Thank you all who responded to the sustainability survey and contributed to the development of resident participation!
In September and October, we collected responses to two surveys conducted by the Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development: one on topics for the upcoming webinar series on sustainable development and the other on resident participation in sustainable development work. Many thanks to all who responded and participated in the development of resident participation! The surveys provided valuable information on the views and requests of Espoo residents regarding sustainable development and participating in sustainable development work. In total, we received 345 responses to the two surveys.
The survey results clearly communicate Espoo residents’ interest in sustainable development, various related themes and participating in sustainable development work, but on the other hand, many feel that their opportunities to participate are currently rather limited. In particular, Espoo residents asked for low-threshold participation opportunities that offer a genuine chance to make a difference. In addition, residents requested visible communication on the city’s website and on social media, Facebook in particular. Furthermore, residents asked for the opportunity to follow the concrete implementation of sustainable development work, for example, on the city’s website.
Of all the different sustainable development themes, Espoo residents are particularly interested in the opportunities of circular economy and the utilisation of renewable energy, planning and construction, as well as maintaining the diversity of local nature. In addition, residents would like to receive information on sustainable solutions made by the city and tips for increasing the sustainability of their own daily lives. Of all of the Espoo regions, residents found residential areas currently under construction, such as Kera with its smart solutions and circular economy and Finnoo with its ecological housing solutions, particularly interesting.
Respondents were also given the opportunity to send messages to the Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development. In addition to requesting for more profound participation and interaction opportunities that reach various resident groups, these messages included requests for more ambitious and comprehensive sustainable development solutions that reach all sectors. Many of the messages also included requests for preserving the biodiversity of local nature as part of urban construction and improving the preconditions for pedestrian and bicycle traffic. In addition, differences between various Espoo residential areas and the importance of social sustainability were highlighted in the messages.
The results will be utilised in the selection of themes for the sustainable lifestyle webinar series starting in spring 2022 and in the design and implementation of the new Sustainable Espoo programme to be launched next year. More information on the webinar series topics, specific dates, as well as sustainable development themes and participation opportunities are available on the city’s website and also on our social media channels, which you can access by following City of Espoo profiles or hashtags: #SustainableEspoo and #OsallistuvaEspoo.
- Sustainability