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The Town Hall Square summer park, which was first established last year in “Green Tracks” project, will be opened again : at the beginning of May, benches, a stage and pavilions will be brought to the square, and the park will be in full greenery by the beginning of June.

“We are happy that the furniture and landscaping that were on the Town Hall Square last year will return to their place and will please the townspeople again this year. The temporary park proved that there are never too many places to sit in urban space, and new places to spend time in the fresh air are highly appreciated. Also not far from the Town Hall Square – Tallinn’s Freedom Square will hopefully have new benches and landscaping by mid-summer,” said Riho Kangur, Senior Deputy of Kesklinn.

The authors of the Town Hall Square summer park are Ann Kristiin Entson, an architect-urban planner from Tallinn Strategy Center, and Hannes Aava, a landscape designer, who created a park with versatile leisure opportunities on the square that used to be idle space during the summertime. Now, at the park, one can sit and read books from the bookshelves furnished by the National Library of Estonia, hang out in hanging chairs or watch concerts and performances on the park’s outdoor stage.

This year, the park is undergoing a small renovation. “The summer park is re-planned a bit this year – as one of the principles of tactical urbanism is quick experiments and testing of different options in urban space. According to last year’s feedback from the park users and locals, we will change the layout of the park bench modules and adjust the selection of plants as well,” says Liina-Liis Urke, head of public space planning at Tallinn Urban Environment and Public Works Department.

Last summer and autumn, SEI Tallinn also conducted a study on the use of the Town Hall Square park, which showed that the park fulfilled the city’s goals of enlivening the old town, creating a hangout place for locals and a space free of consumption. The park was well received by both locals and tourists: the feedback was overwhelmingly positive with high expectation for it’s return. For the users, the park turned the Town Hall square into a graet place for spending time and gathering in the summer, where it was good to take time out and just be. “It is very pleasant to see that the goal we set was achieved and that the summer park did not remain just a one-year test, but will return this year as well,” says Ann Kristiin Entson, one of the authors of the park.

In addition, the park was also recognized by professionals, being a nominee of the Estonian Landscape Architects Association annual award.

The Green Tracks project was born last year in the year of the European Green Capital from Tallinn’s desire to improve the quality of urban space, bring new greenery to the city, support the development of inner-city green networks, and test new urban spatial solutions with tactical urbanism. In addition to the Town Hall Square park, the area at the mouth of the Pirita river and the area around Linnahall got a new look last year, flowermeadows and foodgroves  were laid all over the city, and several hundred shadetrees were planted. This year, Trassipark by Liivalaia street and new looks of residential centers in Lasnamäe and Nõmme districts will be completed.

Photo: Tõnu Tunnel