Residents and everyone operating in Helsinki can participate in the updating of the participation and interaction model by sharing their opinions on the Voxit platform.(Link leads to external service) The discussion is open from 19 January to 1 February 2026.
The discussion on the Voxit platform contains a variety of statements that you can respond to by either agreeing or disagreeing. The data generated from the responses to the statements will help to inform the updating of the participation model.
According to Participation Manager Johanna Stadius, who is responsible for updating the model, the aim is to consult as widely as possible with a wide range of city residents, including those whose voices are less heard, as part of the update process.
Helsinki already offers many ways for residents to participate and make a difference. These include borough liaisons, business liaisons, expert by experience activities, customer panels, influencing bodies, the use of City facilities, residents' evenings and the OmaStadi participatory budgeting process.
The aim now is to find new ways and opportunities for the future that will be integrated into the work of the City as a whole.
“The model provides a long-term framework for the City's work on participation and provides the basic pillars for promoting and implementing participation. The aim is to make sure that the opportunities for Helsinki residents to participate are widely known, that they are used and that they also make a genuine difference.”
“For example, when we develop services and activities, we want to hear and know how residents and service users feel about them and what ideas they have for developing the city,” continues Stadius.
What do different city residents think?
“Participation means involving everyone in making Helsinki a good place to live and work. At its best, participation increases wellbeing, reduces inequalities, increases residents' satisfaction with their city and builds networks and connections between different operators.”
So says Borough Liaison Elina Pentikäinen. She works as the borough liaison of Northern Helsinki and Kaarela, helping city residents and other operators to participate in the development of their local area, network and find the right channels to make a difference.
Pentikäinen gives an example of the Oulunkylä network of operators, in which individual residents, clubs and organisations work together to develop their local area.
“In Oulunkylä, the focus is on the residents: they know what Oulunkylä needs. My role as borough liaison is to support their activities.”
Helsinki is now in the process of updating its participation and interaction model, a guideline that includes priorities, ways and means of involving city residents and different operators in the development of Helsinki and its services. The original model was developed in 2016–2017 and implemented in 2018.
The participation and interaction model concerns everyone operating in Helsinki, which is why the City of Helsinki is seeking the broad involvement of residents, businesses, organisations and other operators, as well as City employees, in the update process.
The participation and interaction model is about the genuine empowerment of city residents and operators. According to Pentikäinen, the views of city residents as users of services and residents of their local areas are invaluable.
Express your opinion on the Voxit platform
“Based on the participation model, we formulate very concrete goals and measures for how we work in libraries, youth services, sports or cultural services, for example,” says Participation Specialist Johanna Laukkanen from the City of Helsinki Culture and Leisure Division.
Laukkanen is proud of the way young people are heard and engaged with in Helsinki, for example. Helsinki has a Youth Budget that allows young people to decide what the funds of the City's youth services are spent on. In addition to this, Helsinki has a dedicated system for young people’s initiatives.
Johanna Laukkanen talks about participation as a way of working.
“Participation is not just about surveys, service design and listening to city residents, but about the attitude with which we interact with them.”
For example, sports facility caretakers across the city are doing important work to promote participation and facilitate voluntary activities. The promotion of participation, community and mutual understanding is also at the very heart of the City’s youth services.
Laukkanen hopes that the new model will echo the voices of different city residents and reflect their wishes for the Helsinki of the future.
Share your opinion on the updating of the participation and interaction model on the Voxit platform(Link leads to external service) Please choose whether you agree or disagree with each statement. You can also choose to skip the presented statement.
Rules of the discussion
1. Do not mention specific individuals. The moderators will reject statements that are directed at specific individuals or from which specific individuals can be identified.
2. Do not insult others. The moderators will reject any disrespectful or offensive comments.
3. Stay on topic. The moderators will reject any statements that are off-topic or clearly incorrect. We will not publish statements that are similar in meaning to statements already entered into the discussion.
You can add your own statements to the discussion until Sun 25 January 2026. We will moderate the statements before publication. Our aim is to add new statements to the platform within 24 hours on weekdays.
