The capital of Finland, Helsinki’s population has been growing at 1,2 per cent a year, three times the rate for Finland as a whole. The population in the Helsinki region (14 cities) is 1,32 million today, and estimated to reach 1,7 million in 2040. The elderly and the foreign population will increase the most. The economy of the region is based 86% on services. Despite its northerly location giving cold dark winters, this is a very pleasant and liveable metropolitan environment in an essentially prosperous country. None the less there are concerns due to the economic crisis. The cost of housing, transport, urban renewal and sustainable development more generally are concerns for the Helsinki metropolis.

What does Helsinki City do with Pascal?

Helsinki City part funds the Pascal's PURE study in the Helsinki Metropolitan area.

Helsinki City has provided a member of the Consultative Review Group for the PURE study in Northern Illinois (Dr Ilpo Laitonen)

The Pascal centre at the University of Glasgow has hosted Dr. Pia Bäcklund, Senior Researcher within City of Helsinki Urban Facts, who is undertaking comparative analysis of HEI/regional interactions.

The Pascal centre at RMIT has hosted Ilpo Laitinen, Research Director within City of Helsinki Urban Facts.

Professor Michael Osborne contributed a keynote presentation to a seminar on Evidence-based Management, co-organised by the City of Helsinki, the University of Lapland and the University of Tampere, on Learning Cities and Regions in September 2009.