Ruissalo 2030 workshops opened joint discussion between Ruissalo residents, entrepreneurs, and developers

What would your dream future Ruissalo look like? How can Ruissalo be developed in an ecologically and socially sustainable manner? These questions were addressed in two Ruissalo-themed future workshops on November 13 and 24.

A group of over thirty Ruissalo residents, entrepreneurs, association representatives, researchers, developers, recreational users, and city employees attended the open workshops to exchange ideas and create a common direction on the topic. The overall theme was approached particularly from the perspective of sustainable mobility.

– People were enthusiastic! The workshops generated many excellent ideas and important new contacts for advancing common goals, commented Maritta Antoniazzi, co-organizer of the workshops.

The workshops were initiated by Ruissalo residents and entrepreneurs Maritta Antoniazzi and Sanna Suomi for the sustainable development of the island. The sustainability and participation project We make transition!, implemented by the Regional Council of Varsinais-Suomi, served as the facilitator of the workshops and simultaneously tested the functionality of the sustainability transition co-development method developed in the project in a situation where residents, rather than the municipal organization, are the initiators of cooperation.

How are charter boats, beautiful toilets, and an early running season connected?

Sustainable transport and mobility in Ruissalo was selected as the opening topic for joint discussion. This focus made it possible to discuss both concrete matters and, through them, the larger picture.

The discussion brought different perspectives together. How is public space managed, what is it like to live and do business in Ruissalo, what happens during events and between them, and how could each activity better take into account the nature reserve and ensure that Ruissalo’s recreational opportunities are accessible to as many people as possible?

The discussion was introduced in the first workshop on November 13 with presentations: Eetu Sonck from Valonia summarized the main features and possibilities of ecosocially sustainable transport in Ruissalo, Tarja Marsh from the City of Turku spoke about Ruissalo’s significant natural values, and Maritta Antoniazzi inspired with ideas related to Ruissalo’s transport. View Antoniazzi’s presentation here:

So how are charter boats, beautiful toilets, and an early running season connected?

Water transport was seen as a distinctive and important form of mobility for Ruissalo, which also offers business opportunities. Public toilets are needed so that when moving around Ruissalo, one can spend slightly more time on journeys than traveling by private car would take. For comfort, it is important that they are beautiful and fit the island’s landscape. Runners, in turn, wear official trails open early in spring, making it perhaps easier for later nature visitors to stay on the trail and leave more pristine natural areas with minimal wear. All of these were parts of the sustainable transport and mobility picture that emerged.

– The topic clearly aroused emotions and interest in many in a positive way. When the matter is solved together, the best result is achieved – not by one party trying to advance the matter alone, Sanna Suomi summarizes after the workshop.

Understanding the whole helps find the most effective solutions and identify all those needed to implement them. Change requires joint effort from different parties. Cross-sectoral discussion, listening, and familiarization play an important role in achieving this.

Workshop outputs

In the first workshop on November 13, participants created a joint situational picture of the state of sustainable transport and mobility in Ruissalo. The situational picture was created using Sitra’s Futures Triangle exercise. Source of the image and exercise: Futures Triangle – Sitra.

Constructive and enthusiastic discussion generated three joint outputs: a situational picture of the development of sustainable transport in Ruissalo created from participants’ perspectives, a joint “vision story” of the desired future, and four action ideas to promote the desired development.

– The vision is meant to be “ambitious.” After visioning, we consider what would be realistic proposals, says Sanna Suomi.

The ideas relate to reducing private car use, developing experiential water route transport, improving conditions for light traffic and nature mobility, and new solutions for public transport.

Resident activists will take the ideas forward in upcoming Ruissalo 2030 workshops related to other themes, to which a broad group of interested parties will be openly invited. For more information on progress: ma@antongruen.de and sanna.suomi@sylvisalonen.fi.

In addition, the Ruissalo Association and the City of Turku have agreed to restart the previously used Ruissalo dialogue group.

The workshop outputs are available for anyone to read and discuss. All visitors to Ruissalo are welcome to consider the functionality of the future vision on their own or together.

We make transition! The facilitation experiment of the project with the initiative ends, but the project wishes joy and success in the joint work of maintaining a sustainably developing Ruissalo! We believe that the importance of joint future discussion and bold sustainability agency will only be emphasized in the future.

View the workshop outputs here:

Further information about the workshops