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Kaur Lass - Rail Baltica as a Part of the Vision for Estonia
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www.headandlead.com Kaur Lass Spatial Planning Expert CEO of OÜ Head Riga 24.03.2011 Planning of Rail Baltica in Estonia: Rail Baltica as a part of long term vision for Tallinn-Helsinki co-operation
Transcript of Kaur Lass - Rail Baltica as a Part of the Vision for Estonia
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Kaur Lass Spatial Planning Expert
CEO of OÜ Head
Riga 24.03.2011
Planning of Rail Baltica in Estonia: Rail Baltica as a part of long term vision for
Tallinn-Helsinki co-operation
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2 My involvement with Rail Baltica topic has been through:
• VASAB 2010 co-operation by consulting Latvian ministry during vision seminar and having practice in the secretariat while it was in Sweden; • Via Baltica Spatial Development Zone co-operation (VBSDZ) as consultant of Estonian partner; • National Spatial Plan Estonia 2030+ as project manager; • Comprehensive Plan for Continental Area of Viimsi Municipality as project manager; • Comprehensive Plan for Äigrumäe village, Laiaküla village, Metsakasti village and part of Muuga Village at in Viimsi Municipality as project manager for the plan as well as for the Study of Tallinn-Helsinki Railway Tunnel Area in Viimsi Municipality prior to that.
I have been working as planning expert for more then 16 years and followed the development on that them closely also due to some other projects that have had indirect connection with the topic.
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3 There are many visions of Rail Baltica:
Foto: Rene Suurkaev
Via Pärnu 160 km/h
From Berlin to Helsinki more then 250 km/h
… but the point is to connect people.
To where we want to be connected?
Via Tartu 120 km/h
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4 The reality is that we are not connected to Europe by train:
If want to be connected?
Estonia needs to be connected to Europe even when plains do not fly!
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5 Estonia’s new Spatial Development Vision:
The Spatial Vision of Estonian new National Spatial Plan Estonia 2030+ focuses on reducing the space-time distances between major cities by means of improved rail connections as well as by guaranteeing better connectivity of different public transport types in order to provide better possibilities for economic and social co-operation. The Spatial Vision also stresses the importance of good transport connections with the rest of Europe by land, sea and air.
1993 2020
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To agree the terms for the planned event based on the vision.
To reach the desired future we have to make constantly decisions on the same direction. Specially in case of bigger infrastructure objects.
Past Future
Present
Agreed terms
Planned event
Aim of planning is:
Illustration by: Kaur Lass and Ingvar Villido 2006
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I will present you a short case study on how the vision of Rail Baltica in VASAB 2010 documents has had influence on planning documents in Estonia.
How has the vision to built Rail Baltica been handled in plans?
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I will illustrate on that based upon: • VASAB 2010 co-operation; • Via Baltica Spatial Development Zone co-operation (VBSDZ); • Estonian National Spatial Plans - Estonia 2010 and Estonia 2030+; • Pärnu, Rapla and Harju County Plans • Comprehensive Plan for Continental Area of Viimsi Municipality; • Comprehensive Plan for Äigrumäe village, Laiaküla village, Metsakasti village and part of Muuga Village at in Viimsi Municipality.
How has the vision to built Rail Baltica been handled in plans?
FIN
EST
LV
LT
PL GER
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VASAB 2010 stated: Improved railway transportation system shall provide connections for long distances among “European” and “Baltic cities”. This includes high-speed long-distance passenger trains along selected corridors which interlink with the corresponding network for Western Europe via Berlin and Hamburg.
Main high-speed railway lines 2010 and beyond: 4. Tallinn-Riga-Kaunas-Warsaw-Berlin-Hamburg. VASAB 2010 Towards a Framework for Spatial Development in the Baltic Sea Region (Tallinn Conference), 1994, see page 59
How has the vision to built Rail Baltica been handled in plans?
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Via Baltica Spatial Development Zone Summary Report stated that following Strategy and Actions are needed:
Objective D.1.1. Fast international railway access to Central Europe
Action D.1.1.1 To develop Rail Baltica as an high-speed railway Helsinki-Berlin (train ferry Helsinki-Tallinn, Helsinki-Tallinn tunnel Via Baltica Spatial Development Zone Summary Report 2000, Riga 2000, see page 95
How has the vision to built Rail Baltica been handled in plans?
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Estonian valid National Spatial Plan - Estonia 2010 has chosen the direction for high-speed railway to Europe.
The railway route goes form Tallinn directly to south and passes Pärnu. There is also shown a direction towards Finland (possibly via tunnel).
Estonia 2010 is approved by Estonian Government 19. September 2000.
. Rail Baltica route
How has the vision to built Rail Baltica been handled in plans?
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Estonian new National Spatial Plan - Estonia 2030+ has been started by the Government of Estonia in February 4th 2010.
In the draft of plan is stressed the importance to have a direct fast rail route form Tallinn towards Riga as well as keeping open the possibility to connect Rail Baltica high-speed train via tunnel to Helsinki and from there to St Petersburg.
How has the vision to built Rail Baltica been handled in plans?
Rail Baltica route
www.eesti2030.ee
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Based upon valid Estonian National Spatial Plan - Estonia 2010 three counties on the route of high-speed railway have fixed its location or stated its importance and shown possible route options on their county plans:
Pärnu County; Rapla County; Harju County.
Although Harju County Plan was adopted 19.04.1999, before Estonia 2010, there has been chosen the Tallinn – Helsinki high-speed railway location and shown the routes towards it.
. Rail Baltica and a tunnel to
Helsinki
How has the vision to built Rail Baltica been handled in plans?
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Based upon Harju County Plan Viimsi Municipality was forced by County Governor to keep an area open for Tallinn – Helsinki high-speed railway tunnel in the Comprehensive Plan for Continental Area of Viimsi Municipality.
. The Rail Baltica the tunnel area
How has the vision to built Rail Baltica been handled in plans?
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According to the old Planning and Building Act and also according to the new Planning Act (valid from 01.01.2003) in Estonia the approved National Spatial Plan (Estonia 2010 and in future Estonia 2030+) is the base for county plans.
County plans act according the law as a base for comprehensive plans and comprehensive plans again to detail land use plan. Land use plans are a base for project. Project is base for building. So the planning affect the land use possibilities and land price.
Even officially in Estonia there is no state level binding decision that the high-speed railway should be built, state planning guidelines, valid plans and planning practice stress it as priority. Until now the accurate railway route in the whole country is not selected. This causes problems in local planning level.
How has the vision to built Rail Baltica been handled in plans?
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The Rail Baltica railway and exact tunnel area .
Viimsi Municipality was therefore forced to carry out a study for choosing the tunnel area and start more precise plan for it. The Comprehensive Plan for Äigrumäe village, Laiaküla village, Metsakasti village and part of Muuga Village in Viimsi Municipality is already prepared. It is in the final stage, it has got all the official approvals and been on public display. During the public display it got several disapproving statements form land owners. Harju County Governor has given his opinions about the dispute and the plan will become valid in April 2011.
How has the vision to built Rail Baltica been handled in plans?
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17 To summarize the case study:
Vision of VASAB 2010 has effected according the demonstrated case Estonia so, that it made local governments responsible on selecting the actual location of railway and taking it’s existence into account. Estonia is taking the Rail Baltica vision into account while making spatial plans.
So we depend on Latvia a lot. We hope that Latvia is also understanding the importance to be connected by train to Europe. It is only alternative of fast travel when you can’t fly or do not like to fly.
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18 How Rail Baltica affects co-operation if built?
It brings new co-operation possibilities if the train ride from Tallinn to Riga would be reduced to an hour and from Helsinki to Tallinn to 30-45 minutes. Right now we have separate economies, lack of highly qualified work force, hard access to each others market and so on. But within EU with the small time distances the reality could be different. Estonia has no plans to be open for migration and our population is getting older and smaller. If we want to keep our living quality and be noticed in the world we need to be accessible. By air, by sea but also by land. Rail Baltica might have hard time to compete with plains in longer distances, but it brings new possibilities in shorter distances. Specially if we in Estonia manage to fulfill our vision and connect public transport to train stations. And it secures lives (less accidents on the road) and reduces air pollution as well…
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19 How Rail Baltica affects co-operation if built?
For example there have been long discussions about the twin town of Helsinki and Tallinn – so called Talslinki. But time distance is still too big. Even we are all in EU, time of travel separates us.
With smaller time-space distance there could be: • Common work-force area if time for daily travel is reduced; • Better access to the world and therefore more contacts in all fields; • Availability of wider range of services; • Tourist would be attracted to stay longer in the area; • More co-operation of schools, etc.
But there could also be more co-operation between Riga and Tallinn!
You would not need to plan a trip you would hop on and go if needed. Main point is: Alone Helsinki, Tallinn and Riga are small. Unnoticed in scale of the world. Together we would have better changes.
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20 How Rail Baltica affects co-operation if built?
Rail Baltica is not only traveling from Helsinki to Berlin. It is about better connections, co-operation and more effective use of time for shorter daily travels between capitals.
The problem – there is no users as there is no infrastructure that allows traveling will remain until big time-space distance is existing.
Question is: Which comes first – contacts or possibility to travel?
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21 Final summary - common vision is most important
We need to understand same ideas the same way. In case or Rail Baltica this is extremely important.
Philosopher Bob Proctor has said: “Whatever you’re thinking about you will attract.”
So let’s attract the same vision! In practice we need to speak about it, plan the rail route together as well as take small actions day-by-day. Old Chinese proverb says: “The journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.”
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Kaur Lass phone: +372 50 83 906 skype: headandlead
[email protected] www.headandlead.ee
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