News
Cities solve sustainability challenges related to urban green spaces, urban planning and wellbeing
Sixteen Finnish municipalities are taking part in in the work on challenge clusters under the Sustainable City Programme. The aim is to tackle the most difficult sustainability challenges that cannot be solved by individual organisations or sectors alone. The three themes selected on the basis of the needs of cities are: urban green spaces in increasingly built-up cities, urban planning that takes sustainability targets into account, and flourishing communities in socially sustainable cities. The themes are particularly challenging as they combine the different dimensions of sustainability.
Welcome to our virtual study trip to a sustainable city!
The Sustainable City programme, together with Demos Helsinki, will organise a study trip of three events on best practices for sustainable urban development. Led by interesting speakers and examples from international contexts, the events will focus on challenges faced by different kinds of urban spaces and areas. The events will be held in English.
Key indicators for sustainable urban development published – Join us in their testing and further development
How should the sustainability of cities be measured? The project carried out by the Finnish Environment Institute SYKE ‘Indicators for sustainable urban development’ was a multi-stage participatory process to draw up a proposal for key indicators for sustainable urban development. The aim is to support cities, ministries and other stakeholders in monitoring sustainable urban development. The follow-up project to be started now will test the key indicators that have been identified in municipalities interested in this work.
Good solutions put to practice – boost to scaling good practices for sustainable urban development
Municipalities and cities across Finland have developed their activities towards better environmental, social and economic sustainability. The project ‘Levers for a Sustainable City’ (VIPU) looks for solutions for faster scaling of good practices. Besides urban development, the tools created can also be used for other purposes.
New pilots to be launched – more sustainable cities and municipalities through collaboration
The Sustainable City programme will launch 12 pilot projects that promote inclusive and interactive sustainability work in cities and municipalities. The pilots will, among other things, improve residents' opportunities to participate in and influence municipal sustainability work. They also strengthen the use of data for purposes such as managing sustainability and helping residents make sustainable everyday choices.
Seven experiments were conducted to develop solutions for promoting a pleasant and healthy green environment
In summer 2020 seven experimental and development projects were launched under the Sustainable City programme to promote a pleasant and healthy green environment. In these experiments urban developers tried to find answers to how the health impacts of green environments can be utilised and strengthened.
Sustainable City programme creates broad-based and concrete cooperation between developers
During the past two years the Sustainable City programme, coordinated by the Ministry of the Environment, has proven an important instrument in creating cooperation and boosting practical changes towards sustainability. Now an interim evaluation has been conducted to help develop the programme, that will run until 2023, so that it will serve the needs of towns and cities of different sizes even better. In future stronger focus will be placed on impact and communication.
Together we are stronger and wiser: linking national and local level sustainability reporting (VNR & VLR)
Warmly welcome to the Nordic workshop on Voluntary National Review and Voluntary Local Review (VLR-VNR) on May 27th!
Kuopio uses a game to get students involved in recycling
How can we motivate city residents to recycle? Can we make recycling fun, and can we turn it into a competition? How can we reward people for their diligent recycling? Kuopio sought answers to these questions when it experimented with promoting recycling through gamification.
Kuopio pilot uses a mobile game for environmental education
Kuopiossa vuonna 2018 kehitetty asukkaiden lajitteluintoa parantanut mobiilipeli jalostetaan Kestävä kaupunki –ohjelman kokeilussa kouluille. Lajitteluun kannustavasta pelistä kehitetään ala- ja yläkouluille sopiva versio, joka herättää myös miettimään omia kulutusvalintoja sekä antaa monipuolisesti tietoa kestävän kuluttamisen ratkaisuista.
From housing policy to living policy
Jyväskylä’s objective is to create a socially sustainable housing policy. To promote this, the city held several workshops and carried out interviews with local construction and real estate companies in 2018. The high demand for small apartments poses a challenge for the city, as wide-scale construction of small apartments can lead to a lack of diversity and high turnover of residents.
Urban green areas generate wellbeing and carbon sequestration in the Tampere region
The Tampere region is aiming to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030. According to the plan, emissions will be decreased by 80 per cent, while the remaining 20 per cent will be removed by carbon sinks or offset through other means. The emissions reduction measures are based on the region’s strategy, LHT (land use, housing and transport) agreement and climate strategy. The municipalities in the urban region have also applied for membership in the HINKU forum, a network of municipalities aiming for carbon neutrality.