Kaur Lass - About Rail Baltica

Planning of Rail Baltica tunnel area – illustrating
the relation between VASAB 2010 Vision and
Comprehensive plans of Viimsi

Kaur Lass
Architect (MA), Spatial Planning Expert
OÜ Head, CEO and consultant

Updated 04.12.2009

www.headandlead.com

How has VASAB 2010 worked in every day life?

I will illustrate on that based upon:
• VASAB 2010;
• Via Baltica Spatial Development Zone
(VBSDZ);
• Estonian National Plan - Estonia 2010;
• Pärnu, Rapla and Harju County Plans
• Comprehensive Plan for Continental
Area of Viimsi Municipality;
• Comprehensive Plan for Äigrumäe
village, Laiaküla village, Metsakasti
village and part of Muuga Village in
Viimsi Municipality;
• how plans affect on land value.

2 © Kaur Lass 2008-2009 www.headandlead.com, kaur.lass@headandlead.com


Short case study on how VASAB 2010
had influence on local planning based
upon the idea of a high speed railway
from Helsinki to Berlin.



VASAB 2010 stated:

Improved railway transportation system
shall provide connections for long
distances among “European” and “Baltic
cities”. This includes high-speed long-
distance passenger trains along selected
corridors which interlink with the
corresponding network for Western
Europe via Berlin and Hamburg.

Main high-speed railway lines 2010 and
beyond:
4. Tallinn-Riga-Kaunas-Warsaw-Berlin-
Hamburg.
VASAB 2010 Towards a Framework for Spatial Development in the
Baltic Sea Region (Tallinn Conference), 1994, see page 59



Via Baltica Spatial Development Zone
report stated that following Strategy and
Actions are needed:

Objective
D.1.1. Fast international railway access
to Central Europe

Action
D.1.1.1 To develop Rail Baltica as an
high-speed railway Helsinki-Berlin (train
ferry Helsinki-Tallinn, Helsinki-Tallinn
tunnel
Via Baltica Spatial Development Zone Summary Report 2000, Riga
2000, see page 95



Estonian National Plan - Estonia
2010 has chosen the direction for
high-speed railway to Europe.
. Rail Baltica route

The railway route goes form
Tallinn directly to south and
passes Pärnu. There is also
shown a direction towards
Finland (possibly via tunnel).

Estonia 2010 is approved
by Estonian Government
19. September 2000.


. Rail Baltica and
a tunnel to
Based upon Estonian National Plan - Helsinki
Estonia 2010
three counties on the route of
high-speed railway have fixed its
location on their couny plans:

Pärnu County;
Rapla County;
Harju County.

Although Harju County Plan was
adopted 19.04.1999, before Estonia
2010, there are the also chosen the
Tallinn – Berlin high speed railway and
tunnel routes towards Helsinki.



Based upon Harju
County Plan Viimsi
Municipality was
forced by County
Governor to leave
an area open for . The Rail Baltica
Tallinn – Helsinki the tunnel area
high speed railway
tunnel in the
Comprehensive
Plan for
Continental Area of
Viimsi Municipality.



According to the old Planning and Building Act and also according to
the new Planning Act valid from 01.01.2003 in Estonia the approved
nation-wide plan (Estonia 2010) is the base for county plans.

County plans act according the law as a base for comprehensive
plans and comprehensive plans again to detail land use plan. Land
use plans are a base for project. Project is base for building.

Even officially in Estonia there is no state level binding decision
that the high speed railway should be built, state planning
guidelines, valid plans and everyday planning practice stress it
as one of the priorities. That means the final railway route in the
whole country is not selected. This causes problems in local planning
level while handling everyday construction, land use and planning
questions.



Viimsi Municipality was therefore
forced to take another action and
carry out a study for choosing the
tunnel area and make a more
detailed comprehensive plan for the
tunnel area. The Comprehensive
Plan for Äigrumäe village, Laiaküla
village, Metsakasti village and part of
The Rail Baltica railway
Muuga Village in Viimsi Municipality and exact tunnel area .
is already prepared. It is in the final
stage and has got all the official
approvals needed. During the public
display it got several disapproving
statements form land owners. Right
now Count Governor is giving his
opinions about the dispute.



Comprehensive Plan for Äigrumäe
village, Laiaküla village, Metsakasti
village and part of Muuga Village in
Viimsi Municipality showing the
highspeed railway tunnel to
Helsinki could be valid form Viimsi
Municipality’s Council side next
month. It only waits Estonian state
The Rail Baltica railway
approval from Harju County and exact tunnel area .
Governor who have to look that the
state interest according valid
county and national plan are take
into account and give his opinion
about disputes between
municipality and land owners.



Vision of VASAB 2010 has effected
according the demonstrated case
Estonia so, that it made local
governments responsible on
selecting the actual location of
railway. Regardless the fact that
countries still miss an common
agreement on it and that for example
Latvia has no National Plan to
continue the high speed rail route
from Estonian border towards South.


The importance of common vision

The vision of VASAB has and will
have legal, political, environmental
and financial output on everyday
planning.

Therefore we need to understand
same ideas the same way. In case
or Rail Baltica this is extremely
important.

Philosopher Bob Proctor has said:
“Whatever you’re thinking
about you will attract.”


Aim of planning and vision
Aim of planning is:
To create the desired future by fully informed (= aware) decision
making.

Past Future

Planned event
Agreed terms

Present

14
14 © Kaur Lass 2008-2009 Lass and Ingvar Villido 2006
© Illustration by: Kaur www.headandlead.com, kaur.lass@headandlead.com

Aim of planning and vision

Any plans that becomes real is based upon
a vision. Vision becomes real if people who
have to follow it can relate to it.

SWE

FIN

NO RUS

EST
VISION
LV

DK
LT
BY

GER PL


OÜ Head is independent consulting company
focused on sharing skills of conscious planning
and decision making.

Our mission is to help our clients consciously
create the development they need. This is
achieved by strategic planning and personal
coaching from our side and trough rational
actions based on co-operation on our client’s
side. We succeed through your success.

www.headandlead.com

OÜ Head

Kaur Lass
phone: +372 50 83 906
info@headandlead.com
www.headandlead.ee

www.headandlead.com

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Lõõtsa 2A
Tallinn 11415
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Faks (+372) 617 7431,
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Kaur Lass - About Rail Baltica

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