Urban culture and interaction
Over the last year, we participated actively in the actions and events of the city. Our support for a sustainable way of living and urban culture has been visible in our meetings and new ideas.
New kind of cultural cooperation
We began cooperation with the Yhteismaa (Common Ground) registered association, which aims to develop new, participatory urban culture. As their partner, we participated in arranging great urban events, the Cleaning Day and Dinner under the Helsinki Sky.
Sähkötalo was used as the headquarters of the bi-annual Cleaning Day event. Before the actual cleaning was started, several sewing and repair workshops were organised, in order to reuse old recycled clothes and goods. Old power plant scraps were also given a new lease of life as lamps and robots, for example.
We also took part in the Flow Festival for the first time, where we provided tens of thousands festival visitors with the praised and eagerly expected bicycle park.
Cooperation with schools is promoted
We encourage young people to save energy in many ways. Over the last year, the renewed Energy Gallery provided an even more varied exhibition for groups and visitors than before. Over 1,500 pupils and 1,000 adult visitors visited the Energy Gallery. Furthermore, about 1,600 visitors were received in connection to open public events, such as Sewing Cafés, a Cleaning Day pre-party, and Lighting theme day. The information services had, approximately, 3,700 individual visitors.
The pupils’ visit was made into a more functional event. For example, the pupils can now use the exhibition materials to solve problems concerning carbon footprints, the consumption of warm water, heating and food storage. The exhibition also has a scale model of the Helsinki energy network.
Functional interaction with the citizens
The environmental impact assessment (EIA) related to the increased use of biofuels was started in spring 2013. The project has such national significance that special attention was paid to interaction and communications. The interactive work concerning the assessment aimed to be a seamless part of the project communications and the reinforcing of the interest group relations.
During the EIA process, we created efficient practises that help us to continue our interaction as the project goes on up to the completion of the new, potential power plant operations.