To promote participation, the city guides work together with both local residents and other actors, and cooperation with experts from the city's various departments also plays an important role.
“We support dialogue and cooperation between local actors, residents, and city employees in many different ways,” says Lotta Jäättelä, Borough Liaison for Southern Helsinki.
All Borough Liaisons say that they are happy to promote residents’ ideas and suggestions.
“We are happy to help promote residents’ ideas and feedback for the development of the city,” says Gurmann Saini, Borough Liaison for Southeast Helsinki and Vuosaari.
The purpose of city guides is to increase residents' participation, equal interaction, and ability to see the city through the eyes of others. City guides promote diversity in residents' participation and support various sectors in matters related to resident participation.
“I am happy to be able to promote community spirit in my area,” says Kirsti Kallansalo, a Borough Liaison in Northeast Helsinki. Laura Päiväpuro, who works in the Western districts, shares this view. She believes it is important to bring together city residents and experts in our large and sometimes complex city organization.
The areas covered by the city guides are mainly divided according to the city's eight major districts. The population of the districts varies from around 40,000 to over 100,000 residents. Borough Liaisons support dialogue and cooperation between city residents, communities, and city employees. This often means building networks and bringing people together.
Elina Pentikäinen, Borough Liaison for the Northern District and Kaarela, wants to build a new kind of activity based specifically on the needs of city residents. Her colleague, Marjaana Jaranne, Borough Liaison for the Eastern District and Östersundom, wants to inspire residents and various actors in the area to work together. "It is important that the city is developed together with residents and with their input. After all, it is the residents who make Helsinki a unique city.
Borough Liaisons helps with matters related to OmaStadi (OurCity), Helsinki's participatory budgeting initiative
Borough Liaisons points out that the city already offers many opportunities for interaction and participation. OmaStadi, the fourth round of participatory budgeting, will begin again in the fall. In it, city residents will be able to decide how a sum of €10 million will be spent, and they can submit proposals on the OmaStadi website from September 22 to October 5, 2025.
The Borough Liaisons are also involved in the various stages of participatory budgeting, i.e., OmaStadi. Together with other city actors, Borough Liaisons ensure that the preparation of area-specific projects is carried out in a diverse and equitable manner.
"The goal is to get all city residents involved. Even those who have not participated before," says Gritten Naams, Borough Liaison for the Central District.
You can contact the Borough Liaisons by email by sending a message to
stadiluotsit@hel.fi(Link opens default mail program)
.