Over one million square metres of space lie unused in the Helsinki metropolitan area. The City of Helsinki owns a small share of the total. What if Helsinki residents could use this space for work, leisure and events?
A new experiment to open City facilities in Helsinki sought solutions for a more flexible and efficient use of space. The experiment involved City of Helsinki experts from many fields. They developed a user-oriented solution that would make it possible to utilize the space of City departments for work. The experiment produced a prototype app named Stadin tilapankki.
Simply put, the app allows City employees to check available work space on the map and to book space for their own uses.
Another experiment involved a service named Varaamo (page in Finnish) that allows residents to book library space for their own uses such as a gaming night.
One of the main points of the experiments is to enable people to use the City of Helsinki spaces, whether they are City employees or City residents.
The experiments are meant to create a better city. They also help to institute a new type of culture of doing things to together and experimentation, in order to bring the City and its people closer together.
