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The most equitable and effective place to learn
Every child has the right to a safe childhood and a good education. Quality early childhood education, basic education and other forms of instruction are the foundation upon which a smoothly functioning city and a good life can be built.
The city's objective is to ensure that all schools in Helsinki provide a high standard of education, fostering a seamless transition from early childhood education to primary education, and further extending to secondary education. Additionally, efforts are made to accommodate the growth of specialised education options.
Ensuring high-quality early childhood education is crucial in preventing segregation and addressing socio-economic disparities among children. Helsinki is committed to attracting a greater number of children, particularly from diverse language communities. To facilitate this, the city will invest in language acquisition programs during children's years in childcare, in Finnish and Swedish, equipping them with the necessary language skills for a smooth transition into formal education. Strengthening municipal early childhood education will not only enhance the productivity and employment prospects of city residents but also contribute to a more inclusive and equitable society.
Every child has the fundamental right to excellent early childhood education. We will expand the number of locations offering these services, making them more available closer to residential housing and popular commuter routes. This way, we can make the principle of a local daycare centre near every home a reality. Accessibility will be further improved by increasing subsidies that help families pay for private options and digitalising service paths.
Helsinki will also adress the need to attract talent from abroad to come to Helsinki to work and study. We will meet the needs of international children and families by adjusting the operations of our daycare centres, schools, universities and leisure activities. Opportunities to study in English will be expanded at all levels. We will also make sure that young people who have just arrived in Helsinki can begin their studies mid-term, if necessary.
We will explore the challenges that speakers of other languages face in pursuing their studies and learning Finnish and Swedish. We will improve their access to education, training and working life. The role of adult education in supporting integration will also be strengthened.
A new Nordic school (Nordiska skolan) will be established to boost Helsinki’s appeal, in line with an Education Committee proposal.
Helsinki will implement the recent nationwide reform that extends compulsory education to the age of 18 by actively developing a coherent study path that continues seamlessly on to upper secondary studies after basic education. The school journeys of young people who speak a foreign language as their mother tongue will be especially supported.
Helsinki will work alongside the government to ensure that each of the capital’s young inhabitants will have a diverse range of study options available to them. More study places will be added in general upper secondary schools so they can be available in all neighbourhoods, and measures will be taken to ensure that admission standards do not become prohibitive. We will also create more opportunities to pursue apprenticeship training, and one-on-one counselling services will be broadened in vocational education and training programmes and general upper secondary schools. Sufficient on-site instruction and guidance will be made available in vocational education and training programmes.
Helsinki cannot guarantee quality early childhood education options until it has come up with a permanent solution to the labour shortage in this field. We will draw up measures to improve staff availability and start implementing these measures in the council term. We will also ensure that the share of qualified staff in daycare centres increases and that work conditions and the use of substitutes are improved.
Schools’ basic funding will be protected and the influence of the Education Division’s financing criteria will be monitored. We will ensure that every student will get the support they need for attending school, focusing support to those who need it by strengthening and developing positive discrimination efforts. We will make local public schools even more attractive and continue development of the entire city as a facilitative environment for learning.
We will also explore a model for providing hourly childcare for young schoolchildren.
Another prerequisite for education success are functional and healthy facilities, along with a service network plan that better foresees developments in the need for services and facilities, as based on municipal population and service life projections. Private schools that have an agreement with the city to provide instruction will be preserved and appreciated as a key part of Helsinki’s school network. We will ensure that planned repairs and extensions to these schools proceed smoothly.
Applications to early childhood education and basic education will be digitalised, and analytics will be developed and utilised in the planning and implementation of these kinds of municipal services. Teaching and learning environments will utilise and develop technical solutions.
Strategic goals that outline the development of Helsinki schools until the year 2030 will be created. Implementation of the Finland Model for leisure activities will continue, providing each child with the chance to pursue a hobby.
University students are an important part of Helsinki’s future. Helsinki must always be a top study destination and a place where people can improve their skills. Together with the city’s universities, students and businesses, we will make the city an even better place to study. We will become a hub of innovation by investing in the sciences.
Resources from a separate coronavirus recovery fund will be directed towards rectifying the learning and wellbeing issues that many young people have experienced during the pandemic.
Ambitious climate objectives and nature conservation
City decision-makers will consider the impact of all of their decisions from a climate perspective, regardless of the kind of operations in question. When it comes to building projects, energy solutions and transport, climate concerns will be front and centre.
Our goal is a carbon-neutral Helsinki that is able to not only meet its environmental objectives, but also act as an example, going beyond its part to play in responding to the crisis. We will zero in on the fastest measures for reaching carbon neutrality, and we will actively seek out big picture oriented solutions that set us on the path to social justice. Environmentally friendly options will be made more readily available to residents.
We will move our deadline for achieving carbon neutrality up five years to 2030 and renew our Carbon-neutral Helsinki Action Plan with measures to reduce construction and traffic emissions, in addition to other changes that are seen as necessary and feasible. The city’s energy company Helen will be required to update its development plan during the council term, with due consideration for the new Urban Heating Road Map. Preparations will also need to be made for the closure of the Salmisaari coal-fired power plant by the year 2029.
Helsinki will not undertake any new investments in bioenergy facilities. A goal to attain carbon zero status by 2040 will also be set, and we will map out a series of scenarios for achieving this milestone. Helsinki will also start planning for a carbon-negative future. We will produce an ambitious Reduce, Reuse and Recycle Road Map that encourages people to repair and reuse items, reduce service life emissions and create jobs.
We will all have to adapt to the consequences of our planet’s climate crisis. The health, property and way of life of Helsinki’s inhabitants must be protected. The goal is to prepare Helsinki well for extreme weather phenomena and their indirect effects. Adapting to climate change will necessitate preparations for hot temperatures and dry spells, in addition to heavy rains and, perhaps already in the span of the coming decades, even a rise in sea levels. We will meet these new challenges by making the necessary preparations. This adaptation will also be considered in future city planning and new construction and renovation projects.
Part of preparing for these changes will include planting more trees and adding more green spaces to the city. Drought-resistant greenery will be added to Helsinki parks and green walls and roofs will assist with drainage. Effective green solutions can help manage storm water, minimise flood risk and limit the heat island effect of hotter temperatures in urban areas. We will also make the appropriate changes to hospitals, senior homes and other facilities.
Helsinki actively protects and nurtures its diverse natural environment. We will expand our networks of forests and fields and ensure that every city resident lives in close proximity to nature. Helsinki will determinedly carry out its Biodiversity Action Plan and protect its most valuable areas in line with its Environmental Protection Plan for 2015-2024. We will prepare a new plan for 2025-2034 to continue this valuable work. During this strategy term, a minimum of five new protected areas will be established each year.
A growing city requires a reconciliation between the values associated with compact living and those of the surrounding natural environment. No zoning will be planned in Helsinki’s most treasured nature areas, and biodiversity will be purposely advanced in outdoor recreation and wilderness areas. The city’s forests will be left to naturally age. No new construction will take place in Helsinki’s Central Park Keskuspuisto, and the island of Vartiosaari will be devoted to recreational activities. Development plans for the Stansvikinkallio area will be re-evaluated with this in mind, as will the repealed parts of plans for the Kruunuvuori district. All building and traffic projects will seek to preserve as many trees and greenery as possible.
Helsinki will continue to boldly develop its maritime environment with improvements to connections, waterfronts, piers and base camps, as well as support for the sector’s entrepreneurs. Helsinki has a responsibility to care for the Baltic Sea and its shoreline, as well as to reduce maritime emissions. Groundwork for a city national park will continue.
Art and culture as enablers of a good life
Helsinki supports the rehabilitation of cultural and event sectors with separate coronavirus recovery funding. Structures will be reinforced in consultation with all concerned parties, so culture and event operations will be more resilient in the face of future crises.
Grants for culture, sports and youth services will create the conditions for a wide selection of leisure time activities. We will develop these grants so new recipients, such as the dance companies in the new Tanssin talo venue, as well as other new forms of sports, exercise and art can receive municipal support. We will capitalise on the Percent for Art principle associated with public projects.
Events have an important role in making Helsinki an enjoyable, dynamic and attractive city. When it comes to events, Helsinki acts as a responsible developer and a trustworthy and inspiring partner. It also acts as an effective event platform and is a popular conference host. People and businesses find the city easy to work with when arranging events, big or small. Helsinki should be able to offer event organisers and businesses assistance according to a one-stop-shop principle. Permit requirements will be relaxed so facilities and areas can be more easily available for all types of events and cultural purposes. Helsinki will work to improve its competitiveness as a host of cultural and sporting events, fairs, international conferences and other large events in cooperation with groups that are active in this field.
Our goal is a Helsinki with an expanding cultural life that makes the city more interesting and diverse. Helsinki also acts as Finland’s flagship provider of cultural experiences. We will bolster our domestic and international position as a home to compelling art venues. A strong civil society, events and the arts are necessary to restore our sense of unity, wellbeing and trust after the pandemic. Events also promote the vitality of city centres and the businesses that rely on them. The Helsinki Biennial will be held again in 2023 and 2025, and hubs for cultural and free-time activities are being founded in the South Harbour and the Helsinki areas of Makasiiniranta, Itäkeskus and Suvilahti. Development of the city’s nightlife and night economy will continue.
A unique urban culture is a key enabler of a good life. It builds Helsinki’s exceptional character, attracts visitors, encourages resident participation, increases cultural understanding, lowers segregation and strengthens people’s bond with the city. Helsinki’s selection of culture, sports and other leisure services must be adjusted in line with the city’s growth, with services available in every corner of the municipality. Urban environments will be made more inviting with public art. Youth work that focuses on outreach and targeted assistance will be emphasised, and youth centre activities will be safeguarded throughout the city.
Helsinki will become the capital of reading and literacy. We will make our libraries even more appealing by developing their identity as community meeting points. We will bolster the regional network of local libraries and enable their more versatile use. New technologies and media will be approached with an open mind.
Helsinki’s goal is to be a city where the possibility for everyday physical activity grows to the point that the health of all city residents improves. Every inhabitant of every age will be encouraged to be physically active. Exercise will be made an integral part of every daycare centre, school and educational facilities’ daily routine. We will invest in more exercise venues, with an emphasis on open and efficient use of space. We will also enhance the city environment by adding new elements like fitness stairs, outdoor gyms, benches and piers that will coax people to be more active.
Now that the coronavirus pandemic is waning, one of our main priorities is to get young people back into leisure activities and hobbies. We will support resident and organisational activities by offering municipal premises throughout the city for a small fee or free of charge.
We facilitate the quality education and training of top athletes and ensure that Helsinki sports clubs and other organisations are able to arrange their activities without difficulty.
An international city of equality
Helsinki is a good city for its residents and visitors alike, a place with security and equal rights for all. Helsinki is committed to promoting non-discrimination, equality and human rights in its operations. The goal is to be a city where different lifestyles and opinions can co-exist in harmony.
Helsinki defends people’s right to live a life that suits them best, as long as this activity doesn’t deny this same right to others. Helsinki’s public spaces are safe zones for everyone; the city has clear and research-based methods for dealing with harassment and discrimination.
Helsinki has zero tolerance for bullying. Training in emotional intelligence and interaction skills will be improved and expanded. Services and civil engagement programmes will increase the equal provision of services among different population groups, as well as the ability of local residents to see the city through the eyes of other people. Helsinki will strengthen its skills in identifying, preventing and mediating rifts between different city demographics. We will also encourage Helsinki residents to participate in volunteer and peer group activities.
City planning and the design of city services will make accessibility a priority. People with disabilities will be encouraged to participate equally with active inclusion measures. We will also invest in making Helsinki a helpful place for people experiencing memory loss.
Helsinki wants its services to reach out to many different kinds of people. The city will train its staff in social services and healthcare, education and other services to interact with different kinds of families in more sensitive ways, for example, by training employees to identify and dismantle racism, increasing work with young members of minority groups, and recognising various forms of violence and people at risk of mutilation.
Helsinki will invest more in language instruction for immigrant women and make it a special objective to increase their employment.
We want to be the kind of city that takes an active role in providing solutions to dire global challenges. We also want to be a city that adopts the best practices of our peers. Helsinki will continue to report on its progress towards the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. In the future, Helsinki will be an attractive city for people and companies that work to make the world a better place. At the same time, we will continue our work to make our everyday life more smooth, pleasant and enjoyable. Helsinki is a city where good things are done.
Cultivating safe neighbourhoods with distinctive identities
Helsinki’s goal is to be a city where polarisation between districts does not increase and every resident can live a safe and pleasant life in a neighbourhood with its own distinct identity. We will seriously address the threat of segregation, listening carefully to what the city’s residents have to say on the matter and learning from research. Helsinki will universally practice positive discrimination and combat segregation in all of its activities, stretching from housing policy and zoning to social work and education as well as culture and leisure. Work in this area will target several neighbourhoods in particular: the Malminkartano-Kannelmäki area and the districts of Malmi, Mellunkylä and Vuosaari. Reforms will be planned and carried out in cooperation with the residents, respecting each individual area’s identity and special characteristics.
Positive discrimination will target services and investments in areas identified to have a greater need. Investments in public spaces and buildings will be used to increase regional wellbeing and appeal. We will also seek to provide a wide range of different housing ownership and rental options in different areas. Art, events, sports and exercise venues, libraries and a proximity to nature strengthen the distinctive identities of the different neighbourhoods and make them more appealing to employees and businesses alike.
A good city is a safe city. A central tenant of any secure and smoothly functioning city are solid rescue services, a service Helsinki provides in conjunction with the state. We understand the synergy between rescue services and emergency healthcare in assuring the safety and security of a large metropolis. We maintain large-scale city-level preparedness that lays the foundation for a wide range of operational capacity as situations change.
A smoothly functioning and beautiful city
Sustainable growth is based on long-term zoning and city planning. Balanced development of the city makes it possible for resident satisfaction to improve alongside population growth, as a growing populace is a prerequisite for the success of many economic activities. This enhanced activity leads to joint investments that can increase both general satisfaction and urban beauty.
The cityscape is developed in a sustainable manner, with priority given to renovation and infill development of the existing built environment that shows respect for the distinctive identity of each area. Helsinki is developing a comprehensive rail network, and the result is an interesting and dynamic linking of different city districts that will enable the population to grow in an efficient way. Most of the infill building will be carried out along the rail network and its stops. The overall quality of the city’s urban environment will be improved. Other city hubs, such as the district of Itäkeskus, will be developed alongside the city centre.
Balanced development of the different areas of the city will be promoted by investing in urban renewal areas, diversified housing production and a pleasant city environment. Measures to ease the construction of housing will be carried out, as will the current Housing and Land Use Programme. The programme for the execution of the city’s master plan will be updated.
Ambitious city building and new and infill construction must be carried out in balance with the natural environment in its vicinity. The goal is rapid housing development as set out in the Housing and Land Use Programme, as well as the mitigation of rising housing costs, the creation of balanced city districts and the rise of more concentrated urban living solutions.
One goal of building investments is to reduce regional segregation and improve residential satisfaction across all of Helsinki’s neighbourhoods. This means investing in parks and playgrounds, as well as sports and exercise venues. City services such as schools, libraries, sports and social services and healthcare must keep up with population increases and regional housing developments in an economically sustainable manner.
Helsinki will concentrate on planning and building an appealing, pleasant and beautiful cityscape for its new and old neighbourhoods alike. A good urban setting invites people of all ages and backgrounds to meet in the city year-round. It also entices people to come spend time and just be. The proper setting also creates appropriate spaces for commercial services and public activities. During this strategy term, special attention will also be devoted to one of the main prerequisites for creating a pleasant city: the cleanliness of public parks and streets.
City decision-makers play a strong role in the planning and steering of land use in Helsinki. The city will use zoning to promote ecologically, socially and financially sustainable development. In partnership zoning projects, the city and the landowner will plan land use together, under clear city-imposed limits. Processes associated with building permits and inspections will be streamlined.
The goal is a smoothly functioning and beautiful city in which bold investments support the city’s future population and growth, and thereby its economy and tax base. Design will play a more systematic role in a customer-oriented renewal of our services and our efforts to enhance city organisation productivity. Design will be utilised in joint city projects and forecasts. Helsinki will further strengthen its profile as a design city, and work to be an active partner to cities, businesses and universities. Helsinki recognises the impact that design and architecture can have on general wellbeing, urban experiences and the city brand. We will enhance the appeal of public spaces with clever design and experimentation and see the City’s Architecture Policy Programme to completion.
In addition to being a key tool for developing the city, design is also a way for Helsinki to distinguish itself internationally. This work will be supported with the promotion of a new museum devoted to architecture and design. Accessibility to art and professional workspaces for people active in arts and culture will be improved, especially in areas further removed from the city centre. An operational model will be drawn up as part of our Real Estate Strategy to renovate the city’s historic buildings.
Helsinki’s city centre is home to Finland’s largest concentration of jobs, services, culture and places to enjoy. For this reason, it has an unparalleled significance for the country’s economy. We must purposefully invest in this important resource and make our city centre more appealing, accessible and functional. We will do this work together with the area’s residents, businesses owners and commercial interests.
We will launch a project to preserve the vitality of the city centre, which will focus on making the downtown area more pleasant and attractive to pedestrians. We will further develop the idea of a central pedestrian zone, based on preparations from the previous council term, and bring the proposal forward for consideration. We will promote the growth of jobs, services and brisk commerce in the city centre, improve our hosting capabilities for events, and ensure that people can see and hear arts and culture when they are in the city. Projects will also improve the conditions of city parks. During the term of this strategy, renovation of Kaisaniemi Park will be initiated. Research into the vitality of the city centre will be utilised as the basis for these projects, with ideas focused on boosting the city centre’s appeal throughout every season.
The project to safeguard the vitality of the city centre includes the development of traffic arrangements to support the city centre’s commercial activities. Even so, the overall impact of traffic projects that affect city centre accessibility will also be considered. We will implement solutions that make better use of underground parking options. We will also make sure that service and distribution traffic in the heart of Helsinki continues to proceed smoothly. Projects to minimise the adverse side effects of roadwork and excavation will continue.
Intelligent traffic solutions underpin smooth transport
Traffic solutions for a growing Helsinki are always planned hand-in-hand with land use. Land use in the city will be developed so traffic can be arranged in a socially, financially and ecologically sustainable manner. The adequate capacity and functionality of traffic solutions devised for an increasingly compact city is planned with every form of transport in mind, taking their interconnectedness into consideration. We will work to increase the share of people who use public transport, as well as those who walk and cycle.
Helsinki is a city that uses urban space efficiently and wisely for the benefit of its residents to meet their varying needs. Intelligent traffic solutions that anticipate people’s future needs can be accomplished if we continue to invest in the digitalisation of traffic information and management, as well as in the intelligent transport infrastructure that facilitates commercial transport services.
We will continue implementing plans to make Helsinki a rail traffic network by planning and executing different light rail projects.
We will draw up a series of measures to strengthen Helsinki’s electric vehicle infrastructure, with the objective of reducing the amount of combustion engine vehicles in the capital area. Making sure that there are sufficient electrical charging stations for these vehicles will promote the city’s functionality and help us achieve our climate goals. We will continue our efforts to end the use of fossil fuel in our public transport network. We will keep the price of public transport tickets reasonable, and we will improve city conditions for walking and cycling. Helsinki will resolutely carry out its Bicycle Action Plan, speeding up construction of the bicycle highway network and inner city target network.
Helsinki will continue its gradual transition towards market-driven parking solutions. We will make sure there are enough parking spaces for resident and access parking.
We will also carry on with plans to relocate harbour operations, in line with previous decisions.
Improving the health and wellbeing of Helsinki residents
All of us, regardless of our age or state of health, should be able to live a good life in Helsinki.
It is Helsinki’s goal to provide smooth access to basic healthcare services and oral healthcare services. We will utilise digitalisation, work distribution optimisation and increased cross-sectional cooperation to do this, along with service vouchers and the utilisation of private services, if necessary. We will ensure there are enough staff working in social services and healthcare.
We will build functional, state-of-the-art and easily accessible Family Centres, Senior Centres and Health and Wellbeing Centres, designed in cooperation with the users and staff of the services in question. The varying needs and backgrounds of Helsinki’s residents and districts are taken into consideration in the development of service networks.
Services are situated where they are easily accessible to residents in every neighbourhood. We will continue to expand home delivery services and encourage proactive approaches, as well as prioritise the continuity of care and the permanence of care relationships for those who need frequent services. Helsinki will develop its Swedish-language services, with the aim of providing quality and seamless care.
Helsinki considers the different ages of its customer base when planning and implementing its services. Older people’s wellbeing is nurtured, and members of the older demographic are considered a valued resource. Every Helsinki resident has the right to a dignified old age. We will ensure the effectiveness of assessment processes for long-term housing and seek to secure a sufficient number of available placements. The quality and versatility of home services will also be developed. As the population ages, the significance and value of informal care increases. The city will also make sure that people caring for family members or friends can cope and receive the support they need.
Helsinki will strengthen its digital healthcare and social services and extend a digital service promise to the city’s registered residents. Services must be developed in a more customer-oriented manner in order to be as easy to use as possible for Helsinki inhabitants of all backgrounds. Digitalisation supports these developments.
In 2022, Helsinki will introduce a therapy guarantee. We will increase early-stage mental health services, improve access to brief psychotherapy, and introduce more easily accessible assistance. We will also work with the HUS hospital network to improve existing paediatric mental health service paths. In addition, we will expand opportunities to access other forms of psychiatry and care.
Helsinki will also prepare a series of measures to tackle the problem of growing substance abuse, using a humane cross-disciplinary approach. This also means reducing drug-related deaths and the harm caused by substances.
Substance abuse services will be improved so addicts can receive fast, easy and adequate assistance. Young people in particular must be able to immediately access the help they need.
Helsinki is committed to minimising homelessness, with a goal to eliminate it entirely by the year 2025. We will take the necessary steps to prevent homelessness by offering subsidised housing, other helpful services and the city’s own rental housing stock. We will reduce social and economic disadvantages and develop more outreach services in community and adult social work.
Helsinki supports families with multidisciplinary services that offer early and comprehensive support. We will make Helsinki the best city for raising a family. This includes developing maternity and child clinic services according to family feedback, and offering early support to families of newborns as a home-delivered service. We will help single-parent families to cope. Our goal is to prevent family problems from snowballing and reduce the need for child protection services. We can stop the increased need for such services in this way and reverse the trend. We will continue measures to reduce inequality and prevent young people’s social exclusion in the Mukana programme.
We will ensure the functionality of basic services with the implementation of a multi-producer model. We will also enlist private service providers and service vouchers to help dismantle pandemic-induced service backlogs.
Resources will be allocated from the separate coronavirus recovery fund to address any remaining care and service backlogs.
Responsible finances as the basis for sustainable growth
Securing Helsinki’s financial sustainability will require foresight and consistency from the city’s decision-makers. Funding for Helsinki’s essential services must be organised responsibly.
We want to promote the strong individual economies of Helsinki households as well as the strong municipal economy of the City of Helsinki. The external constraints for the city’s economy are now being set by many changing factors, such as the social and health services reform, rising senior populations, a growing number of young people, climate issues that demand a response, and the service needs of an increasingly diverse population.
City decision-makers will link the increase in operating expenditure to changes in cost levels and population growth, in addition to a self-imposed productivity target of 0.3 percentage points in 2022 and 0.5 percentage points thereafter. The change in the cost level will be measured by the price index for basic services. Age-specific growth data and other composite population change data will be used as parameters for determining the need for expanding youth services in the city’s Education Division and Culture and Leisure Division.
We commit to this "responsibility rule" with regard to operating expenditure. The year-on-year budgeted growth in expenditure will not exceed the determined limit.
We will launch the design and implementation of structural reforms to bring more efficiency, productivity, resources, and room for manoeuvre to the city's operations. This will include a review of the businesses, administrative units and other entities of the City of Helsinki and the Helsinki City Group, assessing the efficiency of their operations and use of space. These actions aim to produce an annual savings of at least EUR 50 million by 2025.
The estimated room for manoeuvre generated by such productivity improvements will be allocated towards improving services and meeting the productivity targets listed in the annual budget.
We will create room for manoeuvre in city spending by striving even more ambitiously for efficiency and a better input-output ratio in the city’s activities and service production.
This requires good leadership as well as organisational reforms. Administrative structures should promote and not impede realisation of the city’s goals. We will continue to compute and publish the costs of the city’s own service production and all parts of the Helsinki City Group.
Helsinki has boldly increased its investments in recent years. Bold growth and investment will continue to create the conditions for a strong municipal economy. We will improve our ability to assess the profitability of our investments for the municipal economy and use this information for better overall control of our investment activities. Total investment will be set at a level consistent with a sustainable level of total expenditure, consisting of operating expenses plus investment. The cash flow from operations and investments can fall into deficit during the council term, but only up until the deficit target set for local government in the Public Finance Plan and the Municipal Finance Programme.
Principles for determining rental fees for spaces will be revised so that the fees will more closely match increases resulting from basic renovations. These more closely reflect the actual life-cycle cost of renovations, so that we will avoid a deterioration in services due to excessive rents.
The reform of social and health services in Finland will transfer close to two-thirds of our tax revenue elsewhere. This will narrow the City of Helsinki’s room for manoeuvre because we will have a smaller tax base available for our own use.
Helsinki must be a city that prospers and creates conditions for its residents to improve their own economic position. In planning the city's finances, we will rely on a wider range of economic research and academic expertise than in the past. In order to maintain work incentives and support the personal finances of the city’s residents, the municipal tax rate will not be increased.
Starting in 2023, social and health services and rescue services will be financed by general state funding and be listed in the city budget as its own entity, in line with legislation. Helsinki will continue to safeguard quality social services and healthcare for its residents and will actively push for expanded state financing.
The city will continue its policy of relinquishing real estate holdings that are not in active use by the city.
A total of EUR 65 million in City Board funding will be set aside for coronavirus pandemic recovery in 2022–2023. The funds in the recovery package can be used for coronavirus-induced reconstruction needs. The package will be distributed between the city’s Education Division, Culture and Leisure Division and Social Services and Health Care Division.
Helsinki is an attractive employer
Helsinki carries out a good HR policy and our goal is an increase in employee wellbeing and satisfaction. At the same time, we seek a rise in productivity and competitiveness.
The City of Helsinki and the entire Helsinki City Group operate in a growing city, meaning that the city will need to increase the number of its employees. This is why Helsinki must be seen as an attractive employer that offers many kinds of interesting career paths and stable service relationships. Helsinki will not lay off employees, as long as are they are ready to be transferred to new tasks that suit their skills. The city encourages continuous development, work rotation, and the development of a diverse career path. If previous work tasks become redundant, the city offers new ones and retraining, if necessary.
The city leadership meets regularly with representative organisations of the staff.
As part of its desire to be an attractive employer and a provider of good HR policy, Helsinki will launch and continue effective measures for resolving labour shortages by boosting its appeal as an employer, improving working conditions in concert with the staff, and making efforts to retain existing employees. We will respond to the labour shortage and continue implementing our Salary Development Plan.
A lack of employees that speak Swedish is a challenge for Helsinki. For this reason, the city will invest in Swedish language instruction for its personnel and develop its recruiting services to ensure that the necessary staff is available. We will improve staff availability by stepping up advocacy, boosting the recruitment of employees that speak languages other than Finnish and Swedish, and increasing diversity. Work-based migration will be encouraged and degrees and experience from foreign countries will be recognised to a better degree than they are currently.
We will intensify our existing cooperation with employment offices, universities and educational institutions, businesses, and other metropolitan cities to deal with the labour shortage.
We will improve the level of productivity by rewarding individual performances and group achievement. Management and supervisorial work will be resolutely developed to reward good work performance and intervene quickly in potential problems.
We support the career trajectories of City of Helsinki and Helsinki City Group employees and offer job transfers and career moves within both organisations.
We create career paths and growth opportunities within the city, and make sure staff is available where needed most. We continuously assess our performance in this area by gathering staff feedback about how well the different parts of the city organisation work together and how effectively we produce our services.
As a large employer, Helsinki can also offer many of its city employees job-related housing, an option for encouraging more people to work for the city in the face of recruitment difficulties.
Data and digitalisation help run a smart city
We are constantly improving the service attitude and aptitude of the City of Helsinki organisation. We seek helpful solutions to the challenges of residents and local businesses, and work towards the provision of rapid, equal, transparent and anticipatory services in our divisions’ work and city services.
Helsinki is managed by using the best possible expertise and allocating skills to where they are needed most. Compatible good quality data and analytics anticipate our customer needs, make our activities have more impact, and streamline our operations. With a better understanding of our customers, we can enhance services that are understood to bring the most benefit.
Helsinki actively cooperates with universities and businesses in research and innovation projects. Improvements to city operations are based on research from leading independent experts. Reforms of services and operational practices will be designed so that it is possible to reliably assess the results. Researchers are also asked to contribute to the city’s key renovation projects.
City service production is becoming increasingly reliant on digital solutions. Digitalisation enables an even more sustainable city that can anticipate and confidently respond to changes and crises, such as global warming. We seek growth in the productivity of our service production, which translates into service improvements and cost savings. The automation of the city’s Financial Management system and the transparency of operational expenditures will be raised to at least the same level as the other cities in the Helsinki metropolitan area.
The goal is for city services to be easily accessible, no matter what the time and place. E-services are the option of choice whenever residents or business want to use them and are able to do so; they are widely available every day of the week at any time of the day. Whenever it is seen as warranted, the city will automate services and processes and develop new self-service options. The development of new services for forecasting and early prevention will be prioritised. Helsinki will also maintain quality services in the Swedish language.
Continuous investment in skills will be necessary for staff and residents alike to make the most of the digital opportunities that the city presents.
Helsinki is an open city that communicates and functions in an interactive way. Helsinki strengthens participation and interaction in its activities by promoting an open operational culture, interactive methods, and by making use of business and resident feedback. The city actively invites residents, businesses and other groups to participate and influence city services, decision-making, the operational environment and their own residential area. We also uphold structures that support such participation. Helsinki promotes diverse, multi-channel, and multilingual communications and opportunities for participation and influence, taking into account the differences between residential areas.
International workers and businesses find Helsinki appealing
Helsinki is attractive and enticing to talented individuals in and outside of Finland, as well as their families. We will assume a more active role in attracting international businesses, business owners and work-seeking migrants to Helsinki and helping them settle in. In order for the city and many other businesses to recruit new workers successfully, the city must be able to provide English-language services. We will increase the amount of multilingual school and daycare services and enhance the accessibility of digital services for residents who speak languages other than Finnish or Swedish.
We will expand employment for international recruits’ spouses and connect students from abroad with local businesses.
An appealing city also attracts travellers. We will develop Helsinki into the smartest and most sustainable travel destination.
We will ensure the availability of a skilled and capable workforce by renewing our recruitment processes, increasing language instruction, and expanding apprenticeship training. We will intensify our cooperation with capital area universities and educational institutions by encouraging city divisions to work jointly with researchers and education providers in their respective fields.
We will update our structural and industrial policy priorities, strengthening and developing our status as a top startup hub, innovative environment, and hotbed of business opportunity in Europe. We will expand our field of economic activity in addition to diversifying our business environment and vocational options. Helsinki must be an enticing place for testing out new solutions in an urban environment. We effectively arrange innovation competitions, funds, and other tools.
We will identify locations with large concentrations of jobs and ensure the attractiveness of these areas with zoning, traffic planning and other measures. This effort will extend to suburban areas as well. We will ensure that Helsinki will continue to provide opportunities for business to establish various commercial ventures, without losing sight of the creative industries and production activities. These opportunities must meet both market-based demand and company needs. The city centre will be developed in close cooperation with companies operating in the area. A plan to entice international investment to Helsinki will be drawn up. We will strengthen our ties with capital area universities, helping them to develop into robust centres for innovation and talent. We will continue to develop the operations of the Maria01 startup hub and Helsinki Health Capital.
Helsinki is a business-positive city, in which service-mindedness is carried out in each of the city’s divisions and distributed to all players equally.
Cooperation between the city and local businesses will be enhanced, with better dialogue in the preparatory phase leading up to city decisions. Urban spaces are used flexibly for both housing and commercial activities. We will strengthen our business-friendly experimental culture and focus on problem solving. Helsinki’s profile is that of an opportunity enabler.
Our goal is to be a city that improves the likelihood of employment after the regional employment services will be transferred to municipal oversight. All of the city’s resources will be put to use in promoting employment services. We will establish our own employment rate goal and use every means at our disposal to increase the number of people with jobs in Helsinki. We will create a set of measures for an active labour market policy, which includes the utilisation of integration services and vocational training, as well as the employment of the partially disabled. We will use new methods to help people better secure employment and we will search for new solutions to raise the employment rate of young people and immigrants in particular. We will seek out joint solutions to improve employment across municipal borders.
Promoting Helsinki’s interests nationally and engaging in international cooperation
The City of Helsinki is an active member of the international community. The international activity we engage in advances the city’s strategic goals and improves Helsinki’s opportunities to influence issues. We will develop an even stronger Helsinki brand by enhancing its international standing and attractiveness, especially among global experts, investors and visitors.
Helsinki actively seeks the best global practices and solutions to support the execution of its operations and goals. Helsinki also recognises its global responsibility by sharing its own best practices with other cities, along with lessons it has learned.
Helsinki actively monitors the progress of its reference and partner cities, proactively making use of their examples. International partnerships are forged according to need. Dependent on the topics and goals, the best partners are sometimes found in Europe and other times outside Europe. In addition to seeking active partnerships with other cities and city networks, Helsinki is also interested in starting active partnerships with many international organisations.
Helsinki looks after the best interests of the city and its residents in both national and international forums. The goal is a Helsinki with an outsized presence in the world and an active influence in its home country.
International advocacy efforts in Helsinki focus on measures to support and enhance economic recovery, the development of public services, digitalisation, climate change mitigation, and regional innovation ecosystems. Helsinki engages in a proactive urban policy dialogue in the EU and other international forums by offering concrete proposals.
The repatriation of EU funding ensures that EU projects support the realisation of Helsinki's strategic goals. Helsinki also wants to promote the responsible use of EU funds.
National political advocacy priorities include promoting the supply of skills, boosting employment, and securing the city’s continued operational capabilities by ensuring adequate funding for social and health services and rescue services. The city will join with the state to improve education services, focusing on metropolitan areas with the worst labour shortages. In addition, we must ensure that Helsinki will continue to be able to shoulder broad responsibility for promoting sustainable growth and investments, as well as ensuring the welfare of its residents after the social and health service reform.
National decision-making must think long term and better recognise the growing role, significance and specific challenges that Helsinki and other big cities face.