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News • Helsinki • Finland • 2012-10-11

The Final Third of the World Design Capital Helsinki 2012

The discussion on the design year\'s results escalates. Pekka Timonen, Director of World Design Capital Helsinki 2012, sums up the year\'s accomplishments so far and reflects on steps to come.

The World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 year is down to its last quarter. Plenty of experience and knowledge has already been gathered but the year is not yet over. A significant portion of the nearly 400 projects are running and some have yet to start. The first official sum-up will be delivered in early 2013 once the project year is over and the final report is published.

I paid a visit to the brand new Helsinki University Library yesterday. The architecture of the Kaisa Building is striking but what is even more impressive is how the whole library functions. It has been carefully designed to address the needs of its users. Helsinki University has boldly constructed the student library\'s services and events together with designers and with its most important user group, the students. This is World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 at its best: utilizing design practices in new contexts in order to find better solutions.

An assessment by Deloitte consultants will be ready at the beginning of 2013. It examines what steps have been taken towards central strategic aims of World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 – if there are some to be found. The report includes outlooks by citizens gathered in surveys since the year\'s kick off in January. The final survey will be conducted in the coming spring.

Success Must be Measured in Accordance with the Assigned Tasks

Many organizations and individuals are making assessments of the World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 year. This is great. Everyone examines the year from one’s own point of view. It is important to keep in mind the initial commission. The assignment was very simple: the focus of the design year is in how to use design and not just present it.

Whether this was the right assignment is a totally different conversation. If it doesn\'t feel right, then one must consider whether is was a good call to even apply for the status of World Design Capital. If one wishes to host the Olympic Games one can\'t exactly compete in throwing rubber boots.

Cities, universities, NGOs, businesses and the government alike should all consider ways to benefit from design know-how. Needs are plentiful: designing public services, strengthening business competitiveness, digesting the viewpoint of citizen-driven planning and constructing everyday solutions.

The afore-mentioned parties are the ones who truly make the design year a reality. The World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 office is a temporary project organization accounting for the year\'s actions as a whole and inviting others into the world of design.

Before the end of the year we will share results on what steps have been taken to incorporate design practices. Design is used to find better solutions in, for instance, food services for the elderly, city signs, new learning environments, working life conventions, including citizens in shaping their surroundings and improving psychiatric care.

Travel and Recognition in the Forefront

While conducting reviews it is impossible to foretell the movements of global economy. The economic situation in Europe has hindered possibilities for travel from countries in crisis. Given the economic situation we are quite happy that travel in the beginning of the year still exceeded the figures of the same period in 2011.

Is a 1.4% increase in travel a failure or a success? There are many ways to interpret this. I would rather wait and see the total numbers as the year comes to an end. It is important to note that statistics only include hotel nights – meaning that day trips, cruise ship passengers and domestic visitors are not registered.

Travel services aim at long-term development, as is the case of the whole World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 initiative. The goal is to build a good reputation for the cities of Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, Lahti and Kauniainen as design destinations. Not just for this year, but for good.

Helsinki has received an immense amount of visibility in global press and there is still more on the way. Media has managed to build excitement that in turn takes time to turn into actions and travel decisions.

Getting One\'s Money\'s Worth

A few words on taxpayer money, a topic that often arises. World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 will spend a total of 11 million Euros in the years 2010-2013. Of the total, 6 million Euros come from five different cities and 5 million Euros from the state. In addition to this the project organization has received a total sum of 5 million Euros from companies and foundations.

Dividing the total sum invested by the cities of Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, Kauniainen and Lahti comes down to 5 Euros per citizen. All in all, the total amount spent by Design Capital residents is 10 Euros per person. A third of the total budget derives from the private sector. These figures easily stack up to any comparable initiative.

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