Urban Policy Committee

The urban policy activities of various ministries are coordinated and developed by the Urban Policy Committee appointed in October 2023. Its objective is to strengthen partnerships between the Government, cities, and urban regions, to promote the ability of urban regions to renew, as well as their competitiveness, social sustainability and capacity to deal with challenges related to climate change. 

One of the most important tasks of the Committee is to advance the implementation of the urban policy decisions of the Government Programme and the Government’s regional development decision. Another task is to coordinate the ministries’ urban policy measures and to develop forms of cooperation and agreement procedures between the central government and urban regions. The Committee also promotes national and international networking and exchange of experiences between urban regions. . At the beginning of the term, the cooperation group will define the objectives and priorities of urban policy for the government term. 

The Committee is chaired by Anna-Kaisa Ikonen, Minister of Local and Regional Government, and its vice-chair is Tomas Häyry, Mayor of Vaasa. The Committee has representatives from most ministries, and from the cities of Helsinki, Espoo, Tampere, Vantaa, Oulu, Turku, Jyväskylä, Lahti, Kuopio, Pori, Kouvola, Joensuu, Lappeenranta, Vaasa, Hämeenlinna, Seinäjoki, Rovaniemi, Mikkeli, Kotka, Salo, Porvoo, Kokkola and Kajaani, regional cities and from the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities. The term of the cooperation group ends at the end of the term of office of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo's Government. 

More information: Katja Palonen katja.palonen(at)gov.fi and Olli Voutilainen olli.voutilainen(at)gov.fi