Turku must focus on addressing inequality, providing high-quality services, and considering environmental crises in all decision-making in the coming years. Housing and transport policies, education, and culture are at the heart of urban development. Public transport should be smooth, and urban spaces should be diverse. The city must take care of its residents and reject austerity policies to ensure services and facilities. Turku is growing and developing, and decision-making should not forget the equal participation of its residents.
- Sustainable City
Urban planning in Turku must prevent social segregation and be ecologically responsible in terms of both climate and nature.
Housing policy – Planning of zoning and construction should be done under a steering group dedicated to housing, reducing and preventing social segregation by mixing housing types and increasing the construction of affordable rental housing. An equitable urban space includes accessible public spaces without the obligation to make purchases. Low-emission materials should be used in construction.
Public transport – Public transport must be genuinely affordable, and cycling and walking routes should be easy and safe. Railways belong to a large city, and electrification is an important goal for internal transport. Free public transportation should be explored.
Carbon neutrality should be achieved by 2029, without forgetting the protection and restoration of urban nature and nearby forests. An adaptation plan for climate change is necessary for the durability of infrastructure and the city’s livability. The city should aim for plant-based procurement.
- Support and spaces for Youth
Sufficient resources for school and youth services must be ensured.
Segregation – There must be space in Turku for the growing number of students. The school network should be comprehensive, but the primary focus should be on ensuring sufficient human resources and, when necessary, providing positive special treatment. Finnish language instruction should be improved, and opportunities for learning it should be expanded. Integration services and language courses must also be available for those outside the workforce.
Resources for education – Education and training are the city’s largest responsibility in terms of budget, where it is crucial to prevent and reduce inequality. Turku spends significantly less on high school learning materials, adult education centers, and youth work compared to comparable municipalities. Education and guidance should primarily occur with adequate staff resources, without forgetting the needs of special-needs youth.
Hobby opportunities – The city should not give up its sports facilities but should invest in things like swimming pools. Cutting services by renting spaces as renovations approach does not save the city’s finances in the long run. Sports services should be affordable or free. Cuts in youth services should not happen, especially as government cuts affect families with children.
- Resident Democracy
Turku’s decision-making should be open, participatory, and transparent – no to privatization and yes to citizens’ panels, resident budgets, and public ownership.
Open and participatory decision-making – The city’s decision-makers should represent the residents and their needs. Participation should be promoted through a genuine citizens’ panel that has real influence, and by developing resident budgets, especially considering regional representation and underrepresented groups, such as young people and immigrants. During the zoning process, it is important to democratically involve local residents, for example, through residents’ meetings. Employees should have the opportunity to participate in decision-making at their workplaces.
Linguistic diversity – Materials, such as budget votes, zoning plans, and service descriptions, should be translated widely into at least three languages. Foreigners residing in the city should be considered in decision-making.
A shared city – Turku should not give up the spaces it already owns but should renovate and preserve them for the use of residents. Open, pleasant, and diverse urban spaces promote democracy by enabling the use of communal spaces, cultural life, and the activities of organizations. The privatization of services reduces the openness of decision-making.
Who is Saimi Herlevi?
I am a young social sciences student, activist, and advocate for a more equal and ecological world. I strive for fair politics and long-term solutions to environmental crises and the unsustainable economic system. I have experience in the student union board and as the chair of my representative group, as well as various social movements.