Out of the Shadow
Green and growing , Espoo and Vantaa are proving to be a lot more than Helsinki ’ s sidekicks
The Helsinki Metropolitan Area is a lot more than just Helsinki . To the west , there is Espoo , Finland ’ s second largest city , and on the northeastern side one finds Vantaa , the fourth largest city in the land . Both of the cities are vital in developing the metropolitan area .
T he strong performance of the “ Big
Three ” did not go unnoticed by the
Financial Times in its European Cities and Regions of the Future 2016 / 17 rankings . Uusimaa Region , consisting of Helsinki , Espoo and Vantaa and some smaller municipalities , impressed as the top-placed mid-sized European Region of the Future and also came up on top in the Economic Potential category .
Uusimaa Region was ranked second in Human Capital and Lifestyle , and came forth in the Northern European Region of the Future listing . Overall , Uusimaa was deemed to be the 10th-placed European Region of the Future . In the study , data was collected from a total of 481 locations , including 294 cities , 148 regions and 39 local enterprise partnerships .
Enterprising Espoo
The profile of Espoo is getting greener by the day . The city is building a sustainable future through mobility , construction and energy solutions – and the launch of the new western metroline ( from Helsinki to Espoo ) is very much a part of the low-carbon plan .
There ’ s already a great platform to build on : According to a EU study completed in 2016 , Espoo is the most sustainable city in Europe . The study shows that , as measured by indicators for financially , socially and ecologically sustainable development , Espoo has managed to maintain sustainable urban development in the midst of powerful growth . As much as 35 % of Espoo ’ s land area is covered with forest , and the city was also recognised as a genuine “ green city ” in the study .
Overall , Northern European cities scored highest on sustainability in Europe , with Stockholm and Munich trailing Espoo . Scoring high in safety , education , social and economic participation , Espoo distinguished itself for its economic knowledge , too .
Green Edge Success
Espoo was also the first city to join the Finnish Society ’ s Commitment to Sustainable Development , which is dedicated to building a more sustainable Finnish society . Via greener practices , Espoo wants to create also new business activities and make the population ’ s everyday life easier and more comfortable .
Construction of new , sustainable residential areas is very much part of this pic-
Photo : City of Espoo / The City Planning Department
38 Nordicum