The Espoo Story

1.1 Promoting literacy – All children will learn Finnish or Swedish well. Children and young people will read more, also outside school days, and their understanding of how our society works will increase with the support of schools and library services.

1.2 A supportive learning path – Espoo will continue to have the best learning outcomes in Finland and strengthen young people’s working life skills. From early childhood education all the way to upper secondary education, children and young people will get the support they need for learning and wellbeing. Suitable group sizes and a sufficient number of adults will ensure the provision of high-quality support for learning for each child in accordance with the curriculum. We will increase the percentage of children participating in early childhood education and the availability of private early childhood education services, aiming for a 35 per cent share of service provision. Our goal is to ensure that all young people in Espoo obtain at least an upper secondary qualification. More young people in Espoo will have an opportunity to attend general upper secondary education in their hometown.

1.3 More opportunities – Everyone, regardless of their background, can learn a wide range of skills. We will work together to reduce segregation and inequality in the daily lives of children and young people. In Espoo, instruction will also be differentiated for advanced learners, allowing everyone to reach their full potential. The share of foreign language speakers among students in general upper secondary schools and universities will increase. The general appeal of vocational education will increase, and it will become easier for students to combine studies offered by Espoo’s general upper secondary schools and vocational schools.

1.4 Fostering a sense of togetherness – All children and young people will feel included and will be treated with respect. Violence, harassment, bullying, discrimination and school burnout will be actively addressed. The disadvantages of using mobile devices will be reduced. The wellbeing of children and young people will improve, and absences from school will decrease. Everyone will have an enjoyable hobby. In Espoo, children and young people have access to stimulating school and day care centre yards and neighbourhood sports areas. The cost of hobbies will not prevent physical activity.

2.1 Controlled growth – Population growth and the pace of construction must be in balance with economic sustainability and the goals of creating pleasant residential areas and maintaining the high quality of the cityscape. The city will invest in the quality and vitality of pedestrian environments in its urban centres. Land use planning will ensure sustainable growth through the prioritisation of detailed planning and the master plan to be approved during the council term.

2.2 Balanced areas – Residential areas will be developed as entities, taking account of a diverse range of housing for families and people living alone, a balance between owner-occupied and rental homes, early childhood education services and schools, as well as sports and other recreational facilities. We will launch urban regeneration programmes in districts at risk of segregation to make them more pleasant and appealing and to reduce segregation. We will actively increase the availability of owner-occupied homes, especially detached houses, row houses and townhouses that meet the needs of families with children. To ensure a sufficient supply of detached house plots and the city’s plot allocation goals, we will advance the detailed planning of areas for detached houses in the master plan for northern and central Espoo. We will prevent the concentration of state-subsidised housing construction. We will continue to offer plots to Espoon Asunnot.

2.3 The safest city – Espoo is Finland’s safest city, where people feel safe wherever they go. We will invest in safe school journeys. We will ensure safety and prepare for exceptional situations together with the police, the wellbeing services county and other authorities and partners.

2.4 Nature is close by – All Espoo residents have a local nature area within a 300-metre walk, which supports their connection with nature and offers excellent conditions for recreational activities. The abundance of urban green spaces and cultural landscapes supports residents’ wellbeing and promotes biodiversity. We will take care of our marine areas, archipelago and inland waters as important parts of local nature and a pleasant environment. Espoo’s maritime environment will be used more effectively for residents’ leisure activities, housing and tourism, and services along the unique Waterfront Walkway will be developed.

2.5 Functional connections – The city will mainly grow in areas with good public transport connections, making use of existing infrastructure. Moving around the city will be made easier for pedestrians, cyclists, public transport users and drivers. We will create suitable conditions for future rail projects.

2.6 Room for workplaces – Workplaces and services will be prioritised in land use planning to increase workplace self-sufficiency. The appeal of Espoo’s key workplace areas will increase. The speed and efficiency of permit and planning processes and good cooperation with landowners and builders will strengthen Espoo’s attractiveness in terms of housing and workplace construction. In Espoo, the processing times of permit applications will be among the fastest in growing cities. 

3.1 Protecting nature – Espoo will protect biodiversity, aiming for no net loss of biodiversity by 2035 in accordance with the Nature-wise Espoo roadmap. Espoo will strengthen the ecological network, improve the state of different species and habitat types, and use the mitigation hierarchy in planning and implementation. We will regularly establish new nature reserves in Espoo in line with the biodiversity action plan for 2021–2030 and develop areas of natural value that protect the environment in a less intensive manner. Espoo will prepare for climate change and extreme weather conditions using nature-based solutions.

3.2 Reducing emissions – Espoo’s per-capita climate emissions are the lowest in the capital region. In line with the Carbon-neutral Espoo 2030 roadmap, we are aiming for carbon neutrality by 2030 and will make decisions on the necessary additional measures. The popularity of electric vehicles, public transport, walking and cycling will increase. We will reduce emissions generated outside Espoo by supporting the circular economy of construction, increasing the use of low-carbon materials and promoting sustainable lifestyles among Espoo residents. We will pay attention to responsible procurements and reduce emissions in the city’s catering services through sustainable food choices.

4.1 More workplaces – Espoo’s workplace self-sufficiency will increase. Espoo is the most business-friendly city in Finland. We will strengthen our position as a hub of added-value workplaces, product development and company headquarters.

4.2 Home base for growth – Espoo will remain Finland’s innovation centre and key hub for start-ups and growth companies, which will bring in investments, investors and talent. We will promote sustainable growth, particularly through the green transition, technology and creative industries. The city will support small businesses by offering guidance and training in different stages of entrepreneurship and facilitating access to suitable premises. Entrepreneurship will become a more appealing option for all Espoo residents.

4.3 Effective employment services – Jobseekers in Espoo will find employment, and employers will find skilled employees quickly. The provision and development of services will be based on the utilisation of data and cooperation with partners. We will effectively target activation services to those who need them. Our specific aims include having the lowest youth unemployment rate among Finnish cities and reducing unemployment among immigrants so that the gap between them and the speakers of Finnish and Swedish decreases. In Espoo, all young people will have the opportunity to gain work experience before the age of 18.  Residents’ employability will be supported in cooperation with the wellbeing services county.

4.4 The best city for students – Espoo is a great place for students and a city where they want to put down roots and continue living after completing their studies. We will continue to invest in the development of the unique Otaniemi campus area, for example by increasing the supply of services and housing, which will benefit both students and other Espoo residents.

4.5 Vitality from culture – Vibrant cultural services improve residents’ wellbeing and are an important pull factor. Culture supports people’s wellbeing, creativity and resilience. We are an attractive and reliable partner for operators in the cultural and event sector.

5.1 Improving integration – Espoo is the leading city for integration. An increasing proportion of foreigners who move to Espoo on a long-term basis will learn Finnish or Swedish well. Employment and education are the key elements in integration. The differences in learning outcomes, participation and employment between foreign language speakers and the speakers of Finnish and Swedish will decrease. We will pay particular attention to the integration of the families of international experts as well as immigrant women. Together with our partners, we will help international students and the partners of experts find employment in Espoo. We will develop our Swedish-language integration path.

5.2 Espoo for all – Being an Espoo resident is about equal basic rights, commitment to our society’s rules, and a sense of togetherness strengthened by our responsibility for each other and our city. The everyday lives of different language groups will become less separated. We will work consistently to combat discrimination and racism and to build trust and a common future. Gender equality applies to everyone.

5.3 A city for talents – Our aim is to ensure that Espoo is the best place in the Nordic countries for both returning and new international talents. International partnerships and networks will strengthen our city’s vitality. We understand that language should not be an obstacle to participating in the city’s development and decision-making. We will seek new solutions to developing our work, funding and expertise through our networks. We will support Espoo-based innovations and companies in entering international markets.

6.1 Staff are doing well – The City of Espoo’s employees are valued professionals. The city’s management culture is respectful and supports continuous learning and employees’ opportunities to influence their work. Our workplace culture, feedback practices and management forums encourage experimentation, continuous improvement and cooperation across administrative boundaries and within various networks. Our workplaces are safe and promote equality and wellbeing. We will continue our measures to address talent attraction and retention in fields suffering from labour shortages, which include early childhood education staff and teachers.

6.2 Strong partnerships – We will build long-term partnerships with the wellbeing services county, organisations, clubs, parishes, communities, companies and educational institutions to promote the everyday wellbeing of Espoo residents of all ages and to provide new opportunities for recreational activities, participation and creativity. Espoo will support and promote resident participation and offer shared premises and forums for encounters. The city will ensure the accessibility of the premises.

7.1 Balancing finances – We will balance Espoo’s finances so that the parent city’s per-capita loan portfolio in 2029 will be no higher than the 2025 level. We will keep our taxation competitive among the main comparable cities. We will bring our expenditure growth back to a sustainable level in relation to the development of the revenue base. The share of internal financing in the financing of investments will increase. We will prioritise and schedule district development and investments so that we will have sufficient internal financing in the long term for investments in schools, day care centres and infrastructure, in order to curb indebtedness.

7.2 Value for taxpayers’ money – We will use the most economically advantageous solutions and improve the cost-effectiveness of procurements. We will utilise markets and their development when it boosts our productivity.

7.3 Data-driven management – We will plan our operations so that our statutory duties and strategic priorities are fulfilled with high quality and resources are allocated accordingly. We will continue selling assets that are unnecessary for the city’s core functions. We will develop the way services are organised and our organisational structure to effectively respond to the selected challenges. Espoo will actively make use of digitalisation throughout its processes to improve productivity. Management and decision-making will be based on the use of data, analytics, and a shared situational picture of the organisation. We will safeguard the equal treatment of the national languages in the city’s operations.

7.4 Genuine savings – The city’s finances will be primarily balanced through budgets, multi-year financial planning and the investment programme. If the balancing of finances does not progress sufficiently otherwise, the City Board may launch a productivity and financial balancing programme, with indicators based on the development of expenses and revenues in financial statements.

The chronology of Espoo began in 1458, when the Espoo Parish separated from the Kirkkonummi Parish. Another milestone was the founding of the Espoo Manor along the King’s Road, which connected Turku with Vyborg. It was established as a royal manor by decree of King Gustav Vasa on 27 August 1556. Based on this, Espoo Day events are held annually on the last weekend of August. In the Middle Ages, a rural landscape began to take shape in Espoo, which remained largely unchanged until the early 1950s. Espoo became a market town in 1963 and a city in 1972. The development of Espoo represents Finland on a miniature scale: a transition from a predominantly rural society, through manor and peasant culture, industrialisation and urbanisation, to its role in the nation’s post-war growth, rapid population increase and building of the welfare state.

Initially, the population grew slowly. It was not until the beginning of the 1950s that the population surpassed 20,000 people. At the same time, the number of Finnish-speaking residents exceeded that of Swedish-speakers in Espoo. The Helsinki University of Technology relocated from Helsinki to Otaniemi, and its main building was completed in 1965. The construction of Tapiola, designed especially for families with children, began in 1953. In response to the large-scale migration from the countryside that began in the 1960s, Espoo built housing, day care centres and schools for the new residents. The districts of Matinkylä-Olari and Espoonlahti were built along the Länsiväylä motorway. Leppävaara grew particularly rapidly along the railway line.

The new residents were active, and many significant cultural associations and sports clubs were established at the time. In the 1980s, the Espoo Cultural Centre was completed, and in the 1990s, the Nuuksio National Park was founded. Aalto University began its operations in 2010.

For most of Espoo’s history, the Espoonjoki river valley has been the central area for village life as well as for secular and ecclesiastical administration. During the latter half of the 20th century, the area stretching from Lake Pitkäjärvi through Espoon keskus and Kauklahti evolved more slowly than southern and eastern Espoo.

The transformation from a market town into part of an international metropolitan area has been rapid. Since the 1990s, Espoo’s relative population growth has been among the fastest of Finland’s major cities. Espoo has been particularly attractive to families with children. Its population has grown more than fourteenfold since the 1950s. The number of foreign-language residents has increased, especially since the early 2000s, due to labour immigration, international students, and global political developments.

Espoo has rapidly grown into a city of 320,000 residents, where diversity, nature and technology coexist. One in four Espoo residents speaks a mother tongue other than Finnish or Swedish, and every resident brings their own story. Espoo continues to attract young people, working-age adults, and families with children, but the number of older residents is also growing. Our city is in a state of change, and the population growth is driven above all by people’s desire to move to Espoo. In relation to its population, Espoo has the highest birth rate among Finland’s largest cities – and we take pride in that.

Residents consider their hometown to be safe, clean and pleasant. Nature is an important part of everyday life. The city’s services and sports facilities also receive praise, and our events and cultural education reach people of all ages.

Growth brings challenges, but at the same time, it opens up new opportunities. We take particular responsibility for the wellbeing of children and young people. We are working to ensure that everyone has the opportunity for a good life, regardless of their background or language. Integration, consideration of multilingualism, and the prevention of residential segregation are among our key development areas.

Economically, Espoo is going through challenging times. Central government transfers have decreased and may decrease further, while the need for services and investments continues to grow. We are forced to make choices and set priorities.

Espoo is also a city of innovation. Technology companies and research institutes have found a home here, and VTT, Aalto University and other higher education institutions bring international expertise to the city. In 2017, Espoo became the first city in Finland to decide that English would be gradually adopted as the city’s third official service language.

While Espoo residents are generally highly educated and enjoy good overall wellbeing, unemployment has risen in the city. As municipalities have taken responsibility for employment services, the city has assumed new obligations that require cooperation between various operators.

Espoo has a wealth of forests, bodies of water, and other valuable natural areas, but there is also a great deal of construction taking place. This requires balancing development with the preservation of nature. To protect the environment and reduce emissions, housing development is focused on areas with good public transport connections.

We are working to ensure that everyday life is good – both now and in the future. International cooperation brings new opportunities, and the city’s global recognition continues to grow. Espoo is not just a place on the map; it is a community where we build the future together.

Espoo is the capital of children and youth, where active residents make life better for everyone. People of all ages and backgrounds are a visible part of city life, participating, engaging in hobbies, and maintaining their wellbeing for longer.

Espoo has one of the highest birth rates in Finland, and the environment for growth is better than ever. Every child and young person has the opportunity to grow, learn and pursue hobbies. Reading and language skills have improved, providing the keys to learning, participation and membership in society. In Espoo, all young people can feel safe.

The city supports families in their everyday lives in cooperation with the wellbeing services county. The safety of schools and recreational environments has improved through collaboration between homes, schools and authorities. Opportunities for hobbies and participation have been developed together with communities and the third sector. The skills, wellbeing and success of children and young people continue to grow, supported by all adults.

The growth of Espoo’s population and expenditure is controlled and sustainable. In the long term, the city’s growth-related costs and revenues are in balance. Espoo is a network city of pleasant neighbourhoods and urban centres, where good transport connections promote sustainable mobility and accessibility between areas. The city’s five urban centres and seven greater areas are growing closer together as new residential areas develop, further enhancing connections between them. Espoo is known as a city where students enjoy living and where they want to stay.

To live in Espoo is to be part of a caring and positive community. The strong local identities and communal structures of neighbourhoods and urban centres are an essential part of Espoo’s character. City districts and residential areas are evolving into accessible and vibrant communities where residents feel safe, comfortable, and proud of their neighbourhoods. Espoo is the safest city in Finland. Culture, sports and major events enhance the vitality of neighbourhoods and foster a sense of community. Harmful residential segregation decreases. Every district offers the opportunity for a good everyday life.

Accessible and diverse local nature and coastal areas enhance Espoo residents’ wellbeing, health and sense of safety, while also strengthening the city’s attractiveness and vitality. Espoo’s urban development protects, revitalises and increases biodiversity. The city is advancing towards its goals of carbon neutrality and no net loss of biodiversity. We promote animal welfare.

Emissions decrease, and remaining emissions are fully compensated. Promoting walking, cycling and public transport makes the city more pleasant and encourages an active lifestyle.

Espoo is Finland’s capital of innovation, where Otaniemi hosts Europe’s most dynamic, diverse and international innovation ecosystem, bringing together Aalto University, research institutes and companies. Through cooperation, we are building Espoo into an economic engine that generates wellbeing for residents and strengthens sustainable growth throughout Finland. Highly skilled international professionals, companies, universities and research institutes work together to create new jobs and boost competitiveness. Innovations and growth companies attract increasing levels of investment.

Espoo’s revenue base is being strengthened by improving the city’s vitality, offering commercial plots, and supporting the establishment of new companies and jobs. A vibrant service sector, including restaurants, events, creative industries, tourism and wellbeing services, provides jobs for many people and enhances the city’s appeal. We are proactive and bring operators together by providing premises, expertise and services that foster sustainable growth and new jobs in Espoo.

Every Espoo resident has the right to feel at home in Espoo. Espoo is known as a city that has made internationality its strength and the foundation of its sustainable economy. The city attracts talent, investments, funding, events and visitors. International operators serve as Espoo’s ambassadors around the world. Espoo thrives through international connections and strategic partnerships and plays an active role in shaping the future of the European Union.

Cultural and linguistic diversity is a source of richness and strength, and the challenges associated with it are well managed. Diversity is also part of Espoo’s identity. The city has found a balance between embracing diversity and fostering a sense of belonging within the shared Espoo community. Together with our partners, we provide effective services that support active integration and equality.

Espoo is known as a city where professionals, residents and communities work boldly together. The city supports the professional development of its staff and encourages collaborative learning in everyday work. We create spaces and opportunities for encounters and strengthen partnerships with clubs, parishes, organisations, businesses, and cultural and event operators. In Espoo, everyone has the opportunity to participate fully and according to their abilities in everyday life, services and the community. Espoo continues to grow into an increasingly appealing city to live in, where community spirit and bold innovation go hand in hand.

Espoo is economically sustainable. Our strong economy creates the foundation for the city’s development and the provision of services. The growth rates of operating expenses and revenues have been brought into balance, ensuring that internal financing is sufficient to also cover investments. Decisions regarding taxation take into account Espoo’s competitiveness and the need to encourage employment, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Espoo’s finances are balanced through controlled expenditure growth, improved productivity, and the selection of the most cost-effective solutions, procurements, and service provision methods – so that internal financing remains sufficient for investments and helps curb indebtedness. The management of investments is improved in terms of scope, content and timing.

We continue to improve the effectiveness and productivity of our operations. We modernise our services and working methods and adopt technologies that support efficiency and cost awareness. We use the most economically sound solutions in both service provision and investments.

Cooperation is Espoo’s strength. Together with residents, the wellbeing services county, organisations, parishes and businesses, we develop solutions and learn from one another. This makes Espoo a city that builds the future wisely, boldly and with a people-oriented approach.