Speakers
Description
This paper takes up the theme of empty plots that exist within the urban fabric. In reference to “ghost signs” – advertising and other signs that have been preserved for an extended period of time because of their nostalgic appeal or as result of lack of interest – we coin the term “ghost plots”. Internationally, the phenomena is common, ranging from examples of post-war Amsterdam, where bombed, empty plots were turned to children's parks (Lefaivre and de Roode, 2002), or studies of shrinking cities, where derelict sites and obsolete buildings become norm rather than an exception. In urban studies, empty spaces are often analysed through the lens of urban development and need for regeneration, and referred to with terms as derelict and obsolete sites, urban voids, lost spaces, under-utilised or leftover spaces/areas, gap, unoccupied land, wasteland, wasted space, abandoned or abused locations. (Pallagst, Wiechmann, and Martinez-Fernandez 2015; Nemeth and Langhorst 2013; Rahmann and Jonas 2011) Furthermore, as a rule, these are seen to be indicative of poor planning.
Our aim is to turn the tables by enquiring how the “ghost plots” can pause and potentially disrupt rhythms of urban development. We assert that to get beyond the dominating concerns over under-used sites and how these could be regenerated, “ghost plots” make it possible to turn attention to the longer historical processes of a specific site, and its meanings as part of the wider urban context. In many cases, the sites have been, and continue to be valued by the locals, which tells of continuity rather than a total cut.
Our research focuses on selected, representative cases from Helsinki, the capital of Finland. Each case is telling of both different type(s) of past buildings and uses, as well as views concerning the present and future of the site. The key case introduced is a “ghost plot” in the Sörnäinen, historically a working class district of Helsinki, positioned between Väinö Tanner Park and the buildings of University of Arts. The “ghost plot” emerged after half of a large 1970s office structure was demolished in 2017. The plan was to construct a new government office building, but a reassessment of the state's needs for real estate led to the sale of the plot to a private developer and the introduction of a new hybrid concept. (Perälä, Liski, Rajamäki and Väinämö 2026) Due to economic and political challenges, the project however remained stagnant. In 2025 there is no knowledge of how the project might proceed. There is a large pit on the plot, where different kinds of plants have begun to grow, and where for example temporary, site specific exhibitions have been organised.
As everyday urban spaces, “ghost plots” emerge as hinge points that serve as a tool for seeing value in the (supposedly) empty, and re-considering the most common approaches to urban derelict sites, making it possible to focus on history and memory of the sites, and thus the role of processes and continuity instead of the cut, caused by demolition. Furthermore, we turn attention to authorised heritage discourse (AHD) which typically holds the position that heritagesation process can happen only, when a specific structure can be preserved.
References
Lefaivre, L. and de Roode, I. (eds.) 2002. Aldo van Eyck – The playgrounds and the city. NAi Publishers. University of Michigan
Karina Pallagst, K., Wiechmann, T., and Martinez-Fernandez, C. (eds.) 2015 Shrinking Cities International Perspectives and Policy Implications. Routledge.
Nemeth, J., and Langhorst, J. (2013). Rethinking urban transformation, temporary uses for vacant land. Cities (Elsiver) 40, 143–150. doi:10.1016/j.cities.2013.04.007
Perälä,T., Liski, M., Rajamäki, R. and Väinämö, V. (2026)
Väinö Tannerin Kenttä. Ympäristöhistoriallinen selvitys ja kehittämisperiaatteet. Helsingin kaupunki.
Rahmann, H., and Jonas, M. (2011). Urban voids: The hidden dimension of temporary vacant spaces in rapidly growing cities, 1–11.
| Keywords | ghost plots; empty spaces; heritage as process; everyday |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | No |
