From neglect to care? Knowledge politics in the struggle over a threatened daycare building in Helsinki

How could we better care for buildings and spaces that already exist? Caring for existing building stocks through reuse, repair, and revitalization is not only essential for reducing cities’ environmental impacts but also promotes sociocultural values. However, such values are often ignored in today’s techno-economic urban development paradigm.
Finland is undergoing a demolition wave, targeting many municipal service buildings like daycare centers and schools. This presentation examines the rhetoric and knowledge politics behind the demolition and closure of daycare and school buildings in Helsinki, with a specific focus on Päiväkoti Pihlaja, a 1950s daycare center building in Meilahti. Through document analysis and action research, the study demonstrates that official arguments for demolition are identical across cases, referring to risks, functional inefficiency, high renovation costs, and compliance with regulations. With a closer look at the formal decision-making process and citizen activism surrounding Päiväkoti Pihlaja, I discuss the more complex circumstances underlying the official arguments, as well as the counterarguments from local activists and experts. This raises questions about the values and power dynamics guiding decisions concerning the care and neglect of our building stock, also highlighting other values and knowledge that are overlooked.