Turku is building and renovating more day-care centres and schools than ever before. Over the coming years, 22 new day-care centres will be built across the city, providing places for almost 3,000 children.
Six new day-care centres will be completed in 2026 alone. The pace will accelerate further in 2027, when another seven are scheduled for completion.
Alongside new-build projects, a large number of existing facilities are also being renovated. For example, the renovation and extension of Kaskenmäki Day-care Centre is expected to be completed in 2027. This rapid pace of renovation and construction is set to continue for at least the next decade.
Building to meet demand
New day-care centres are being built across the city. Many are being developed to meet the growing demand for early childhood education in new residential areas.
Two new day-care centre buildings will be built in Skanssi. A new day-care centre will also open in 2027 in Pihlajaniemi, a residential area that is still under development. The building will be completed on Koululaivankuja.
Turku is carrying out a day-care centre renewal programme involving the construction of a total of 12 new day-care centres across the city. The centres are being built using two different models. Seven are being built under a lifecycle model, in which YIT is responsible not only for the design and construction of the buildings but also for their maintenance and upkeep for 20 years. The remaining five are being built under a model in which the City of Turku will lease the completed buildings. The project is being carried out by construction company Lapti and the Urban Partners consortium, which will design, build and finance the buildings.
The renewal programme is also piloting a new design handbook for day-care centres. The handbook is intended to ensure that all new day-care centres provide the same types of facilities, are of a consistent standard and offer equal and equitable environments for everyone.
In future, all new day-care centres in Turku will be built according to the principles set out in the handbook and using the solutions proven effective through the programme.
Enjoying life at Herttuankulma
At the beginning of 2026, the children and staff of Koulukatu Day-care Centre moved into a completely new building. Herttuankulma Day-care Centre has space for eight groups of children.
Day-care Centre Director Monika Toljander says everyone is delighted with the bright and functional facilities.
– We have a large new playground that offers opportunities for a wide range of activities. The groups also have plenty of separate spaces for small-group activities. In addition, the large gym is entirely available for the children to use, and a variety of physical activity equipment is easily accessible, she says.
Children at Herttuankulma Day-care Centre particularly enjoy the spacious and versatile playground. The day-care centre opened in early 2026.
TEXT: ANNAMARI NURMINEN | PHOTOS: TIMO JAKONEN
The article has been published in Finnish in Turkuposti 2, 2026.
