The Tallinn City Government has changed the administrative structure in the field of urban planning, transferring the authority to initiate detailed plans from the City Government to the Tallinn Urban Planning Department. This change will enable detailed plans to be initiated within the 30-day timeframe set by law and significantly accelerate the overall planning process. The procedures have also been aligned more closely with established practices for handling comprehensive and detailed plans.

According to Deputy Mayor Madle Lippus, these are crucial changes aimed at reducing inefficient bureaucracy. “With this decision, we are eliminating redundant and repetitive approvals. Now, the preparation of a plan can truly begin with the initiation decision — whereas before, the plan had to be nearly complete to even be initiated. The change does not affect public participation in the process but creates significantly more time and opportunity to focus on achieving high-quality urban design outcomes,” Lippus explained. She added that the reform is a significant step toward ensuring that the development of Tallinn’s urban space is flexible and responsive to various stakeholder needs.

The most significant change is that, whereas previously detailed plans were initiated by the City Government, under the new procedure this responsibility has been delegated to the Tallinn Urban Planning Department — except in cases where the initiation falls under the legal competence of the City Council. The aim is to shorten the time needed to initiate detailed plans, thereby expediting the entire procedure.

“We’ve worked over the past two years to make the Urban Planning Department more client-oriented and efficient. Streamlining the process is essential to ensure detailed plans are processed within a reasonable timeframe — one of the department’s key goals,” said Martin Karro, Head of the Tallinn Urban Planning Department.

Detailed plans are used to implement the goals and values set out in the district master plans, helping to shape high-quality architecture and urban space. These plans grant building rights both for fulfilling public functions and for property development, ensuring compatibility with the urban environment and taking into account the balanced interests of stakeholders as well as the city’s strategic objectives.

The need for this reform was also highlighted by the Chancellor of Justice, who pointed out frequent delays in Tallinn’s detailed plan initiation decisions. The city is therefore reorganizing its workflows and decision-making processes to meet legal deadlines. This aligns with the city’s development strategy “Tallinn 2035,” which aims to create a friendly urban environment and homes that start with well-designed streets.

Additionally, the regulation “Work Procedure in the Field of Design Requirements and Planning in Tallinn” was updated with several editorial changes to align with recent structural changes in the city’s administrative bodies.