Land Use in Helsinki

Helsinki's development as a major urban center coincided with its development as a capital. Its growth was

carefully planned from a very early stage, and this means that there is little accidental or unplanned urbanization.

In many regards it is similar to Washington DC, in that it was designed to be a governmental and cultural center

first, a city second. Therefore the central city is not a CBD, lacking skyscrapers and commercial spaces.

Instead it is a striking public space, beautiful but sometimes a problem. Because it is the largest city in Finland,

and because it is the second fastest growing metropolis in Europe it has been forced to take over the role of a

commerce and population center any ways, and this is not always a good fit. Helsinki is not particularly dense by

European standards. It is similar to Amsterdam in terms of people per square kilometer. The fact that there is

not much commercial and no residential space in the central city increases urban sprawl dramatically. There is no

room for expansion in the heart of the city, because of the water and massive public structures. The majority of

non-governmental areas in the central city are the ports and the parks. This

can easily be seen, as the industrial, commercial and older residential areas move north up the peninsula,

corresponding neatly to the sector model of European cities. Farther out, in the post-war suburbs, technology-

oriented industry is moving in along the ring roads, amongst the planned communities. These outer suburbs are a

mix of socialist-style apartment blocks, and more western-style family dwellings. One of the largest complaints

against the city is that there is an alarming lack of rental housing, a situation the government is attempting to

rectify. There is some talk of legally limiting Helsinki's growth, but this growth is powering the economy and has

escaped the confines of Helsinki proper any ways. The satellite cities of Espoo, Vantaa, and

Kauniainen are considered part of Helsinki at this point in time.

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