The 2025–2029 Helsinki City Strategy has been approved.
“I am happy that the new City Strategy has been decided on quickly. We have agreed on our guidelines for the next four years, in a spirit of broad cooperation. Our goal is to build a city that not only grows but also develops sustainably and responsibly. Achieving ambitious goals requires clear direction and cooperation. This City Strategy invites everyone to join us in building a Helsinki we can be proud of,” said Mayor of Helsinki Daniel Sazonov.
The strategic priorities of the City Strategy focus on providing a smooth everyday life and functional services, pleasant neighbourhoods with a strong sense of community and actions to prevent segregation, along with development that respects nature, makes the city more attractive and generates more vitality and growth.
In addition, the strategy lists the city’s five operational cornerstones, which outline cross-cutting themes of the city’s operations such as financial management, climate and nature conservation and security and preparedness.
The third component of the strategy explains how the city works. It describes the city’s responsible and service-oriented mode of operation when working with the city’s residents and stakeholders. It also describes the city’s values, which include bilingualism and a commitment to equality and non-discrimination.
Strategic priorities guide the city’s work in the coming years
The strategy’s five strategic priorities are as follows:
- Pleasant neighbourhoods with a strong sense of community “We want every resident of Helsinki to be proud of their local neighbourhood. A good neighbourhood provides a smoothly functioning everyday life, accessible services and a pleasant living environment. Every neighbourhood should be appealing, lively and green. Well-functioning neighbourhoods encourage an active lifestyle and a strong sense of community.”
- Widespread wellbeing “In Helsinki, everyone – regardless of their background or starting point – should be able to live a good life and pursue their dreams. All of Helsinki’s residents should feel like they belong. We are resolutely working to ensure that every resident of Helsinki can live a good life in our city.”
- A smooth everyday life and functional services “The good life of Helsinki residents is founded on a smooth everyday existence and functional services. The significance of different services and phenomena changes at different stages of our lives. Each of the city’s divisions has an important role to play in ensuring that Helsinki runs smoothly and provides residents with the conditions for a good life.”
- Development that respects nature and makes the city more attractive “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. Helsinki implements and advances investments in urban development that preserve the city’s vitality and charm.”
- Activity, vitality, skills and growth “Helsinki needs more activity, vitality and growth, or in other words, new businesses, skills and investment. We are strengthening Helsinki’s role as an appealing city that generates knowledge, research, creative innovations and growth. We are actively working to ensure that people and companies in Helsinki can succeed.”
Operational cornerstones underpin all our activities
The cornerstones of our operations ensure that Helsinki can meet every present and future challenge. The city’s operational cornerstones are:
- Financial management: A strong municipal economy secures services, investment and a reasonable tax rate. The City of Helsinki is committed to the financial sustainability principle and improving its profitability.
- Climate and nature: Helsinki aims to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by the year 2040. The loss of biodiversity will be mitigated by creating new nature protection areas and adding more green infrastructure. We will stop dumping snow into the sea.
- Staff and leadership: A committed and motivated staff is the foundation of the city’s operations. We want the City of Helsinki to be the most attractive employer in the public sector.
- Security and preparedness: Helsinki is enhancing its preparedness for cyberthreats and extreme weather phenomena. We are strengthening civil defence and the independent readiness of the city’s residents.
- Advocacy and internationalism: Helsinki promotes the authority of large cities in decision-making and strengthens its international role by playing an active role in cooperative networks.
How we work
This section of the strategy describes the city’s responsible and service-oriented mode of operation in our work with the city’s residents and our stakeholders. It also describes the city’s values, which include bilingualism and a commitment to equality and non-discrimination.
All of the strategy’s strategic priorities are guided by our shared work ethic: We exist for the people of Helsinki. We care about the wellbeing of the city and its residents. Our work is open and straightforward. We are proud to carry out our tasks well.
Read the full Helsinki City Strategy: “A Helsinki we can be proud of” here (pdf) and on our new City Strategy webpages at www.hel.fi/en/decision-making/decision-making/strategy-and-economy/strategy
