Helsinki’s urban development is founded on well-thought-out advancement of the city and its residential areas, a city environment that is in balance with valued nature areas, and a traffic system that primarily relies on public transport. Helsinki is creating a sustainable future for generations to come, while also preserving the city as a green and nature-filled place to live, move and grow. In Helsinki, all residents – old and new – should have the opportunity to live a good life.
Helsinki implements and advances investments in urban development that preserve the city’s vitality and charm. During the strategy period, we will implement the following high-profile development projects.
Development of the old Hanasaari power plant and its surroundings provides an opportunity to create an architecturally ambitious, internationally appealing and multifaceted community that honours the area’s rich history while also meeting the needs of the future. We will arrange an international idea and implementation competition to develop Hanasaari. Before the area is developed, we will enable its temporary use and include residents in the planning of this temporary function.
Development of the Hanasaari area is also linked to the development of three nearby spaces: the Suvilahti Event Hub, the Tukkutori Wholesale Market and the Helsinki Prison, which is scheduled for decommission. The goal is for the areas to someday combine to form an appealing urban hub.
We will ensure that the intensive construction and development projects being implemented in the new-build residential districts of Kalasatama, Jätkäsaari and Kruunuvuorenranta will be completed in full and to a high standard. During the council term, we will also advance decision-making on the residential areas of Hernesaari, Western Boulevard City, Koivusaari, Pasila, Malminkenttä and Östersundom. In the first phase, Östersundom will be developed into a model city for modern single-family housing close to nature. We are also preparing for the Ilmala area to be released for residential housing construction.
We will carry out infill development in a way that preserves the distinctive identities, spaciousness and character of the residential areas.
More nature and greenery will be added to the built-up areas of the city. We will draw up an action plan to make the built environment greener in new areas and issue recommendations for sufficient canopy cover and water-absorbing surfaces in every area of Helsinki. The goal is to increase the number of trees and canopy cover and make sure that every resident lives a short distance from green areas or waterways.
No construction will be planned in Helsinki’s most valued nature areas. Decision-making in Helsinki is based on up-to-date reports on the wellbeing of our city’s natural environment. We will continue to advocate for the establishment of a national park in the city.
We will renew the districts of Pitäjänmäki, Herttoniemi and Vallila in a manner that meets the needs of commercial, industrial and cultural activities and also leaves open the possibility for housing construction. We will draw up a partial master plan for the development of Pitäjänmäki and the Herttoniemi-Roihupelto area with these principles in mind.
We will unite the city centre across the division created by the railway tracks. The current gap between the Central Railway Station and the district of Pasila will be transformed into an appealing connection route and public space for the city's residents to enjoy. This will strengthen the area's appeal, clarify the city structure and create new conditions for infill construction. We will launch studies and preparations for the construction of a new commuter train station at the crosstown street of Helsinginkatu. In this way, we will also utilise the space between Pasila and the city centre to its full potential.
During this council term, we will advance plans for the West Helsinki tramway and the West Harbour tramway in accordance with previous decisions. We will also participate in the project to build a new tramway in our neighbouring city of Vantaa. We will promote the construction of a tramway connecting the districts of Viikki and Malmi according to the proposed schedule. A prerequisite for implementation of the Viikki-Malmi tramway project is that the state participates in some of the cost. In our preparations, we estimated the state’s share at 50 per cent.
Our plans for the development of the north-south boulevard of Mäkelänkatu support a future tramway solution. The entire project will be implemented in two phases, starting with construction that compliments the Käpylä station. Decisions about any future rail links that may connect to the area will not be made during this strategy period. Helsinki’s proposed Jokeri 0 light rail extension project will be postponed and moved from first phase planning back to longer-term planning in the master plan implementation programme. We will ensure that a sufficient amount of development is carried out along the planned tram lines so the projects will prove economically sustainable for the city.
We will continue our work to develop the districts of Malminkartano, Kannelmäki, Malmi, Mellunkylä and Meri-Rastila as part of the city’s suburban regeneration project, which seeks to prevent regional segregation and promote balanced development of the city. We will also identify other areas of the city where the socio-economic conditions of the residents correspond to those of the suburban regeneration areas, and direct special measures to these additional areas.
We will invest in improving the condition and pleasantness of train and metro stations and their immediate surroundings across the entire city. In the coming years, renovations will be carried out at metro stations in the districts of Kontula, Herttoniemi, Vuosaari, Itäkeskus, Myllypuro and Sörnäinen as well as at train stations in Malminkartano, Kannelmäki and Pohjois-Haaga. In addition, the state will carry out similar renovations at stations in Malmi, Tapanila, Puistola and Valimo.
We are ambitiously developing the district of Itäkeskus in eastern Helsinki. The renewal includes many elements: the development of the local detailed plan for the Puhos shopping centre area, the renovation and expansion of the Stoa Cultural Centre, the renovation of the Itäkeskus swimming hall, the development of the Itäkeskus metro station and public transport terminal, and the construction of a new Itäkeskus Comprehensive School. We are also exploring the possibility of building a new area in Itäkeskus that would be suitable for outdoor events.
As a continuation of our city’s architectural programme, we are launching the A More Beautiful Helsinki programme to ensure that new construction in Helsinki is timeless, architecturally ambitious and of a high quality.
For several years now, housing production in Helsinki has hovered at a level that is unable to meet the demand created by the city's population growth. In order to accelerate housing production, Helsinki is enacting various measures to make sure that the supply will be sufficient. At the same time, we will continue our commitment to housing policy goals that prevent and reduce regional segregation.
We are resolutely promoting the introduction of a new rent-to-own housing model. During 2026, we will create a functioning intermediate model that will make it possible to achieve the model’s goals set out in our Housing and Land Use programme. The goal is a mixed and versatile distribution of housing tenures and modes of finance in all different areas of the city.
We will continue for two more years the land use policy principles that give developers of residential plots intended for freely financed owner-occupied housing production the option of purchasing the plot instead of renting it. We will assess the need to continue applying this principle halfway through the council term. We will continue to evaluate our land use policy.
We will ensure that residential plots released for reallocation are made available to potential developers quickly and make greater use of continuous plot applications in our selection process. We will organise more price competitions and threshold payment competitions and also introduce an auction model to our plot allocation process.
Together with residential housing developers, we will promote solutions to facilitate construction on suitable residential housing plots. We will grant derogations for factors that present significant obstacles to construction, while at the same time ensuring housing quality. We will make it possible to implement housing projects in phases, if the phases are clear entireties of a suitable size. Together with the industry, we will continue to resolutely develop properties that are conducive to changes in how they are used. Within the framework of the city plan, we are actively seeking suitable sites for single-family housing and prioritising these sites in our plot allocation. We will also explore new single-family housing solutions for living in the city.
We will identify the most effective ways to secure the construction of senior centres and student housing, even in situations where the state does not grant investment support for the projects.