Pärtel-Peeter Pere (Reform), Tallinn's deputy mayor for public utilities, commented on "Esimene stuudio" that urban space has become a polarizing issue. He explained that both in Estonia and neighboring Northern European countries, urbanization is on the rise, with more people moving to larger cities. Additionally, Estonians are increasingly aware of how urban spaces are structured abroad, which fuels a desire for change.

According to Pere, the city plays a significant role in fostering entrepreneurship, economic growth and even birth rates, largely through the development of urban space.

"We understand that if people want to start families, the right kind of urban space can help boost birth rates. If we can create an environment where a child can sleep outside without air pollution or noise waking them, that's a good urban space. Our birth rate can increase if a child can get to school by themselves – why not by bike? I'd certainly like to live in a Nordic city where this is the norm. That's the kind of environment where children can thrive. The city has a role to fulfill, whether in business, the economy or birth rates," Pere explained.

However, Deputy Mayor for Transportation Kristjan Järvan (Isamaa) countered Pere's views, suggesting that, according to researchers, birth rates in cities are low primarily because families cannot afford larger living spaces.

"This really highlights a philosophical divide on what kind of urban space we should create. If we keep raising standards for pollution and noise, as Pärtel mentioned, the cost of real estate only goes up and families can't afford larger homes as a result," he argued.

Järvan also mentioned that researchers believe car-centric traffic planning leads to greater economic growth. "But if you have different values – like less noise and more greenery, as offered by rural areas – this actually drives up real estate prices and prevents living standards from rising as quickly," he added.

Pere, however, cited evidence from 40 cities across the U.S., Oceania and Europe where, despite a decade-long increase in GDP, car travel distances within cities have either remained stable or declined.

He added that if Tallinn can continue progressing according to its development plans, where everyone can access their preferred modes of transit, the city will meet residents' urban space needs.

Järvan acknowledged that there is indeed a political divide on urban space issues. "Some political groups want to implement 30 km/h zones, remove traffic lanes and parking spaces, believing this is what a European city should look like. But if you look closer, like in Amsterdam, a bike-centric approach is possible only because there are multi-lane highways between districts. By offering better alternatives, everyone can live well in our city, get to their destinations quickly, and we don't need punitive policies to force people into certain types of mobility," he said.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!