Kontula - A Challenging Neighbourhood? : Analysing the Connection between Physical and Social Environment in an Urban Area

Abstract

The objective of this Bachelor's thesis was to explore Kontula – district of Helsinki city, Finland. More specifically, how residents experience their neighbourhood and whether they have place attachment to their living area. Another verge of the question was whether their socioeconomic background had an effect on their level of place attachment. Furthermore, we researched how urban spaces and their structure affected individuals’ possibilities to interact with each other and how the reputation of the area influences residents’ experiences as well as attitudes towards their neighbourhood.

The study was implemented by using qualitative research methods and contained two data collecting procedures, observing the area of Kontula and interviewing locals. Observations and interviews were carried out between spring and summer of 2019. Observations took place during different times and days and contained altogether 30 hours of exploring the area of Kontula. In total, the study contains nine interviews two of which were conducted in small groups of 2 to 3 individuals. After every interview, we applied a mapping technique, asking participants to mark their favourite and most dislikeable area of Kontula as well as how they perceive the borders of the area.

The results showed that the diversity of the interviewees had only little impact on their experiences of Kontula as a residential area. Nearly all the participants said that they considered the local shopping centre somewhat unpleasant. The study showed that younger interviewees had the strongest place attachment to Kontula as their own neighbourhood. Participants expressed that Kontula’s library and surrounding nature were the greatest qualities of the neighbourhood. Based on the study, the interaction between the residents of Kontula and sense of community seemed to remain mainly between next-door neighbours or people with similar socioeconomic status.

Participants perceived that Kontula’s reputation was distorted and exaggerated through media. The restlessness of the shopping centre area and the substance abusers were most commonly pointed out as Kontula’s dependent reason for the territorial stigma. Improving the shopping centre area was brought up as a way to revitalize the neighbourhood. Physical and social changes in the area were mostly seen positively by the participants.