalevanpuisto are maintained as R3-class recreational green areas, with trimmed lawns and flowerbeds. Hippospuisto is classified one tier lower as a protective and transitional green area meant to shield the neighbourhood from traffic noise with dense, layered vegetation.
Locals use Hippospuisto for running, dog walking and short journeys to school and work. Residents say the park's current condition clashes with newly built apartment blocks that sell the appeal of living next to nature.
City officials say the park's noise-protection role explains the lower level of upkeep. Critics argue Tampere's reputation for bold projects should be matched by everyday maintenance; parks deserve care now, not only once large construction arrives next door.
Catch the full story over at Aamulehti
