Disease of Turku

The disease of Turku (Finnish: Turun tauti; Swedish: Åbosmittan) was the demolition of old buildings of cultural and historical significance in Turku, Finland, in the 1960s and 1970s to make way for new buildings, and the corruption associated with it. Although the name mentions Turku, similar urban development took place in several other Finnish cities. The term only began to be used after the worst wave of demolitions in the 1980s, when Turku's municipal policy was criticized in the Finnish press.

Background

Turku faced a severe housing shortage following the Second World War. According to population projections, the city's population would have risen to over 200,000 in a few decades. To cope with the increase, land use had to be made more efficient and the old wooden building stock had to be demolished to make way for new apartment buildings and commercial buildings. It was more profitable for developers to demolish old buildings rather than repair them, and the new apartments sold very well. The first valuable buildings to be demolished in the center of Turku were the Lindblom House and Hotel Phoenix.

The reconstruction or renovation of the grid plan area of Turku was most extensive from the late 1950s to the early 1960s. New buildings were built without any regulation from a cityscape perspective, and the town planning was done one plot or block at a time using "postage stamp plans" for the needs of each building site.