Helsinki has become a better place
in recent years, thanks to unprecedented growth and decision-makers working together. Finland’s capital is well on its way to becoming the best functioning city in the world.
Goals of climate-smart city planning
1 Carbon Emissions
Contribute to the lowering of carbon emissions through spatial planning by having a compact city structure and a high-quality public transport system. This in turn requires the reduction in private car dependency by giving priority in spatial planning to walking, cycling, and public transport in terms of improving the city structure and quality of life.
2 Adapting to Change
Anticipate the changes in climate conditions to take account of these changes in spatial planning for the future benefit of a resilient city.
3 Carbon Neutral
Create as a precondition of spatial planning that all plans should aim to be carbon neutral and energy efficient in their implementation so that they achieve a carbon-neutral city structure in the long term.
4 Quality of the Environment
Develop innovative environmental solutions for the management of a growing city in order to ensure Helsinki is also a healthy city in the future.
5 Helsinki’s Green Network
Plan and strengthen the city’s nature and recreational green
network through its finger-plan structure. Additionally, forward planning of the future green infrastructure will be used as an integrated holistic programme in which nature
and green areas are built into new developments through the design of courtyards, green roofs and urban stormwater management systems.
Cities are not just built environments but also living and breathing communities.
If Helsinki can invest in reliable forms of sustainable growth, its outlook is quite promising. Sustainable growth is in balance with the prevailing ecological limitations, creating benefits that are socially, financially, and culturally sustainable. We are proud to continue to evaluate and guide the development of Helsinki in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Our growth should also be financially sustainable so that the finances of Helsinki households and the economy of the City of Helsinki and the Helsinki City Group remain robust. We must be able to rely on a steady stream of future tax revenue to pay for the service expenditures necessary to drive this kind of growth.
