28 May Creating More Livable, Inclusive Cities and Thriving Communities: Implementing Healthy Urban Policy Workshop, Helsinki 2025

Since 2014, 8 80 Cities has hosted over 200 Canadian and American decision-makers on immersive workshops in cities worldwide, including Copenhagen, Malmö, Melbourne, and Guadalajara. This year,  for teams from Kingston, Burlington, Hamilton and Yellowknife, who were selected as winners of a National Healthy Cities Grant competition focused on implementing healthy urban policy, we hosted the workshop in Helsinki.

Why Helsinki? Like many Canadian cities, Helsinki has faced challenges with housing affordability, aging infrastructure, and car-oriented planning. But over the last two decades, it has made bold policy moves to reverse these trends.  

Today, Helsinki is a global leader in evidence-based city building, combining Scandinavian social values with innovative planning tools and a long-term commitment to political will. From expansive housing policies that maintain affordability, to climate-adaptive street design, to data-driven urban development that centres on equity and accessibility, Helsinki’s transformation shows that it’s possible to tackle complex urban issues head-on.

Hosted by 8 80 Cities and funded by the CIHR Institute of Population and Public Health (IPPH), the workshop was designed to inspire participants on best practices to create inclusive healthy cities. We had five intense days of presentations, tours and working sessions. It was a week of immersive learning and inspiration on what makes healthy cities.

We walked, biked, played, rode the tram, bus, train, and metro. And of course, we sauna-ed!  

Day 1 of the study tour was a great success! We kicked things off by welcoming teams from across Canada and grounding ourselves in the real challenges we face in Canada.

We delved into the heart of Helsinki, exploring where cultural heritage meets future-forward design with a tour led by Mikko Lindqvist from the Helsinki City Museum. Then we headed off to Oodi Library where we learned more about the robust co-design process that helped shape this iconic hub, followed by an inspiring talk from the City of Helsinki’s Physical Activity Promotion Unit on how they have been trying to get people to walk more.

Day 2 was learning all about Helsinki’s Housing First model. We started the day on two wheels and headed over to City Hall to listen to presentations that highlighted Helsinki’s approach to housing, governance, and urban strategy, featuring speakers from the City of Helsinki. We then eased into the afternoon with a fun visit to a computer-themed playground in Ruoholahti – a playground programmed year-round that focuses on creating experiential learning environments for families, teachers, and childhood educators alike.

After lunch, there was another presentation led by the Y-Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to providing affordable and permanent housing solutions to end homelessness. Guided by Juha Khalia, we then toured the Jätkäsaari neighbourhood. We saw firsthand how political commitment, wraparound services, and people-centred planning have worked hand in hand to create deeply affordable and supportive housing options.

Day 3 was a deep dive into Healthy Neighbourhoods. From urban design and placemaking to transportation systems and cycling infrastructure, we explored how Helsinki weaves public health, sustainability, and equity into every layer of city planning. We heard from more city leaders, including the Chief Design Officer, biked through some impressive bike infrastructure, and explored the Kallio neighbourhood loop to learn about the work underway for their first Summer Streets initiative. The day provided us with a lot to reflect on, highlighting the importance of cross-sector collaboration between researchers, planners, and communities in creating healthier cities.

 
Day 4 took us to the district of Malmi. We learned about the health promotion related to physical activity in Malmi, led by the City. Päivi Raivo, from Raivio Bumann, presented about the power of placemaking and took us on a tour of placemaking and other initiatives around this suburb.

Right after, we headed to Puhos for another walking tour led by Hossam Hewidy, Senior Lecturer at Alto University. He showed us around Puotinharju, an eastern neighbourhood of Helsinki, inaugurated in 1965. Designed by Erkki Karvinen, it was the largest shopping centre in Finland upon completion. It has since become a significant gathering spot for entrepreneurs and customers from immigrant backgrounds. In recent years, it has become an area undergoing significant changes and uncertainty.

Day 5, the last of the workshop, was a powerful close to an inspiring week. We spent the morning with a warm welcome at the Raivio Bumann studio, a Helsinki-based design agency specializing in placemaking and public space activation, where Hossam Hewidy built on the walking tour he had led the day before, presenting his latest research on urban regeneration in Helsinki. His session offered a critical and necessary lens on questions like “Right to the city — but for whom?” and introduced concepts such as insurgent planning, sparking important conversations about equity and inclusion in urban regeneration projects.

In the afternoon, we transitioned to Puistokatu 4, a 19th-century villa and “space for science and hope,” which served as the perfect setting for our 8 80 Cities Action Planning Workshop. The teams had the opportunity to reflect, collaborate, and begin shaping how they will apply everything they’ve learned to their local contexts moving forward.

The past few days have been full of rich dialogue, local insights, and meaningful connections. We’re incredibly grateful for everyone’s trust in the process, and we’re excited to see how the energy and ideas from this week will carry forward. 

We extend a big thank you to all the speakers for their generosity in sharing valuable insights and experiences on implementing policies and practices that contribute to the well-being of residents. We are also grateful to our funder, CIHR-IPPH, and to the amazing participating teams for their enthusiasm, contributions to our conversations, and engagement. We look forward to the implementation of your action plans in your cities.