Do we want Toronto in Töölö? On the directions of city planning in Helsinki.
In the Left Alliance’s media Kansan Uutiset, there was a recent piece about how city-dwellers voices are not heard in city planning. The article highlighted recent examples of residents losing to development plans, and neighbourhood forests being demolished to make way for city growth. The article also questioned the idea that Helsinki needs to grow so much and accommodate hundreds of thousands of new residents in the near future. More participation in city planning processes, especially by ignored minorities, is an important goal in terms of equality and justice, and hence receives my full support.
However, listening to city-dwellers’ wishes, especially for protecting local nature, does not have to mean walling up Helsinki and preventing arrival of new residents here.
Through careful and considerate city planning, where the city listens to people’s needs, and leads the development to ensure public good even in privately built projects, we can create a future where the city serves not just the current residents better, but also the ones who will make Helsinki their home in the coming years.
Now this is not going to be easy. But then, nothing in city planning usually is.
This is also not going to be possible, if we continue to elect the same politicians, and end up with the same council as we have now. If we want city planning that works for the many, and not just a few, we need to elect city councillors who: 1) Do not shy away from talking to residents in different life situations across the city 2) Are ready to make bold decisions that protect people’s interests 3) Do not hesitate to challenge outdated ideas of who should get to decide how Helsinki is today and will be in future. The question is, are we ready to vote for change?
