In recent years, Finland has begun to discuss growth zones more actively than before, and at least for the Helsinki-Hämeenlinna-Tampere zone, cooperation between cities has been carried out under the name of Finland's Growth Corridor. For the first time, the central government has recognized and acknowledged the potential of the growth zones and made a concrete agreement with the operators of the Finnish growth corridor, the municipalities and regional associations, and the operators of the Northern Growth Zone. Despite its name, the Northern growth zone runs along the southern and western coast from Kotka to Pori.
The main benefits of growth zones arise, if they are to arise, from the smoother and easier movement of people and goods. The easier movement of people creates a working area larger than one urban area, which offers more career options without having to move. Companies, on the other hand, have a wider labor pool available, which means more degrees of freedom in locating functions. With regard to specialized services, the catchment area of potential customers will expand accordingly.
The improvement of goods logistics lowers companies' logistics costs at best, offers more options for suppliers and speeds up processes. Ports could specialize more than before.
The expanding labor market area for municipalities in the zones gives opportunities to differentiate themselves with housing and service options, when changing jobs does not necessarily require moving. The municipalities' lobbying power vis-à-vis the state is strengthened, provided that the municipalities in the zone continue to prioritize their goals. Economic political benefits can also be pursued, but their development and achievement usually require a very long-term approach.
Without knowing the goals of either growth zone in detail, I dare to point out a few blanks, especially related to traffic and infrastructure, that would improve the functionality of the zones. An absolutely important project for the northern growth zone is the "hourly train" from Turku to Helsinki. It would connect the Turku urban region and the capital region more closely together, and would also benefit several small municipalities along the new line, for example Salo and Lohja. The road traffic connections between Turku and Vaalimaa are good, but Pori threatens to be left behind a bit, as the grove connections have weakened as well.
Regarding the Finnish growth corridor, the very first thing is to restore Hämeenlinna's railway connections to their former state, i.e. that the trains stop in Hämeenlinna. Otherwise, the Tampere-Helsinki connection is reasonably good and fast. There is talk of an additional track, but the key future project is definitely the so-called A runway, which would mean that at least some of the trains would pass through Helsinki-Vantaa airport. This would mean direct and easy access to the world for business travelers coming from Tampere and a little further north.
Many intra-city connections, for example the Tampere tramway, improve the functionality of the zones, although they are not in themselves among the top projects of the zone. In any case, it is an interesting regional development approach that transcends traditional administrative boundaries and is genuinely city-driven. Hopefully there will be results.
Juha Kostiainen
Director responsible for urban development and cooperation relations, YIT
The text was originally published by Juha Kostiainen A witty bunny in the blog.
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