HELSINGIN KAUPUNKI
During the World Design Capital year in 2012, the City of Helsinki set out to bring design practices into city development processes.
This year also marked the start of our collaboration with the City of Helsinki and since then we have been privileged to develop our home town through design. Over the years, we have been able to partake in the design of important services, and a more functional and enjoyable urban environment for the city’s residents.
”According to the Helsinki City Strategy 2021–2025, the capital’s guiding principles in the following years are based on sustainable growth “in balance with the prevailing ecological limitations, creating benefits that are socially, financially and culturally sustainable”
–City of Helsinki
In recent years, the city’s design expertise has increased at a rapid pace, and as a framework contract partner, we have been able to bring design thinking into all fields, from education and training to culture and leisure, and from social and health services to the urban environment. The main idea of the collaboration has been to increase the competence of the city’s own personnel in people-driven development that is based on customer understanding and the application of design methods in their own work. The City of Helsinki is the largest employer in Finland, and for about 40,000 employees, this shift will take time, but the defining idea and the shared goal for us is to take even greater account of citizens’ needs. Helsinki will become even more international and diverse in years to come, and we want to participate in creating an equal and accessible city for all.
According to the Helsinki City Strategy 2021–2025, the capital’s guiding principles in the following years are based on sustainable growth “in balance with the prevailing ecological limitations, creating benefits that are socially, financially and culturally sustainable”. As design experts, we have an excellent approach and suitable tools to pursue these aims together with the city’s own teams. The results of collaborative efforts can be seen in the daily lives of Helsinki residents, visitors, and city employees alike. This includes better designed and more functional services, environments and solutions with improved aesthetics, and a visuality that is emotionally stimulating.
