Group study tour of public works facilities in Finland Anne Noble Greenways Coordinator City of Boulder, Colorado
t the end of May, I had the opportunity to participate in a group study tour organized by APWA’s partner organizations INGENIUM (New Zealand) and the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australia, as part of the International Federation of Municipal Engineering conference held in Helsinki, Finland. Approximately 20 participants from Australia and New Zealand, along with two fellow North Americans joined me on a three-day tour of three Finnish municipalities: Helsinki, Vantaa and Espoo. Finland is a Nordic country, located on the 60th parallel, with a population of approximately 5.4 million people. It has been part of the European Union since 1995. Most of the population is concentrated in the southern part of the country, with the central government located in Helsinki. The population of the greater Helsinki area, which includes the cities of Espoo and Vantaa, is approximately one million. Finland is divided into 336 municipalities, which are responsible for about half of the public expenditures and receive funding through municipal income tax, federal subsidies and other revenues. Municipalities are responsible for providing education and health care, in addition to utilities and transportation and parks infrastructure. Municipalities purchase land, develop it and sell it, often at a profit, to private 16 APWA Reporter
October 2012
contractors to build houses. The federal government owns the airport, the harbor, operates the power supply and provides police protection. Finland has a strong social welfare system. As a result, the government places a high importance on providing extensive services and infrastructure for the public. An example of this is their rail system. Even though the population density is low, the government spends approximately €350 million each year maintaining its rail system. There is also a focus on quality of life improvements, with capital infrastructure being constructed to minimize inconvenience, noise and the effect on the environment.
The study tour visited two major railway projects that are currently under construction in the Helsinki metropolitan area, the Kehärata or Ring Rail Line and the Länsimetro. The Ring Rail Line will connect the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport to the Helsinki Central Railway Station. It includes 11 miles of track and four new stations and is anticipated to be operational in 2014 and is expected to cost over €600 million. The Länsimetro is the western extension of the Helsinki Metro System from central Helsinki to the city of Espoo. The route is 8.4 miles and is entirely underground. Construction began at the end of 2009 and is planned to be operational at the end of 2015. It is expected to cost over €800 million.
Participants in the study tour visit the Länsimetro construction
