Tampere Tramway’s Pirkkala–Linnainmaa alliance’s project communication is open and interactive
The construction of the tram between Pirkkala and Linnainmaa in Tampere has begun. The project’s communication and interaction group has worked together throughout the planning phase, and the open dialogue has been praised by stakeholders. The tram is loved in Tampere!
The alliance’s project communication is carried out together
In October 2024, Tampere City Council and Pirkkala Municipal Council made a decision on the construction of the Pirkkala-Linnainmaa tramway. The team of the alliance’s communications and interaction group has been working together for a year now.
“Our team’s responsiveness and flexibility in ever-changing schedules have worked well during the implementation planning phase, and one of our greatest successes is the positive construction decision,” summarises Henna Puisto, Communications Designer at Tampereen Raitiotie Oy.
In an extensive infrastructure project, external communication with residents, companies and other stakeholders is emphasized. Site communications are also a separate entity. In addition, internal communication is multi-level.
“There are hundreds of people working in the alliance organisation, and it is important to keep their pulse on communication,” says Johanna Koivunen, Project Communications Specialist at Sweco. “We have completely separate internal communication channels and procedures.”
Sweco is particularly responsible for stakeholder cooperation, but tasks in the alliance are organised flexibly on the fly. “We work as one team in the big room, so the background organization doesn’t really matter. Everyone does what is needed at any given time,” Koivunen emphasizes.
The alliance communicates with the Tampere Tramway brand
The alliance’s project communications are tied more visibly to the Tampere Tramway brand than in the previous phases. “According to the latest image survey, 89 per cent of Tampere residents admit that they like Tramway, which is a staggeringly high figure!” The park says.
The popularity of the tram is not taken as a given in project communications, but the public image and stakeholder satisfaction are continuously monitored and measured. According to Puisto, stakeholder satisfaction has always remained at the level of 8 (0–10), which is a great achievement. “It is also clear from the verbal feedback that project communication is appreciated, which is a very important recognition for us.”
Interaction with residents is all the more important when, in addition to the City of Tampere, the alliance includes the municipality of Pirkkala, where the tram is a new thing. “In the street planning phase, we collected feedback on the draft plans, and since then we have communicated to people how much impact the feedback has had on the plans,” says Koivunen.
The most important stakeholders are, for example, schools and daycare centres located along the tram line. “Information about safe traffic arrangements must reach not only principals and daycare centre managers, but also the children’s parents,” Koivunen emphasises. Communication is also emphasised during events when the tram is built, for example, next to the Ratina Stadium in the centre of Tampere.
Sustainability communications take ESG goals into account
The aim is to maintain the quality of interaction also in the future when the implementation of the tram starts in December 2024. Project communication will also be developed. “For example, the aim is to use videos, illustrations and other visualizations more than before,” Koivunen says.
The park also highlights ESG goals and indicators for responsible operations. “In the first phase of the tramway, sustainability issues were not as high as they are today. Now the alliance’s expertise in sustainability communications benefits the entire Tramway.”
Sweco’s Minea Hara is responsible for the alliance’s sustainability communications. “Our aim is to broadly support various sustainability goals, such as biodiversity and people’s smooth everyday lives, and to openly share information about the project’s financial figures.”
Koivunen is already looking forward to the next phase of the alliance, where guide maps and construction site signs will start to appear in the streetscape. The implementation phase of the tram will last until 2032. “From now on, project communication will live side by side with the progress of the tramway. The team’s multidisciplinary experience in construction, design and municipal decision-making will certainly come in handy.”
The clients of the Pirkkala–Linnainmaa tram alliance are the City of Tampere, the municipality of Pirkkala and Tampereen Raitiotie Oy, and the service providers are Sweco Finland Oy, NRC Group Finland Oy, YIT Infra Oy and AFRY Finland Oy.
Illustration: Pirkkala–Linnainmaa alliance