3D city model created for Lappeenranta city centre: take a look into year 2050 and comment on current issues

The city of Lappeenranta presented a 3D model of the city centre to the public during the Greenreality Carnival. The model has also been published online and can be viewed in the Mapgets platform. We recommend using Google Chrome to view the model. The model gives you an idea about what Lappeenranta could look like in 2050. Residents can also take a survey to give feedback on current urban development projects by 30 September.

To see the model, click this link or copy the address to the address bar of your Chrome browser.

The 3D city model is part of the Urban Infra Revolution (UIR) project. The city of Lappeenranta has teamed up with businesses, LUT University and LAB University of Applied Sciences to develop a new kind of concrete-like material from industrial side streams and a 3D printing technology for utilising it.

Advisor Terhi Jantunen from the city’s Greenreality services says that the purpose of the project is also to develop new tools for improving resident involvement. The published city model is one of the project’s results.

“The city model was designed in cooperation with LAB University of Applied Sciences and design agency Design Reform. 3D modelling makes it easier for people to understand and comment on planned developments. To give an example, the location of the multi-purpose arena has raised a lot of discussion. Tools like the city model make it easier to see how the building integrates into the city,” Jantunen describes.

The 3D model is accompanied by a survey to allow people to give feedback on topical areas in the city centre, such as the Marian Aukio square and the skate park in the Paasikivi Park.

“The survey focuses on concrete and current topics, such as the new sports facility in Paasikivi Park, which was completed this spring. Feedback is important to us. The results of the survey can be used in urban planning to develop the city centre,” Jantunen says.

You can participate in the survey even if you have not viewed the model. To take the survey, click on this link (in Finnish).

The project’s aim was to create long-term visions. The concrete-like material, which is made from recycled materials and used in 3D printing, did not exist before. The idea was to have a city model with bold ideas. Various project participants worked in cooperation to create a vision for Lappeenranta in 2050.

“We organised a workshop at the University of Applied Sciences to let participants come up with new ideas for the future of the city. The results of this workshop were incorporated into the city model. The model also explores how we could increase the number of green areas in the city centre, make the city’s structure more compact and combine areas,” Jantunen says.

The city model of Lappeenranta will be updated later in the autumn with new content.

“The city model will be complemented later on, and residents will be able to view different options. Later on, people will be given the possibility to compare the current cityscape to Lappeenranta in 2030. The model will also include the 2018 New Urban Products Idea Competition finalists and the works created by students of Pontus School as a part of an optional 3D modelling course,” says Jantunen.