Nordicum - Real Estate Annual Finland 2015 | Page 47

says. Not to be outdone by Tripla, REDI will be another great example of the “Experience Economy”. The concept, honed by the developer SRV, will combine seaside atmosphere, high-rise buildings and superb connections. There is also something else which distinguishes Kalasatama from other urban development projects out there. TEKES (The Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation) chose Kalasatama to be the very first pilot in its national Smart Cities programme. Implemented by the City of Helsinki, the project will develop Kalasatama into a model district of smart urban development – with open data as one key driver. Next-Practice? – Yes, Please! “Smart Kalasatama” aims to put the best practices of the future into a test in real life, as living lab attitudes are taking root in the area. Various smart development activities have been planned for Kalasatama or have already been started in the district. Perhaps the most far-reaching among them is a smart energy project – carried out by Helen, ABB and Fingrid – which will turn the district into a testbed for ambitious smart grids. This means, among other things, that residents can produce energy themselves. As part of the smart traffic agenda, the use of electric cars is encouraged in Kalasatama and other new solutions with regards to smart transportation and traffic will be tried out here, too. In line with the green ideology, Kalasatama also features an underground waste collection system. Kalasatama will be different from similar international projects, since the district will not rely on a single technology or scheme – but, instead, the pilot seeks to develop Kalasatama comprehensively into a smart city district on a broad basis. The “Kalasatama Spirit” is very much about launching pilots to find out what works and what does not