Mari Siivola leading regional land use planning in Helsinki-Uusimaa: “A growing region with all preconditions for success”
Mari Siivola, who recently started as the Director of Regional Planning at the Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council has been working a long time with municipal land use planning. She feels anything is possible for the growing and versatile region. She thinks Helsinki-Uusimaa has all the possibilities it needs to succeed.
The Director of Regional Planning is in charge of land use planning, transport system planning and maritime spatial planning and is a member of the Management Team.
– This is a step to something new. I am enthusiastic to still be able to learn something new at my age, Ms Siivola says contentedly.
The previous eleven years, she was the Head of Master Planning in the City of Vantaa. Before Vantaa she worked as a project manager and architect in the City of Helsinki and for the land use planning in Kuopio.
With Ms Siivola as the new Director, the long period with temporary position arrangements in regional land use planning at our Council come to an end.
Towards green transition
Both old and new themes are to be found on the office table of the Director of Regional Planning. The most important task for the years to come is to lead the process of a new regional land use plan. The Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council started preparing the thematic green transition land use plan in May 2024.
– As a theme, the green transition is interesting. We need to go forward in the direction of green transition, but there are still no exact answers as how to proceed, Ms Siivola states.
Green transition projects often require space and coordination with other forms of land use. Acceptability is a big question, especially related to functions requiring a lot of space.
As a theme, the green transition is interesting. We need to go forward in the direction of green transition, but there are still no exact answers as how to proceed.
– We aim to support the land use planning in municipalities and in that way make the implementation of green transition projects in Helsinki-Uusimaa easier.
Looked upon with a long-term perspective the focus lies on a balanced development, as the regional population is expected to show a strong increase during future decades.
– A sustainable development calls for compatibility with nature values. Cooperation with all neighbours is also needed, Ms Siivola says.
Bright future in sight
Our new Director can see a really bright future for Helsinki-Uusimaa. The growing region has the possibilities to do everything.
– It is important to guide changes in the right direction, Ms Siivola adds.
In the next few years, a solution must be found as to where the projects in connection to green transition should be placed and how they change the regional structure. Space and possibilities should also be reserved for a sustainable development related to transport system planning.
A legislative reform will change things a lot.
Legislative reforms affecting municipal and regional land use planning, as well as the regional state administration are a bit of a concern. As an example, the new Land Use Act is soon to be on display for opinions and notes. Another example is the Building Act, coming into force in 2025.
– How will the land use planning system change, and which methods remain for the municipalities to control the development in sight? Where can we find space for all the future directions of growth or new infrastructure projects, when scattered settlements will no longer be regulated? There will definitively be many changes, Ms Siivola sums up.
Birth city = favourite place
In her vision, Ms Siivola sees Helsinki-Uusimaa as a variety of different municipalities and cities. Sea and forest, city and countryside, even peace of nature are found in the region.
– I do not know all the 26 municipalities well, so I have to start with looking at each and every of them thoroughly. The eastern part of the Helsinki-Uusimaa Region and the Helsinki Region are more familiar, as I have been leading the work for our regional land use, housing and transport plan (MAL).
In the MAL agreements, the shared goals for the biggest urban regions and the state are defined, along with concrete actions for the next years to come.
The favourite place in Helsinki-Uusimaa is her birth city Helsinki.
– I am very much a stay-at-home person. I enjoy urban life, but I also love the forest. The sea is also important, which I realized when I lived in Kuopio by the beautiful Lake Kallavesi.
In summer I mainly spend my leisure time taking care of my garden. Both my home and my cottage are old houses, so there is also plenty to do with them.
Ms Siivola commutes to work from East Helsinki via the neighbourhoods of Viikki, Vanhakaupunki rapids and Vallila to Pasila. She is into cycling and finds the route very pretty.
Describing herself, Ms Siivola thinks she is very pragmatic and calm.
–A former colleague used to say that nothing makes me angry. But I do have a less serious and silly side, as well, this experienced hand in regional planning tells us, smiling.
For more information, please contact:
Mari Siivola
Director, Regional Planning
mari.siivola@uudenmaanliitto.fi
In charge of regional planning