On the 18th of August, residents and representatives from Elva and Tartu housing associations participated in a joint study trip to Rakvere, organised by the drOp, oPEN Lab and BuildEST projects.
Rakvere is renowned for its successful apartment building renovation projects and innovative urban planning, offering many great examples for housing associations in South Estonia who are in the early stages of planning their own renovations.
The local guide for the trip was Andres Jaadla, Chairperson of the Board of the Estonian Union of Cooperative Housing Associations (EKÜL). He began with a presentation, giving participants an overview of Rakvere’s renovation trends in recent years, new planning initiatives, and how EKÜL supports housing associations on their renovation journeys.
The group visited several renovated apartment buildings on Lennuki and Seminari street, which provided interesting examples of both renovation techniques and landscaping solutions. A particular highlight for participants was the Kungla 5 housing association, whose surroundings, transformed into a lush city garden with the help of a professional gardener, that won a presidential award. Led by a representative of the local housing association, participants were also given an inside tour of one of the renovated apartment buildings, allowing them to see the interior technical solutions and exchange experiences on renovation topics.
The study trip concluded with a visit to Rakvere Vallimägi, where Andres Jaadla discussed the Vallimägi renovation project, the landscaping efforts, and future plans for the area.
Participants expressed that the trip provided them with plenty of ideas, inspiration, and confidence to move forward with their own apartment building renovation projects.
