Future City GameCase: Suvilahti, Helsinki

FCG facts in Finland2009/2010

1. Two games in partnership with Helsinki city planning office: Variegated Harbour project April 09

2. One game in partnership with Heureka Science Centre May 09

3. Suvilahti project marketing event game simulation during Flow Festival August 09

4. FCG during CEB conference September 095. Suvilahti game in Cable Factory November 096. Two Suvilahti games in December 09

BC – DODO partnership

1. December 2008 – FCG simulation; topic Suvilahti A compact FCG session focusing on the Suvilahti area of

Helsinki Discussion about the new partnership Meeting with the partners, including Suvilahti

representative

2. Design of the BC-DODO games in 2009-2010 (also other partners on board)

3. Design of the best format for the Suvilahti games ( 4 games + presentation of all results combined with a seminar and round-table discussion)

Suvilahti – location, themes, purpose

1. Suvilahti is becoming a valuable cultural centre in Helsinki, offering new activities to inhabitants.

2. A "cultural oasis" for the eastern part of central Helsinki; a counterpart to the Cable Factory arts complex located in the west of Helsinki.

3. In addition, dwellings for 18,000 people are to be built in the area which will also host 10,000 new jobs

4. In the future Suvilahti will be in the middle of a significant new urban district

The FCG as a tool for empowering city residents, creative sector and the local partners

Players, observers and partners

Partners: Suvilahti, BC, Dodo, Youth Association of Helsinki, independent art & culture associations and groups, & city planning officers.

Players: Artists & creative sector; who are already active in the area and also the ones queueing for resources, city planning officers, Suvilahti officials,

high school students, current and future residents (Hem i Stan -association), housing associations...

Impact

1. FCG game series as a tool for building up a concept for a designated cultural area

2. Capacity building: players learn new ways of influencing the future of their cities

3. Cross-sector networking

4. A new way of generating action & co-operation between partners

5. Case study helps to set models of good practice to be applied elsewhere: lack of cultural co-operation, networking and lack of affordable spaces & places is an ongoing problem in the city of Helsinki