Cooperation in the Helsinki Region
COMMON VISION FOR THE HELSINKI REGION
The Helsinki Region is a dynamic world-class centre for business and innovation. Its high-quality services, arts and science capabilities, creativity and adaptability promote the prosperity of its citizens and bring benefits to all of Finland. The Metropolitan Area is being developed as a unified region, close to nature, where it is good to live, learn, work and do business.
The harmonious urban structure of the region is based on public transport; it is versatile by its operations as well as eco-efficient and low car-bon. The compact core area is encircled by a network of distinctive centres.
COOPERATION BODIES
The Helsinki Metropolitan Area Advisory Board is a cooperation body of leading elected politicians of the four cities (Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen) in the Capital Region of Finland. Items on the agenda are prepared at mayors' meetings. The Advisory Board has meetings monthly. Members of the Advisory Board (in Finnish)
The activities of the Advisory Board are based on a cooperation agreement, a common vision and a joint strategy. The Advisory Board deals with issues concerning strategic cooperation and steering of the most important joint municipal organisations. The main pillars of the strategy are common welfare services, international competitiveness, land use, housing and transport. The activities of the Advisory Board are based on decisions made by the City Councils of the cities involved.
The Helsinki Metropolitan Area Advidory Board in a nutshell (pdf)
The Helsinki Metropolitan Area Cooperation Assembly is a coope-ration body of leading elected politicians of Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen. The activities of the Advisory Board are based on de-cisions made by the city councils of the cities involved. Items on the agenda are prepared at mayors' meetings. The Cooperation Assembly has meetings 2-4 times per year. Members of the Cooperation Assembly (in Finnish)
The Advisory Board has also approved a Common Vision and Strategy for the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. The vision is implemented through the launch of cooperation projects. The strategy is incorporated into each city’s operating and financial plan and helps to steer the cities’ strategic planning in the coming years.
The Helsinki Region Cooperation Assembly is the cooperation body of the leading elected officials of fourteen municipalities in the Helsinki region. Participating are the cities of the Helsinki Metropolitan Area (Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen), the Central Uusimaa KUU-MA municipalities (Järvenpää, Nurmijärvi, Tuusula, Kerava, Mäntsälä and Pornainen) and the ’Neloset’ group of municipalities (Hyvinkää, Kirkkonummi, Vihti and Sipoo). The Helsinki Region Cooperation Agreement came into force on 1 October 2005. Members of the Cooperation Assembly (in Finnish)
Regional cooperation aims to secure the Helsinki region's international competitiveness. It is based on a shared view of the region's municipalities on the challenges of the area and a shared goal to promote the area’s development. Regional cooperation focuses particularly on land use, housing and transport issues as well as regional services. De-cisions on the details of the cooperation are made under an annual action plan.
