The document proposes establishing a Centre for Cultural Wellness in the city of Jyväskylä, Finland. The center would promote well-being through cultural activities and opportunities for social interaction. It would contain spaces for various cultural activities and traditional venues like a concert hall and museums. The center would also support the creative economy by providing studios, workshops, shops, and other spaces. The goal is to improve well-being, creativity, innovation, and ultimately the city's competitiveness through a human-centric approach focused on culture. Realizing this plan could help transition the economy and challenge traditional views of growth.

1. Centre for Cultural Wellness
Pirkko Korhonen
R&D Manager, City of Jyväskylä
PhD, MSc (Econ)

2. Road map
I Jyväskylä
II Well-being
III Centre for Cultural Wellness

3. I Jyväskylä
• Population 130 000
• A city of education
• Main economic sectors:
– ¾ services
– ¼ manufacturing
(metal, construction,
wood processing &
paper)

4. Human Technology City
Vision of Jyväskylä:
a competitive city which offers
incentive opportunities
for living, studying and doing
business.

5. In order to realize this vision the city’s
aim is to:
• promote citizens’ well-being in different stages of
life
• safeguard basic services for citizens
• improve the city’s national and
international competitiveness
• boost the positive trend in jobs

6. II Well-being
• physical
– health
• mental
– happiness
• social
– friends
– activities

7. Well-being in the future
• Increasing interest internationally in well-being
• Traditional way of thinking:
Productivity – Competitiveness – WELL-BEING

8. New paths for the economy
• ...should perhaps be turned upside down
WELL-BEING – Creativity – Innovations –
Productivity – Competitiveness
• Emphasize the importance of culture, arts &
creativity as a driving force behind competitiveness!

9. III Centre for Cultural Wellness
• Plan for People
• The answer in Jyväskylä?

10. Something like this?

11. Centre for Cultural Wellness
• Opportunities for
– people to meet
– different cultural activities to synergize
– the creative economy to strengthen
– new cultural and economic innovations to grow
– the traditional and creative economy to mix
• In practice...

12. Village for people

13. Some examples I
• Spaces for
– Different people to meet
– Cultural activities across the spectrum
• Traditional cultural venues
– Acoustically first-class concert hall
– Museums and galleries

14. Some examples II
• Opportunities for creative people and the creative economy
– Studios, workshops, artist residencies
– Art and design shops
– Marketing agencies
– Mediatheques
– Producers
– Restaurants, cafés
– Etc.

15. Some examples III
• New initiatives
– Raparperi, National Centre for Food Culture
– Wellness Clinic

16. New weapon?
• Creates new innovations
• Has global attraction
• Improves competitiveness
...though at the same time focuses on people
HUMAN-CENTRIC CITY?

17. Challenges remain
 Overcoming traditional sectarian thinking
 Questioning our fascination for never-ending
growth, profit seeking
 Convincing decision-makers of the potential of the
creative economy – and to invest in it

18. Towards the future...
 Underlining that new creative
services may need extensive
public funding, but preventive effects may save
society money in the longer term
 Stressing proactivity and sustainability instead of
ongoing reactivity

19. An investment in our future!
...and a keen desire
to achieve political
agreement on this
innovative plan!

20. Thank you!
Contact:
Pirkko Korhonen
pirkko.korhonen@jkl.fi
+358 40 565 3066