Kankaanpää was honored to be the first locality to participate in the "Ihana kamala maestu" housing experiments coordinated by the "Verkostosto vetevoimaa" collaboration project. In the last week of August, two groups of housing experimenters got to know the locality and its everyday life. The experiments naturally coincided with the city's busiest event week of the late summer, as Kankaanpää's traditional Hörhiäisviikko was held at the same time.
Two groups participated in the housing experiment: the Mannermaa family from Kerava and Anne Saukonoja-Teperi and her son Veeti Teperi from Lohja. The Mannermaa family stayed in a detached house in the village of Venesjärvi, and the Saukonoja-Teperis stayed in a red hut near the city center, whose bread oven and fireplace created a cozy atmosphere from the very first evening.
Something for everyone: Mountain biking, exploring remote work spaces, and soccer training
A diverse weekly program was tailored for the housing experimenters, which included everyday encounters as well as getting to know the municipality's services, recreational opportunities and nature. Both families met with Mayor Mika Hatanpää and Marketing and Communications Manager Leena Kuusimäki at the city hall at the very beginning of the week. Warm welcome coffees were a great start to the experiment. By the end of the meeting, the experimenters had already become Facebook friends with the mayor.
The mainland family especially got to know the village of Venesjärvi and its services. The children got to know the lovely atmosphere of the village school and the whole family had experiences at the Meggala winery, an island trip with a campfire and cross-country riding trips at a nearby horse farm. Of the hobbies, the warm welcome my son Leo received at the Kankaanpää Pallo football team and my daughter's participation in the pole horse competitions were particularly memorable. The lively market atmosphere of the Hörhiäis week also made an impression. As a counterbalance, however, the week included a peaceful atmosphere fishing from the pier, morning coffee in the fresh air and relaxing by the fire.
Anne and Veeti, on the other hand, got to know the center of the rural town, its remote working spaces and the wide range of cultural offerings from the Hörhiäisviikko festival. Their program included, among other things, a morning photography trip for Veeti, who is a photography enthusiast and student, a tour of the Art Circle, participation in the Hörhiäisviikko concerts and a visit to the Niinisalo garrison. An important highlight for Veeti was a baseball match, where she got to experience the local sports culture. The warm conversation at the town hall and the mayor's welcome also left a positive impression.
The breadth of services and the vitality of the city surprised
One common observation emerged from the feedback from the experimenters: The diversity and vitality of Kankaanpää surprised us. The city offered more services, recreational opportunities and vitality than we had expected. Anne summarized the experience as follows: “Without this living experience, I wouldn’t have known anything about Kankaanpää. Now Kankaanpää has a new face in my eyes.”
The housing trial week was not a vacation week, but rather a realistic test of housing. During the week, students did homework, focused on their own work remotely, and got to know the business activities of the city of Kankaanpää and the opportunities for entrepreneurship. During the housing viewings, they got to see potential homes in the area and their price levels.
Based on the feedback, both families were impressed, and felt that they had gained valuable information and new perspectives on living in Kankaanpää and in the countryside in general. Marika Mannermaa spoke about the impact of the housing trial week on her family's dreams and plans for moving to the countryside: “The feeling just got stronger, maybe we could find the right home here someday.” According to the experimenters, the warmth, openness and encounters with locals were the factors that impressed them in Kankaanpää.
More information
The Wonderful, Horrible Countryside housing experiments are coordinated by Leader, managed by Northern Satakunta. Verkostosta vetovoimaa -cooperation project -cooperation project together with municipalities. The project is co-financed by the European Union, and the project period is 1 January 2024 – 30 June 2026. Nine municipalities from North Satakunta and Northwest Pirkanmaa are involved.
Main photo: Noora-Mari Syväluoma