View source for Pirkkala

{{expand Finnish|date=June 2023|topic=geo}}
{{Infobox settlement
|name = Pirkkala
| official_name = {{lang|fi|Pirkkalan kunta}}<br />{{lang|sv|Birkala kommun}}
| other_name = Birkala
| settlement_type = Municipality
| image_skyline = Tampere-Pirkkala Airport 1.jpg
| imagesize = 250px
| image_caption = [[Tampere-Pirkkala Airport]]
| image_shield = Pirkkala.vaakuna.svg
| shield_size = 120x80px
| image_map = Pirkkala sijainti Suomi.svg
| map_caption = Location of Pirkkala in Finland
|coordinates = {{coord|61|28|N|023|39|E|display=inline,title}}
|subdivision_type = Country
|subdivision_name = {{flag|Finland}}
| subdivision_type1 = [[Regions of Finland|Region]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[Pirkanmaa]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[Sub-regions of Finland|Sub-region]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Tampere sub-region]]
| subdivision_type3 = Metropolitan area
| subdivision_name3 = [[Tampere metropolitan area]]
| seat = [[Naistenmatka]]
| leader_title = Mayor
| leader_name = Marko Jarva<ref>{{cite web |title=Municipal administration - The Mayor |url=https://www.pirkkala.fi/in-english/municipal-administration/the-mayor/ |website=Pirkkala.fi |access-date=25 December 2019}}</ref>
| established_title = [[Charter]]
| established_date = 1922
|area_footnotes = {{Data Finland municipality|area_footnotes|Pirkkala}}
|area_total_km2 = {{Data Finland municipality|area_total_km2|Pirkkala}}
|area_land_km2 = {{Data Finland municipality|area_land_km2|Pirkkala}}
|area_water_km2 = {{Data Finland municipality|area_water_km2|Pirkkala}}
|area_rank = {{Data Finland municipality|area_rank|Pirkkala}}
|population_as_of = {{Data Finland municipality|population_as_of|Pirkkala}}
|population_footnotes = {{Data Finland municipality|population_footnotes|Pirkkala}}
|population_total = {{Data Finland municipality|population_total|Pirkkala}}
|population_density_km2 = {{Data Finland municipality|population_density_km2|Pirkkala}}
|population_rank = {{Data Finland municipality|population_rank|Pirkkala}}
|demographics_type1 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics_type1|Pirkkala}}
|demographics1_footnotes = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics1_footnotes|Pirkkala}}
|demographics1_title1 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics1_title1|Pirkkala}}
|demographics1_info1 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics1_info1|Pirkkala}}
|demographics1_title2 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics1_title2|Pirkkala}}
|demographics1_info2 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics1_info2|Pirkkala}}
|demographics1_title3 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics1_title3|Pirkkala}}
|demographics1_info3 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics1_info3|Pirkkala}}
|demographics1_title4 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics1_title4|Pirkkala}}
|demographics1_info4 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics1_info4|Pirkkala}}
|demographics_type2 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics_type2|Pirkkala}}
|demographics2_footnotes = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics2_footnotes|Pirkkala}}
|demographics2_title1 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics2_title1|Pirkkala}}
|demographics2_info1 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics2_info1|Pirkkala}}
|demographics2_title2 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics2_title2|Pirkkala}}
|demographics2_info2 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics2_info2|Pirkkala}}
|demographics2_title3 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics2_title3|Pirkkala}}
|demographics2_info3 = {{Data Finland municipality|demographics2_info3|Pirkkala}}
|blank_name = {{Data Finland municipality|blank_name|Pirkkala}}
|blank_info = {{Data Finland municipality|blank_info|Pirkkala}}
|timezone = [[Eastern European Time|EET]]
|utc_offset = +02:00
|timezone_DST = [[Eastern European Summer Time|EEST]]
|utc_offset_DST = +03:00
| website = {{Url|https://www.pirkkala.fi/en/}}
}}
'''Pirkkala''' ({{IPA|fi|ˈpirkːɑlɑ|lang}}; {{langx|sv|Birkala}}) is a [[municipality]] in [[Finland]], located in the [[Pirkanmaa]] region. It lies to the southwest of the regional capital, [[Tampere]]. The population of Pirkkala is approximately {{formatnum:{{#expr:{{Data Finland municipality/population count|Pirkkala}}round -3}}}}, while the [[Tampere metropolitan area|metropolitan area]] has a population of approximately {{formatnum: {{#expr: {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Kangasala}} + {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Lempäälä}} + {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Nokia, Finland}} + {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Orivesi}} + {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Pirkkala}} + {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Tampere}} + {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Vesilahti}} + {{Data Finland municipality/population count|Ylöjärvi}}round -3}}}}. It is the {{ordinal|{{Data Finland municipality/population count sequence|Pirkkala}}}} most populous [[Municipalities of Finland|municipality]] in Finland.
Pirkkala has an area of {{convert|{{Data Finland municipality/total area|Pirkkala}}|km2}} of which {{convert|{{Data Finland municipality/waters area|Pirkkala}}|km2|abbr=on}} is water.<ref name="total_area" /> The [[population density]] is {{convert|{{Data Finland municipality/population density|Pirkkala|round=2}}|PD/km2}}, which makes it the most densely populated municipality in Finland that does not use the title of town or city. Pirkkala is also currently the fastest-growing municipality in the Pirkanmaa region.<ref>[http://www.tammistoknuutila.fi/kauppakamarilehti/Lehtiarkisto/2005/1_05/pirkkala.html Pirkkala kiihdyttää kasvua, Tampereen kauppakamarilehti 1/2005] (in Finnish)</ref> The municipality is unilingually [[Finnish language|Finnish]].
[[Tampere-Pirkkala Airport]] is located in southwest Pirkkala. The most significant main road in Pirkkala is [[Tampere Ring Road]].
==History==
===Great Pirkkala===
The former parish of Suur-Pirkkala (Great Pirkkala) is mentioned in historical writings from the 14th century. It occupied over half of Pirkanmaa, a region nowadays populated by about 526,000 inhabitants. Suur-Pirkkala began to split when new parishes and municipalities were founded and wanted independence. <ref>{{cite web |title=Tietoa Pirkanmaasta |url=https://www.pirkanmaa.fi/tietoa-pirkanmaasta/ |website=Pirkanmaan liitto |language=fi}}</ref>
===South and North Pirkkala===
In 1922 the Pirkkala was split into Pohjois- (Northern) and Etelä-Pirkkala (Southern Pirkkala) due to a movement in Southern Pirkkala led by agronomist Hannes Palmroth of the Partola Estate to gain independence from the more industrial North. <ref>{{cite book |title=Pitkin poikin Pirkkalaa : pitäjänlukemisto |date=1997 |publisher=Pirkkalan kunta |location=[Pirkkala] |isbn=9519687114}}</ref>
===Pirkkala===
In 1938 the name of Northern Pirkkala was changed to [[Nokia, Finland|Nokia]] and after an appeal to the [[President of Finland]] [[Kyösti Kallio]] in 1939, Southern Pirkkala reverted to its original name Pirkkala. The present-day province of [[Pirkanmaa]] that was founded in the 1950s is named after Pirkkala as it was in the center of the region that was more or less the same area as the historic Great Pirkkala
==Sights==
Pirkkala has been inhabited by the [[Stone Age]] and [[Iron Age]], and many ancient finds have been made in the area.<ref>[http://www2.pirkkala.fi/historia/historia.htm Pirkkalan kunta: Pirkkalan muinaisuudesta – Suur-Pirkkalasta Pirkkalaksi] (in Finnish)</ref>
The red-brick old church was designed by [[Ilmari Launis]] in 1921, and it is known that it was built on the site of the old Pirkkala parish church.<ref>[http://www2.pirkkala.fi/historia/pirkkala.htm Pirkkalan kunta: Pirkkalan kunnan historiaa Pirkkalankylä] (in Finnish)</ref> The white new church from 1994, designed by [[Simo Paavilainen]] and Käpy Paavilainen, is located near the current town center, [[Naistenmatka]]. In its year of completion, the church, which has a modern appearance, was chosen as the most beautiful new building in Finland.
The Sculpture Park has been formed near the municipal center from the works of art of the international cast iron symposia of 2001 and 2003. It consists of sculptures of contemporary art, which are mostly placed around Lake Vähäjärvi. The idea of the cast iron symposiums is Villu Jaanisoo, an artist from Pirkkala who moved from [[Estonia]] to Finland. Other materials were used in the 2003 event.<ref>[http://www2.pirkkala.fi/sculpture/ Pirkkalan kunta: Pirkkala Sculpture 03] (in Finnish)</ref> Perhaps the most prominent of the sights is the Jaaniso's ''Peruspirkkalalainen'' statue on the edge of the Suupantori [[market square]] in the town center, or the ''Valte'' statue according to its model.<ref>[http://www.pirkkala.fi/sivistys_ja_vapaa-aika/matkailu/peruspirkkalalainen/ Pirkkalan kunta: Peruspirkkalalainen] (in Finnish)</ref>
==Notable people==
{{columns-list|colwidth=35em|
* [[Minna Craucher]] (1891–1932), socialite and spy
* [[Lauri Ala-Myllymäki]] (born 1997), football player
* [[Tuija Brax]] (born 1965), politician and former Minister of Justice
* [[Jan-Mikael Järvinen]] (born 1988), ice hockey player
* [[Jarno Laitinen]] (born 1988), ice hockey player
* [[Joonas Lehtivuori]] (born 1988), ice hockey player
* [[Mika Mäki]] (born 1988), racing driver
* [[Reijo Mikkolainen]] (born 1964), ice hockey player
*[[Pertti Palmroth]] (born 1931), shoe designer
* [[Pasi Petriläinen]] (born 1978), ice hockey player
* [[Riikka Purra]] (born 1977), politician
* [[Lauri Pyykönen]] (born 1978), cross-country skier
* [[Jukka Tammi]] (born 1962), ice hockey player
* [[Artturi Tienari]] (1907–1998), Civil Guard officer, business executive and politician
* [[Allu Tuppurainen]] (born 1951), actor and screenwriter
* [[Jouko Turkka]] (1942–2016), theatrical director and controversialist
* [[Sanna Marin]] (born 1985), Finnish Prime Minister}}
==International relations==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Finland}}
===Twin towns — Sister cities===
Pirkkala is [[Twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with:
*{{flagicon|SWE}} [[Solna Municipality|Solna]], Sweden<ref name="Solna twinnings">{{cite web|url=http://www.solna.se/Global/Om%20Solna/Internationellt/Network,%20town-twinnings%20and%20partnerships.pdf|title=Networks, town twinning and partnerships|access-date=2013-08-04|work=City of Solna|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160402141132/https://solna.se/global/om%20solna/internationellt/network,%20town-twinnings%20and%20partnerships.pdf|archive-date=2016-04-02|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Pirkkala municipal office 2018.jpg|Pirkkala Municipal Ofiice
File:Kauppakeskus Veska 20180625.jpg|Veska Shopping Centre
File:Bauhaus Tampere 20180625.jpg|Bauhaus store in Pirkkala
File:Pirkkala Library C IMG 8186.JPG|Pirkkala Public Library
File:Vanha Kirkko Pirkkala - panoramio.jpg|Old Church of Pirkkala
File:Suuppa Pirkkala.jpg|[[Naistenmatka]] district along Suupantie
</gallery>
==See also==
* [[Birkarls]]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
{{commons category-inline|Pirkkala}}
{{wikivoyage-inline|Pirkkala}}
*[https://www.pirkkala.fi/en/ Municipality of Pirkkala] – official site
{{Geographic location
| Centre = Pirkkala
| NE = [[Tampere]]
| SE = [[Lempäälä]]
| SW = [[Vesilahti]]
| NW = [[Nokia, Finland|Nokia]]
}}
{{Pirkanmaa}}
{{50 most populous Finnish municipalities}}
{{Authority control}}
[[Category:Pirkkala| ]]
[[Category:Tampere metropolitan area]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1922]]