Spatial planning in Finland – General introduction

1. Spatial planning in Finland –General introduction Olav Jern Chief County Executive

2. The Land Use and Building Act • The most important legislation controlling land use, spatial planning and construction in Finland is contained in the Land Use and Building Act, which came into force in 2000. • The Land Use and Building Act aims: • to organise land use and building to create the basis for high quality living environments, • to promote ecologically, economically, socially and culturally sustainable developments, • to ensure that everyone has the chance to participate in open planning processes, • to guarantee the quality of openly publicised planning decisions and participatory processes, and to ensure that a wide range of planning expertise is available.

3. Goals of land use planning The aim of land use planning is to create preconditions for a favourable living environment and promote ecologically, economically, socially and culturally sustainable development.

4. Land use planning system • The land use planning system system has three levels of land use plan with a clear division of labour between them: the regional land use plan, the local master plan and the local detailed plan. • In addition, the Government defines national land use guidelines, which should be taken into account throughout the country in all land use decisions and land use planning. • The land use planning system is hierarchical; higher level plans steer lower plans. The national land use guidelines are implemented mainly through regional plans. • Regional and local plans are drawn up through participatory planning procedures, which give local residents the chance to get involved in the planning processes that affect them.

5. The structure of land use planning

6. International co-operation on spatial planning • The European Union: In 1999 the EU member states approved the European Spatial Development Perspective (ESDP), which aims to promote polycentric regional structures and sustainable development through spatial planning. • The ESPON 2006 Programme: The European Spatial Planning Observation Network programme has been designed to improve databases on regions within the EU, and to promote related research. • The Council of Europe:The European Conference of Ministers Responsible for Regional and Spatial Planning (CEMAT) covers virtually the whole continent of Europe. At a meeting in Hannover in 2000, ministers approved a set of guiding principles for sustainable development in regional planning. The subsequent 2003 Ljubljana Declaration stresses the importance of sustainable development and the need to reduce regional inequalities in levels of development in Europe. • Visions and Strategies around the Baltic Sea (VASAB):In 1994 the VASAB ministerial conference approved the Visions and Strategies around the Baltic Sea document, which includes descriptions of the urban structure of the Baltic Sea region and an assessment of the need for improved networking. The 2001 Wismar Declaration stressed the need for spatial planning to promote sustainable development in connection with the enlargement of the EU. The Committee on Spatial Development – Baltic Sea Region (CSD-BSR) sets up projects on the basis of policy initiatives defined at ministerial conferences.

7. Regional Land Use Plan in Ostrobothnia • Approved by the Assembly of the Regional Council 29.9.2008 • Confirmed byt the Ministry of the Environment 21.12.2010 • Includes all kind of land use • Is the guideline for local master plan and local detailed plan • Will be complimented and updated by thematic plans for commercial services (approved 14.5.2012) and energy land use