Nordicum - Real Estate Annual Finland 2010 | Page 17

the summer 2009 – is excellent proof of the
solid level of cooperation between the metropolitan cities. Once the city councils had
approved the priorities and action lines towards the end of 2008, the cities committed
themselves to strengthening the competitiveness in the area.
The drafting of the competitiveness
strategy was begun in a completely different economic situation than today, but even
faced with major challenges there is a strong
consensus that cities must head towards an
increasingly competitive metropolitan area
– together.

Active On All Fronts
Jussi Pajunen, Mayor of Helsinki, notes that
the cooperation of the metropolitan area cit-

ies is a broad-spanning process which goes
well beyond the competitiveness strategy.
“We are tightening out collaboration in
various fields and will continue to do so in
the future as well.”
Marketta Kokkonen, Mayor of Espoo,
assesses that the cooperation has taken big
strides of late:
“We have made advances in, for example, public transportation, water services and
universities of applied sciences. Also the big
infrastructure projects of the region require
cooperation,” Kokkonen says, pointing out to
the western metro line presently in the works.
Juhani Paajanen, Mayor of Vantaa, adds
that developing the metropolitan area is also
important from a national perspective.
“The metropolitan area is a driver for
the entire country.”

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