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The fifth most signed residents’ initiative in Finland will be presented to the City of Helsinki on the eve of World Mental Health Day 9.10.2024

The residents’ initiative to secure the future of the Lapinlahti former hospital area has now come to an end. We thank all signatories and other supporters! There are a LOT of you! The fifth most signed initiative in Finland will be handed over to the City of Helsinki today on the eve of World Mental Health Day, 9 October 2024.

The Lapinlahti community with its broad support started collecting signatures for a resident’s initiative on 5 February 2024. The signatories demand that the City Council of Helsinki adopts a resolution in principle that the City of Helsinki will continue to be the main owner of the former hospital area, park and buildings in Lapinlahti and will safeguard Lapinlahti as a centre of arts, culture and mental well-being open to all (Safeguarding Lapinlahti’s public ownership).

The initiative was championed by film directors Aki and Mika Kaurismäki, and public supporters were immediately joined by a large number of influential people from various sectors of society.

Lapinlahti’s residents’ initiative was a success

In just eight months, the resident’s initiative gathered almost 11 000 official signatures. The initiative is the fifth most-signed residents’ initiative in Finland and the fourth in Helsinki. For months, it was the most popular ongoing initiative on the online service kuntalaisaloite.fi. Some 6,000 signatures were collected on kuntalaisaloite.fi, the second highest number in the history of the service. The remaining 5,000 signatures were collected on paper at summer events at the Lapinlahti region’s own signature points. The initiative also received more than 1200 informal signatures from outside Helsinki.

The resident’s initiative defends Lapinlahti’s nearly 200 years of mental health work from the 19th century to the present day. The initiative aims to ensure that Lapinlahti and its buildings remain in public ownership for generations to come, as a shared, living cultural heritage site, providing genuine value and well-being to society.

The ownership of the buildings must extend beyond the plan announced by the Urban Environment Department on 27 September to renovate Lapinlahti as a city-owned project from autumn 2026. The future of the area remains open, as only the planning process will determine the ownership and operating model of the buildings after the renovation.

The signatories of the initiative demand that the city safeguards the future of Lapinlahti as a centre for well-being, arts and culture open to all. The continuity of the operation is dependent on the buildings on the site being renovated in stages. In this way, the renovations will not at any stage completely interrupt the work and activities that have grown up in Lapinlahti to promote the mental health and inclusion of the city’s residents.

The residents’ initiative will be handed over at City Hall on Wednesday

“The support expressed by many prominent influencers and thousands of citizens and campaign volunteers for Lapinlahti’s current activities and shared ownership of the national cultural heritage has been heartwarming,” says Ville Pellinen, CEO of Lapinlahden Lähde Oy.

“It shows how together we want to cherish Lapinlahti, which is so dear, important and meaningful to everyone, as part of Helsinki.”

The approximately 12,000 signatures collected for the residents’ initiative are a strong expression of support for continuing to nurture and develop Lapinlahti in Helsinki as a publicly owned and democratically managed area for everyone, including and especially the disadvantaged.

The residents’ initiative will be presented to the decision-makers of the City of Helsinki at City Hall on Wednesday. The Lapinlahti community will be joined by Mika Kaurismäki and actress Pirjo Lonka.

– As inequality grows, it is important that there are places where everyone is welcome without worldly titles or a fat bank account,” says Pirjo Lonka.

Although the initiative is now coming to an end, the active lobbying for Lapinlahti’s future will continue! Subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here.

Pro Lapinlahti Mental Health Association
Lapinlahden Lähde Oy
Osuuskunta Lapinlahden tilajakamo
Alvi ry
Lapinlahti Foundation

For more information, please contact:

Ville Pellinen
CEO, Lapinlahden Lähde Oy
Managing Director, Lapinlahden Lähde Oy
Vice-Chairman, Lapinlahti Foundation
+358 40 665 6605
[email protected]