Translanguaging for urban visioning: The case of Teurastamo, Helsinki

Abstract

Language mixing practices play a crucial underexplored role in shaping urban change. Linguistic diversity in cities is not merely decorative or confined to signs and place names; rather, it introduces forms of “visioning,” reflected in expert language use, spatial practices, and planning documents. This article examines translanguaging through the case of Teurastamo in Helsinki, Finland – a former abattoir redeveloped through “meatpacking district” models. Drawing on expert interviews, planning documents, and field observations, we analyze how translanguaging practices – such as untranslated borrowed words – are embedded in future-oriented planning and performances in urban space. As an example of Helsinki's shift from an industrial to a consumption-oriented city shaped by neoliberal approaches to development, Teurastamo illustrates how material and semiotic resources are mobilized to construct an urban imaginary aligned with global notions of “sustainable” postindustrial environments. These environments tend to appeal to skilled professionals and young adults, while potentially marginalizing local language practices and excluding others. Multilingual practices enable experts to connect Teurastamo to global models and make redevelopment concepts palatable, even as they may obscure elements of the local context. The study shows how translanguaging is integral to urban visioning and place-making processes.