1. We must attract and retain international talent to guarantee a strong economy. Language courses, mentoring and a strong job market are crucial in helping expats settle in.
2. We must raise our rate of employment to rival the neighbouring Nordic capitals. Helping people of all ages and backgrounds find work is an essential part of this effort.
3. Public procurement must be transparent and agile. Small and medium-sized businesses need to be included by splitting up large projects into manageable sections.
A socially sustainable Helsinki is a city that’s built on equality, diversity and social cohesion.
1. We provide high quality daycare and pre-primary education for everyone. We invest in the amount of available nursery places and increase wages for early childhood educators.
2. We help newcomers settle by improving the accessibility and inclusivity of our services and breaking down the language barrier. Let’s pilot the Swedish model: introductory courses on Finnish society in the most commonly spoken foreign languages.
3. We overcome intolerance and hate speech by fostering an interconnected community with a high quality of life. We invest in mental health, eradicating homelessness as well as financial and economic literacy at all school levels.
An ecologically sustainable Helsinki is a city that takes effective, evidence-based action.
1. We promote sustainable mobility by investing in rail, increasing public transport availability at night and enabling city-bike use year-round.
2. We make our built environment more sustainable by encouraging energy efficiency and better material choices – like wood – in urban densification projects. Keski-Pasila and Östersundom need to be fully developed.
3. We empower decision makers and citizens to plan for the future. Open data and online tools enable better awareness and smarter management of our built environment, the city’s real estate assets and construction. Schools and nurseries should have the tools to anticipate the effects of their buildings’ life cycles and shifting local demographics.