In the Helsinki city centre, new projects are being planned and built in the Eteläsatama, Katajanokka, Töölö and Hakaniemi districts, in particular.
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The city centre as an area
Events are organised throughout the year in the squares, market squares and parks of Helsinki city centre. Business, services and culture are comprehensively represented in the centre of the capital. Finland’s most important art and cultural institutions are within walking distance of each other.
The City of Helsinki is planning to expand the pedestrian zone in the city centre, revitalise the city’s central blocks in cooperation with business and renovate the parks. There are various opportunities for spending time and organising events. New housing is also constantly being built in the city centre. Good public transport brings commuters and visitors from all over Finland and abroad to the city centre.
As a growing – and Finland’s only – metropolitan area, the Helsinki Metropolitan Area plays a nationally important role in promoting Finland’s international competitiveness. In order to ensure successful business activities and a diversified economic structure, the city works to ensure that Helsinki will continue to offer market-driven demand and potential locations – premises, lots and areas – for existing and new kinds of business operations.
In Helsinki city centre, where (as elsewhere in the central city area) there are rather few new building locations available, demolishing old buildings to make room for the new construction of office premises and the complete renovation of buildings allow the premises stock to be renewed and modernised, which often increases the number of jobs in the existing or renovated premises.
Operations in the area need proximity with each other and customer flows. Good domestic and international connections are the strength of the area.
Plans
Local detailed plans determine the land use of an area, where we build housing, offices, parks, streets and roads, for example.
Traffic connections
Efforts are being made to increase the share of public transport in the city centre and in all Helsinki transport. The aim is to create a large continuous pedestrian zone in the city centre. Most recently, Hämeentie between Hakaniemi and Kurvi was transformed into a transit street.
Services
Helsinki city centre has 1,600,000 floor square metres of office, shop and customer service premises. The demand for and rent levels of these premises are among the highest in Finland and the underutilisation rates are among the lowest.