Jyväskylä, The Human Technology City - Interview with Mayor Markku Andersson

Within the URBACT framework, Jyväskylä is drafting its Local Action Plan around the concept of culture and wellness. What does this mean in concrete terms?
Human technology – the English slogan pretty much says it all. Soft, human-centred branches, including culture in its various forms, not forgetting nature, as well as hard technology – these will generate the added value by which the city’s appeal can be measured. We want Jyväskylä to be a city which attracts people seeking a happy, fulfilling life for themselves and their families. The City of Jyväskylä's strategy aims at annual population growth of 1-1.5% and 1-2% growth in jobs. Of course, all cities want to grow, but what does that entail? Well, that many successfully handled matters impact in the same direction – and that produces a positive spiral, an innovative eco-system, in which chance occurrences naturally also play a role.

The wellness sector, EduCluster [in education], Forest Industry Future… How easy has it been to shape new productive realities and re-invent mature industries?

Wellness refers to a mood or state of mind in which a person's basic needs, health and satisfaction, meet each other. The services offered by the municipality, social welfare and health services as well as cultural provision, are closely bound up with that. Are we able to create an appealing city in which as many people as possible can achieve this all-embracing state of wellness? The matter can undoubtedly be approached at the level of the individual and of the community.

As regards Educluster, Jyväskylä has an appeal that stems from a sense of community. The positive light in which education is held increases the chances of experiencing mental well-being. It is worthwhile investing even more in education and expertise – in so doing we are creating the future. One challenge associated with this of course is predicting future educational needs.

Forest Industry Future on the other hand is a much smaller affair than the two previously mentioned: it's only one slice of Human Technology's hard side referred to at the start of this interview. Forest industry is unlikely to be an expanding branch in the future, but one in which we plan to remain at the leading edge. Nor is forest industry the sole pillar on which Jyväskylä's future depends. It is a branch that is currently experiencing huge change, one that will probably become widely fragmented around the world.

Jyväskylä is home to two universities [the University of Jyväskylä and JAMK University of Applied Sciences] and a number of innovative cross-disciplinary research institutes. What is the role of local government in promoting such an educational ecosystem? What is the next challenge in this field?

Without a doubt, looked at over several decades, we are faced with the challenge of an aging population and other age cohorts getting smaller. As the younger age cohorts fall in size the number of places in education will have to be reduced. Now it's vital to get our priorities right and this we are focusing on. At the moment the city is working closely together with the various educational institutions and we hope this will continue. Our cooperation is aimed at predicting future educational needs to meet the demands of a shifting labour market as successfully as possible. We hope and believe that in future Jyväskylä will retain all the educational institutions it currently has – even if the education they provide is markedly different from that of today.

With the Lutakko area you are experimenting in designing a new urban space - one that is located virtually in the heart of the city. What are the key drivers in the planning of Lutakko? What city model do you have in mind for Jyväskylä?

Town planning in Jyväskylä is fairly traditional: there have been good and less good periods. The town planning of today is strong, and excellent examples of this are the City of Light, the pedestrianized city centre and many events held there. These will certainly be the object of considerable investment in future, too. Our particular pride and joy is Lutakko, a former factory site, which is now a modern residential area. It is a demonstration of what can be achieved if a city refuses to lie down when threatened by an unwelcome structural change.
Some 1,100 people lost their jobs in Lutakko – but now, 20 years later, it’s an attractive residential area. Structural change has to be seen as an opportunity via which society can develop. Every period enjoys its own opportunity. Today it is the Kangas area of the city, previously the site of a paper mill. It's still completely virgin territory - and destined to be the next Lutakko. A new twenty five year process in Jyväskylä is about to begin. These processes constitute the factors behind the city’s appeal. Our job is to gear up for what’s to come, and not to dwell unnecessarily on the past.

I'd like to say a few words too about the town planning model. The environmental perspective, sustainable development and a bold vision of a growing city were of crucial importance when we thrashed out the merger agreement involving three municipalities a couple of years ago. Where will the people of the area live in the future? We set a 10 km radius, within which growth would be focused. In addition we developed three other directions for expansion: eastwards (Vaajakoski), northwards (Palokka and Tikkakoski), and southwards (Korpilahti). Jyväskylä is a relatively compact city, around which we have an extensive area of countryside which provides us with our lungs. Within the area of this urban city, 10 km in radius, live approximately 90% of our inhabitants.

Finally, summer festivals are a tradition in Finland. How would you like to position the city on the Finnish festival map? Are you pursuing a particular goal?

Jyväskylä Festival is the oldest urban cultural event in the Nordic countries – already well over 50 years old. Over the years the festival's structure and content have in fact changed many times. The key issue for the city is that the Jyväskylä Festival fares well in future, too. In spite of its considerable significance Jyväskylä Festival is just one event, however, in a chain of many. A particular festival on its own does not mean a great deal, but when a city has a wide range of cultural offerings, then we see the creation of the soft, human value which boosts appeal. For example, I am just as much a fan of the youthful, tough-luck music encountered in Lutakko's rock club as of the concerts given by our symphony orchestra. The area's strong cultural tradition is the perfect growth medium for Jyväskylä Festival, too.
 

Read more:

• Creative Clusters - URBACT website
• Download 08_the_creative_brief.pdf (1 MB) - PDF
• Jyväskyla: Designing Human Solutions - URBACT Blog