Market Square, Turku
Encyclopedia
The Market Square is a city square in the city of Turku
, in Finland
. It is located in the city's VI District
, and is generally considered the city's central square. It hosts a lively market
on weekdays, and there are several cafés and restaurants on the square.
The buildings around the Market Square are also part of the city's central business district
. They include, for instance, the Hansa
and Forum shopping centres, the Wiklund department store
, an Orthodox
church, a private medical clinic
, and several instances of media such as an office of Finland's major newspaper Helsingin Sanomat
, locally most significant newspaper Turun Sanomat
and YLE.
bus
es and taxi
s. The square is somewhat of a public transport hub: there are 14 bus stop
s around the square and the majority of local and regional buses in Turku stop there. There is also a taxi rank on the north side of the square, on Yliopistonkatu/Universitetsgatan, which is also reserved for taxis only between midnight and 6 am.
Critics have argued that the planned parking complex would increase pollution
in the city centre and create disturbance in the lengthy construction stage. Many people also see it as unnecessary, since there are already many such complexes in the city centre. In the 2008, names of 13.000 citizens of Turku was collected in street survey for having a referendum.
Turku
Turku is a city situated on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River. It is located in the region of Finland Proper. It is believed that Turku came into existence during the end of the 13th century which makes it the oldest city in Finland...
, in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. It is located in the city's VI District
VI District, Turku
The VI District is the northernmost of the central districts of Turku, Finland. It is located on the west side of the river Aura, to the east of Aurakatu. It forms part of the city's central business district, hosting a large proportion of the city's business life, particularly around the central...
, and is generally considered the city's central square. It hosts a lively market
Market
A market is one of many varieties of systems, institutions, procedures, social relations and infrastructures whereby parties engage in exchange. While parties may exchange goods and services by barter, most markets rely on sellers offering their goods or services in exchange for money from buyers...
on weekdays, and there are several cafés and restaurants on the square.
The buildings around the Market Square are also part of the city's central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
. They include, for instance, the Hansa
Hansa (shopping centre)
Hansa Emporium is a shopping centre in the city centre of Turku, in Finland. It is located in the city's VII District, next to the main Market Square. The shopping centre hosts a total of 156 businesses, including nineteen cafés and restaurants. It also contains a theatre...
and Forum shopping centres, the Wiklund department store
Department store
A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
, an Orthodox
Finnish Orthodox Church
The Finnish Orthodox Church is an autonomous Orthodox archdiocese of the Patriarchate of Constantinople. The Church has a legal position as a national church in the country, along with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland....
church, a private medical clinic
Clinic
A clinic is a health care facility that is primarily devoted to the care of outpatients...
, and several instances of media such as an office of Finland's major newspaper Helsingin Sanomat
Helsingin Sanomat
Helsingin Sanomat is the largest subscription newspaper in Finland and the Nordic countries, owned by Sanoma. Except after certain holidays, it is published daily. In 2008, its daily circulation was 412,421 on weekdays and 468,505 on Sundays...
, locally most significant newspaper Turun Sanomat
Turun Sanomat
Turun Sanomat is the leading regional newspaper of the region of Finland Proper. It is published in the region's capital, Turku, and is read daily by about 280 000 people, or 70% of the inhabitants, in the city and its surrounding municipalities, making it the third most widely read morning...
and YLE.
Centre for local bus
Two of the four streets around the rectangular square, Aurakatu/Auragatan (to the west) and Eerikinkatu/Eriksgatan (to the south), are barred from all traffic other than the city's public transportPublic transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
es and taxi
Taxicab
A taxicab, also taxi or cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choice...
s. The square is somewhat of a public transport hub: there are 14 bus stop
Bus stop
A bus stop is a designated place where buses stop for passengers to board or leave a bus. These are normally positioned on the highway and are distinct from off-highway facilities such as bus stations. The construction of bus stops tends to reflect the level of usage...
s around the square and the majority of local and regional buses in Turku stop there. There is also a taxi rank on the north side of the square, on Yliopistonkatu/Universitetsgatan, which is also reserved for taxis only between midnight and 6 am.
Future plans
Turku's city council is currently discussing plans to build a two-storey car park under the square, with spaces for 700 cars in order to help with perceived parking problems in the city centre, which are not confirmed to be existing in any research or numbers. The construction scheme would possibly include turning Yliopistonkatu/Universitetsgatan and Aurakatu/Auragatan into pedestrian streets and moving the bus stops to Kauppiaskatu/Köpmansgatan on the east side of the square, which would be restricted for public transport only.Critics have argued that the planned parking complex would increase pollution
Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light...
in the city centre and create disturbance in the lengthy construction stage. Many people also see it as unnecessary, since there are already many such complexes in the city centre. In the 2008, names of 13.000 citizens of Turku was collected in street survey for having a referendum.