Our Happy City Hour in Hämeenlinna Urban Forum

Urban Forum XVI in Hämeenlinna focused on Smart movement – and growth it generates. The benchmarking work on Helsinki-Hämeenlinna-Tampere growth corridor conducted by MDI earlier this year engendered ideas especially in session focusing on development of railway stations and transport, chaired by MDI’s Urban Policy Senior Advisor Eero Holstila. At Urban Forum Pitstop, Janne Antikainen opened the growth pattern 1-10-100-1000, Eero Holstila reminded that happiness is self-made: it is the cities and citizens themselves, who have to be actors in building happy cities. Finally Timo Hämäläinen gave tips on activating the grass root level. Urban Forum felt a bit like family reunion – so many current and former MDI partners, colleagues and friends were among 300 participants.