Question l ie presentation

1. Question L.
How do you envision the city
of the future?
Daniel Richard Mulvie
IE EMBA APPLICATION 31-05-2015

2. Helsinki, capital of Finland, 2050
• Helsinki is the worlds most Northern Metro area of over
1 million people and Europe's most northern city.
Historically it has had close links with three large cities
in close proximity, Stockholm to the west, Tallinn to the
South and St Petersburg to the east.
• Helsinki is situated on a peninsula and is made up of the
main land mass and an additional 300 plus islands. It
has a humid continental climate less than 2 degrees
Celsius above the sub artic classification. Average
temperatures in mid winter are -5 degrees Celsius and
in mid summer 20 degrees Celsius.
• Helsinki has recently been regarded as one of the
worlds most liveable cities. Politically the area has had
close ties to the Social Democratic party, the National
coalition and the greens. It is known as a country that is
socially inclusive and sustainably aware.
• I have created the vision based on a number of different
signals ( economic, demographic, environmental, first
looking at some megatrends that with a global influence
and then at the local trends that will influence Helsinki.
• The vision is made from a positive standing point which
looks at how people will be able to innovate and adapt
to a dynamic environment.
Picture: www.shore2shore-excursions.com

3. Impact of Global Changes in 2050
• Global population will grow to 11.5 billion people
• Average temperatures will increase by 1.5 degree
• The global sea level will rise by 15cm
Picture: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_Earth_seen_from_Apollo_17.jpg

4. In 2050 urban population exploded and polarised.
More than 66% of the worlds population will live in cities
Picture: http://www.fastcodesign.com/1669244/by-2050-70-of-the-worlds-population-will-be-urban-is-that-a-good-thing

5. In 2050
Helsinki will be
Picture: http://www.fastcoexist.com/3039819/in-2050-you-might-want-to-be-living-in-helsinki#5

6. Impacted by radical changes
in weather and climate conditions
• Helsinki's winters are warmer and the ice
doesn’t stay as long. The climate has
become more temperate and humid.
• Farmers can now grow two crops during
the year. Although there are very few
people living in Finland in the towns
outside of the cities.
Picture 1: Kulttuurisauna, Hakaniemi, 2014
Picture 2: This MODIS image of a coccolithophore bloom of the coast of Brittany, France was taken on June 15, 2004.

7. Green and sustainable
• Equal prospects for well being to all
• A participatory society for citizens
• Sustainable work
• Sustainable communities
• Carbon neutral
• Decision making that reflects our impact on the natural world
Picture: http://st-ar.nl/helsinki/

8. Constraints on natural resources
•
Fossil fuels have been exchanged for biofuels driven by the huge increase in biomass
created by the algae blooms that dominate the Baltic sea. Offshore algae farms dominate
the archipelago.
• Wind, waves and the long sunshine hours of the summer are harnessed to power the city
• Price increases for imported food during the winter have led to a change in the types of
food people are eating. There has been a move back to local food and the diary diet
Picture: http://inhabitat.com/brazil-set-to-build-the-worlds-first-algae-based-biofuel-plant/

9. The countryside came back to the city
• Every square metre is used to bring food closer to people.
Brown field sites and rooftops turn green.
• The urban area has been retrofitted to improve efficiency. Bees buzz through the skies a
sign of how much pollution has been reduced and how many plants there are
Picture: http://www.wayward.co.uk/work/garden/helsinki-plant-tram

10. Socially positive and inclusive cooperation
between individuals and government policy
• Finland now uses conscription to drive social and environmental change. The huge
workforce is used in cooperation between local governments and national schemes.
• The time people spent working will also reduce. The working week will be split between
time at work and time helping the housing cooperatives to produce food or carry out
community tasks
• Education changed to focus on skills to sustain and nurture life. Professional development
has changed with much of the focus now on creating sustainable development within the
regional level.
Picture: bridportcohousing.org.uk

11. Local for local business
• Local policy has meant that most trade has become local. There has been a move away
from the global economy driven by the use of robots enabling manufacturing to move
back to the developed world.
• Transport costs, carbon tax, speed to market and consumer awareness were major
factors in the movement of manufacturing back to the greater metropolitan area.
• Gaming and biotechnology have been major drivers of the Economy. There is a huge
focus on cradle to cradle thinking.
Picture: Robotic manufacturing unit, DESMA, 2014

12. Green transport ensures
healthy and sustainable living
• Helsinki's proximity to the seas has meant that it could only grow North, East and
West. The growing number of cars lead to the city banning personal transport in
the city centre.
• This was in one part to reduce pollution but also for inner cities to be able to
actively use the spaces that were closer to home. Cars must be left at the edge of
the city in hub areas and public transport transports people to the inner city.
Picture: http://www.fastcoexist.com/3039819/in-2050-you-might-want-to-be-living-in-helsinki#2

13. Conclusions
• As outlined in the previous slide my vision of Helsinki will be of a city which is very much
coming to terms with the major challenges that will face us all by 2050.
• Its culture of innovation and accessibility will bring up many novel ways to solve problems
on a large scale due to its underlying nature of socially inclusiveness.
• Already at the forefront of a democratic and fair society I believe it will go on to harness
this power in a positive way.
• Sustainability will have become a key societal and business issue with many people fully
realizing its ability to create jobs and reuse resources.
Picture: Suomenlinna, Mothersday Kite event, 2013, Markus Kivelä