11.6.2015 Introducing the Idea for the City of Porkkala – a New Model for a Finnish Garden City?

MDI has had the privilege to breathe new life into the concept of a municipality by introducing a new idea for founding the city of Porkkala. Finland’s municipal sector is in desperate need of new ideas and ways of acting and a culture of experimentation. We must understand that one size does not fit all in municipal governance – different models work in different types of regions. The City of Porkkala would consist of the municipalities of Inkoo, Kirkkonummi and Siuntio situated in the western part of the Greater Helsinki Region. Porkkala has great potential in enacting as a new kind of test bed for different kinds of public and private activities. Moreover, Porkkala could also serve as a model for structuring municipal governance for exurban communities framing growing urban areas in Finland. The fathers behind the idea are well-known businessmen Professor Heikki A. Reenpää, Kaj-Gustaf Bergh and Antti Herlin. The idea was introduced in Loviselund, a historic site in Porkkala, on June 11 2015. A group of citizen delegates will be assembled in the summer to further develop the idea.

More information (in Finnish and Swedish): www.porkkala.info