MAR-E1020

PUBLIC PARTICIPATIONSOTKAMO-TALVIVAARA-STUDIOMAR-E1020, ASSIGNMENT 1PAULA HURME, KUKKA KOSKINEN, NITA MIINALAINEN, INARI MYRY

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

• WORKSHOP WITH LOCAL ASSOCIATIONS• STREET SURVEY IN SOTKAMO CENTRE• SOTKAMOLANDSCAPE.FI• FACEBOOK

WORKSHOPIN GENERAL

• All in all Sotkamo is seen as an area filled with possibilities.

• Hopes and possibilities exceed the amount of challenges.

• Nature is not only one of the main challenges but also the greatest

asset in the area.

• Silence, peacefulness, darkness and spaciousness are seen as valuable

and attractive features.

• Tourism is contradictory. Visitors are a great possibility economically

but locals are worried about its effects on the environment.

• The Sotkamo-spirit came out more than once.

• Social, environmental and economic aspects are hard to separate.

WORKSHOP

SOCIETY      

  slow planning nature travelling extending Naapurinvaara

  development the golden triangle developing landscapes

  uncontrolled building for tourism use of water ways cooperation

  overbuilding of shores peace, darkness and silence

  tolerance digitalization

  lack of capital Finnish forest reindeer

  bad roads Napis Dance hall

  carnivore divides people good services

CHALLENGES POSSIBILITIES HOPES

SOCIETYCONCLUSIONS

• Keeping up with the development, slow planning and bad economic

situation are some of the descriptive social challenges.

• Some social challenges are dividing people, as an example carnivore

feeding.

• Social possibilities and hopes rest on the environment and nature,

services and development and digitalization.

• Many of social challenges and possibilities are primarily/additionally

environmental or economic factors.

WORKSHOPCHALLENGES POSSIBILITIES HOPES

ENVIRONMENT        non-native species nature attracts tourists environmental values attract new

inhabitants

  countryside regresses the golden triangle restoration of swamps and water systems

  mass tourism silence, darkness and soundscape nature utilised in a more diverse way

  too strong building of Vuokatin vaara utilising the bodies of water strong villages  disappearance of traditional biotopes events that utilise nature   waters lots of empty space and purity of

the nature

  bad reputation cultural landscapes   peat industry seasons   noise, dust, smell, tremor meeting point of species

ENVIRONMENTCONCLUSIONS

• The environmental possibilities are linked to both economic and

social possibilities. The environmental conditions in Kainuu create

a platform for tourism.

• The environmental values can also attract new inhabitants.

• More efficient utilising of waters and more diverse use of

production forests are also environmental possibilities.

Restoration of swamps and water systems could increase the

nature values.

• Many environmental challenges are related to environmental

problems caused by the industry and water power.

• Industry has created bad reputation which might be hard to

correct.

• Mining industry and water power cause various problems.

• Regressing countryside

• Other challenges: non-native species, ditching, acidification and

increase of hummus concentration in lakes.

• Climate change

ECONOMY        young adults don’t return to the

area after leavingthe best university of applied sciences in Finland

developing entrepreneurship

  chances for independent life satellite units for universities cooperative systems  no jobs gaming industry internationalization  funding for landscape management communal entrepreneurship to make use of the optical fibre

network  lack of participation by community Kainuu regional spirit: “Nälkämaa” employment in tourism and nature  reforestation of cultural landscape viability brings employment to develop nature based tourism  economy situation and its effects in

tourism Supporting entrepreneurship preserving the original Sotkamo

spirit*  invasive species planning nature valuing tourism  planning is dragging behind location and landscape values control for construction  Contradiction: nature and

construction

digitalization

  water power production forests   damaged image joint effort to organize events etc.   the villages are emptying water systems and resources   money overrides local needs number of children in Sotkamo

villages

  tourism attractiveness of the villages   condition of the roads

ecosystem services (monetary value of nature)

WORKSHOPCHALLENGES POSSIBILITIES HOPES

ECONOMYCONCLUSIONS

• Many challenges concerning economy are also environment-

related. Uncontrollable construction can lead to loss of landscape

and nature values. This in turn, affects negatively to tourism.

• Lack of resources can lead to reforestation of cultural landscape.

• Tough economic situation

• Planning is dragging behind and potential new inhabitants don’t

get plots. At the same time people are moving away because

there are no jobs. For the same reason recent graduates don’t

return to their home region.

• Bad reputation caused byTalvivaara will affect in the future – tourism, mining,

potential inhabitants.

• Co-operation of local entrepreneurs is considered important.

• Kainuu regional spirit (Nälkämaa’s new meaning)

• Digitalization

• Seasons and year-around activities

• Ecosystem services

• Production forests and water resources provided by the eskers may be

economically significant.

STREET SURVEY - environment

• Children: “no problems, everything is good. Nice trees”• Young ppl: “Talvivaara, tourism, eutrofication of rivers, recycling, long distances, no public transportation,

tourist don’t consume nature. Sports, wintersports, hiking. Forests and untouched forests. Forestdeer. Beautiful beach landscape, parks, slopes. Clean nature. Berries and mushrooms. Landscapes (no factories). On individual level: recycling. Effects of tourism? Hiidenportti. Sustainable choices for nature. Talvivaara = jobs! Smell

• Adults: TV is not a problem. No problems. Sotkamo lives from finnish baseball. Lack of events. Environment important for tourism. Vuokatti Hiukka. Nature, beauty, nature, nature.. More traffic from Vuokatti to Sotkamo. Sotkamo beautiful at Christmas. Bike routes, car not necessity in Sotkamo centre. Use of water areas and water routes. Paddling. Dog park. Dogsafari. Beach/cafe.

• Retired: TV both problem and not a problem. The town looks sad. Gas station and grocery store in bad shape. Nature in good condition. Concrete, tarmac and demolition. Many buildings at risk. (Same things as above at adults and young ppl) Lakes. Museums. Tervajärvi. Gas station removed -> event place. Better city landscape. More park-like areas in centre.

• Tourists: TV. Housing/architecture old/new. Politics: lack of Russians. Public and private transport – Are there bus connections? Are there enough taxis? Lack of places for emptying toilets. (Bus driver's perspective.) Mountain hiking. Activities, culture. Crosscountry, wintersports. Nature surroundings. Tourism. Snow. (Security). Trade with Russians. Places for emptying toilets for caravans and buses.. Better communications.

Problem potential actions

STREET SURVEY - society

• Children: “no problems, hobbies and good services are potentials”• Young ppl: Lack of some services. Inbredness. Small schools and distances. Lack of policemen.

Healtservises and distances. Russians are gone. Lack of education. The best things are community and familiar ppl. Vivid Sotkamo. Sports unite ppl. Higgh school with good reputation. Internationality. There is potential –mood. Tourism is a possibility to economy. More transparency. More courage to entrepreneurship. More support for entrepreneurs. Markets in Europe (Russians, Chinese). New school? More inventiveness. Mall to Vuokatti. Cheaper food = more shopping. New ideas for empty houses.

• Adults: No jobs. Lack of co-operating between companies. Town activities. Good places are not connecting: Vuokatti – Sotkamo not connected. Talvivaara. More consuming on local products benefit everyone. Tourism.

• Retired: No jobs. Services move to Kajaani, distances, ppl without cars. No willingness to go anymore. Only shops are close. Lots of possibilities to different hobbies and sports. Movie theatre, school, swimming hall, summer theatre. Lots of events: pig festival and dancing. Finnish baseball, brings ppl to Sotkamo. Peace and silence + action and ppl. Events for tourists. Bowling, golf. Market at Saturdays. Nothing needed. Services closer. More theatre and concerts.

• Tourists: People seem to have a destination. ”There seem not to be many drunken people in the village.” Places to stay for the refugees. Possibilities to buy fishing equipment at the spot.

Problem potential actions

STREET SURVEY – economy

• Children: “no problems. No idea about future, not willing to move out from Sotkamo”

• Young ppl: Municipality wealth? No jobs. Driving license needed. Refugeecenter. No money to consume. Things are good. Refugees. Forestry. Developing hobby and sport possibilities. More tourism. ICT. Cleaning, homeheatlhservices? Developing attitudes toward entrepreneurship (Huuskolan jäätelö, movie theatre).

• Adults: Unemployment. Need of new big employers. Enough services nearby. . Positiveness and lot of potential in young/adults. More shops. Better communication. More information for tourists.

• Retired: Because of the current state of economics no new business is created. More workers needed in healtservices. No more small farms. Municipal sold all forests. None comes to Sotkamo because of TV. Too much expenditure (menoja) compared to revenue (tuloihin). Not enough tax income and too big and expensive environmental problems. ”People of debt”. Vuokatti (municipality pays the bills). Tourism, sights, tranquility for pusy ppl. Naapurinvaara. Economy depends on Vuokatti. Potential on plots on shores (rantatontti). Tourism. Private nursing homes for retired. Use of empty houses. Vuokatti. “We are doing fine”. Sotkamo > Kuhmo.

• Tourists: TV. During winter Sotkamo is full of activities. Different seasons could be an asset. The full potential of the area hasn't been used during summer. Thousands of Asian tourists are flooding to Finland but most of them visit Lapland rather than other places – why not Kainuu? Also motorcyclist clubs could be a good target group.

Problem potential actions

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FACEBOOK

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