Cover photo by Julia Kivelä
Rapidly growing metropolitan regions today are facing a polycrisis: sustainability challenges that occur simultaneously and are deeply interconnected.
The METREX Helsinki Conference explores how cities and metropolitan regions can move beyond crisis management towards generating solutions that deliver multiple benefits.
The METREX Helsinki Team, a shared METREX membership of three organisations from the Helsinki metropolitan area, is hosting the conference in Helsinki this summer.
While each organisation approaches regional development and planning from its own perspective, they are united by a shared ambition: to foster a Helsinki metropolitan area that is liveable, vibrant, and climate-resilient.
The conference provides a platform for shared learning and exchange on how different dimensions of sustainability can be addressed simultaneously in metropolitan development, while also offering participants an experiential introduction to the Helsinki metropolitan area and its most inspiring locations.
Particular attention is given to:
- Comprehensive and sustainable planning for growing cities and urban regions. We examine how urban growth can be aligned with rapid climate action, stronger biodiversity, and social sustainability.
- Regional-scale planning as a driver of sustainable transformation. We explore the trade-offs and tensions that inevitably arise when balancing environmental, social, and economic objectives.
- The role of knowledge and data. We consider how evidence can support holistic sustainability in planning and assessment.
By bringing together planners, researchers, and practitioners, the conference offers a platform to share insights and best practices and to discuss current challenges. Together, we will deepen our understanding of holistic sustainability in urban planning and explore how well-considered choices can turn challenges into opportunities for more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable urban regions.
About the hosting region
Helsinki-Uusimaa is at the heart of Northern Europe and at the Baltic Sea. Including the capital city of Helsinki, the region is home to 1.8 million inhabitants, about a third of the entire population of Finland. The region is the driver of international competitiveness, research, and development in the country.
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