Co-Creating a Sustainable City breakfast discussion, organized with Punavuori based +Studio in September focused on pioneering sustainable lifestyles and businesses, and on how everyone could contribute in building a more sustainable way of living in the city and beyond. Photo: Arsi Ikäheimonen
Dear Readers - It’s the last day of 2012 and it’s been terribly silent at the blog front. That of course means that the year has been exciting and busy in other ways. 2012 has passed so fast and so full of events it’s hard to believe it’s been only one year.
After touring with Helsinki Beyond Dreams in London, New York, Helsinki and beyond, and participating in numerous inspiring events and discussions, it’s finally become time to start new projects. In the previous years I have been spending a lot of time with grassroots and especially working on the question of how to create better dialogue with citizens, planners and policy makers. A logical step now is to learn more about how the world of policy making works. This logic has led me to a new and exhiting project: I have become a bureaucrat for a year and moved my office to the Ministry of the Environment. The new project is part of Sitra’s Design Exchange Programme, which aims to offer goverment new tools and new ways of thinking through strategic design. (more…)
We are happy to announce that our new book, Helsinki Beyond Dreams, has arrived safely from the printing house, and the official book launch will be celebrated on April 12. The plan is to use Pelago‘s new cargo bike to deliver the book to the nearest bookshops in Helsinki before the launch date. Our webshop is already open, and the first orders will be shipped after the book launch.
Helsinki Beyond Dreams is a book about urban culture and how it can make a difference. The book is a team effort by a large group of urban activists, thinkers and artists. We hope it will serve as inspiration for anyone interested in developing better future cities.
Have a look at www.helsinkibeyonddreams.com for further info!
For the past year or so, we have been busy with our forthcoming book.
Titled Helsinki Beyond Dreams, the book is about emerging local cultures and how they make a difference. We’ve invited a culturally varied group of urban activists, theorists and designers to share their views around the theme. We can’t wait to get all the inspiring stories and the rich photography out and published!
The book will be available in the spring 2012. It is also part of the official program of World Design Capital Helsinki 2012. Stay alert, more information will follow.
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Ihana Cafe is now open in the Kalasatama harbour in uptown Helsinki, and well worth a visit. The new container cafe celebrated its opening party last week, blessed with a warm evening sun, hot air balloons and crowds of relaxed people enjoying one of the first warm summer evenings this year in Helsinki. The place is a welcome, refreshing oasis in the middle of the harbour’s large asphalt planes, and like a small piece of Berlin in Helsinki. It is like its name promises: ‘Ihana’ meaning wonderful, lovely, or fantastic in Finnish. (more…)
Pelago Bicycles, Downtown Assembly and Urban Dream Management will host a WDC Helsinki 2012 ideas forum about bicycling and street cultures. The compact session will take place on Saturday 22 May, 15.30-16.30 at gallery Myymälä2, Uudenmaankatu 23 F, Helsinki. (more…)