Architects Siiri Vallner and Indrek Peil, who led the reconstruction of Tallinn's Vana-Kalamaja tänav, pass through the street they designed every day. In an appearance on ETV's "OP," Vallner noted that it's rare for an architect to experience the fruits of their labor on a daily basis.

"Architects don't usually return to the places they've worked on very often," she noted.

"When they're working on a project, they might spend three, four, five years immersed in it every single day, thinking only about that one thing — and then suddenly, overnight, it's just over," the architect explained. "It feels like a different life. This [project] is history, and you'll never see it again."

This street is different, however.

"It's useful practically every single day," Vallner said. "Compared to other buildings or projects that just remind you of a lot of issues, I've had plenty of positive sentiments involving this whole process and the use of [this street]."

According to her, Vana-Kalamaja tänav is one place where cyclists and pedestrians don't have to worry about anything.

"We're pedestrians and cyclists in Tallinn, and for people like us, every day [in Tallinn] is just endless misery and obstacles," Vallner acknowledged. "Now there's one kilometer where we can just walk peacefully, ride a bike and not have to worry about anything. In that sense, it's strange that in the year 2025, we only have one such street — that it's still something to marvel at, highlight and award a prize for. This really should already be the norm."

The architect explained that when designing streets, priorities are crucial.

"We should start by considering the most vulnerable, and once things work well for them, then we can start thinking about those with more strength," she noted. "Only at the end do we start trying to figure out how to fit cars into the equation. Right now, it's all been done the other way around."

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