Hi Smart People! Have you heard about Helsinki before? Helsinki, the capital of Finland is joined by Singapore and Zurich in the top three smart cities in the world in the Smart City Index 2020, moving up to the second position from eighth place year-on-year in a time when many European cities among the 109 total cities in the ranking lost ground.
Helsinki gained a reputation as an efficient and friendly city, and it still has that vibe today; in 2017, it had a record 4.5 million visitors. It also has a growing reputation for sustainable excellence, attracting eco-friendly tourism and organisers of green events and meetings. That excellence has led to Helsinki winning one of the first European Capital of Smart Tourism titles.
Helsinki has set themselves an aim of going carbon neutral by 2035 and they’re proved to be on their way to reaching the goal. Even back in 2017, the city managed to lower emissions by 27% than it was in 1990. Another goal Helsinki is working towards is reducing traffic emissions by 69% within three decades by 2035, with measures like transitioning the entire city bus fleet to electric, and expanding its Metro and electric car charging networks. Since heating accounts for more than half of Helsinki’s emissions, the city is focused on implementing energy-efficiency measures during renovations, which could reduce emissions from buildings by 80%, as well as incorporating more renewable energy use in the city’s buildings.
Key players in Helsinki smart city development include Forum Virium Helsinki, an urban innovations unit; investment promotion agency Helsinki Business Hub; the Smart & Clean Foundation; the City of Helsinki Economic Development division and its innovation unit; and the Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council. Helsinki Marketing promotes the City of Helsinki’s expertise internationally. Helsinki also attracts private businesses wanting to test solutions and Google has chosen it for its drone transport experiments.
The Helsinki region is home to 70 platforms where change can be managed in a controlled environment. Some are digital, like the Helsinki Region Infoshare databank, and others are physical, like Jätkäsaari Mobility Lab, Stormwater Quality Management and demand response systems for district heating in homes developed within the mySMARTLife project and Kalasatama. Kalasatama is a smart city district with 3,000 residents which acts as a showroom for Helsinki’s smart urban solutions, including a smart waste collection system, extensive electric car capabilities, flexible shared spaces with smart locks, and on-site renewable energy production.
Carbon neutral, efficient and friendly city and also the Forum Virium Helsinki are some of the best smart city features in Helsinki. What facilities that you like the most from Helsinki, Smart People? Or does Helsinki remind you of something that isn’t related to the smart city?
Author: Mia Patricia | Illustrator: Rizky Sabilurrasyid
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