Entered by The City of Tampere

Tampere, Finland's second city, is a fast-growing home to around 260,000 residents. The city centre is a vibrant hub of culture, shopping, and dining, framed by green parks, scenic waterfronts, and red-brick heritage. However, the vitality of the city centre faces challenges, especially during Finland's long, dark winters. Many commercial premises remain vacant due to lingering effects of the pandemic, and visible presence of substance abuse has affected residents’ sense of safety.

Recognising the city centre's importance to urban liveliness, the City of Tampere has taken steps to reverse this trend. Initiatives include walkability-focused urban planning, data-driven services, and community-based neighbourhood work. Still, fostering outdoor liveliness during the autumn and winter months remains a challenge. But the team are working on it, and they’ve already seen success.