Structures of creative Helsinki

Is Helsinki more creative than other cities, and what makes Helsinki creative? A new study reviews creative Helsinki from the perspective of the preferred locations of both artists and IT professionals in terms of living and working.

Structural views over ’creative’ Helsinki by Pekka Mustonen, published by City of Helsinki Urban Facts, reviews the placement of creative people in various districts of the city, by both profession and by age group.

Artists clearly prefer the city centre and especially the Kallio district over IT professionals as their living and working environment. The homes of IT professionals are placed more evenly across the city, while the heaviest concentrations of IT jobs can be found in Kampinmalmi, Pitäjänmäki and Vallila, as well as in Espoo.

Looking at the structures of creative Helsinki by age group, the popularity of the inner city as a living environment drops clearly among older IT professionals. Among artists, Kallio loses its top rank to other city centre districts only among the age group of 44 and older.

According to the study, it is likely that the inner city will retain its popularity among creative people in Helsinki in the near future, largely due to lifestyle preferences and cultural aspects.