Changes in Lübeck raise a crucial question: what happens to city-center experiments when the special funding ends? After years of federally funded testing, the city is now trying to turn what was built into a more permanent local model. More in CCW #4: urbanfinland.com/2026/09/20/…

City Center Watch #4 is out. This one takes me back to Lübeck, which I explored this summer, and Tallinn, where a waterfront project I once worked on just got its building permit. Plus Aarhus office growing pains, Helsinki construction years & more: urbanfinland.com/2026/09/20/…

Update! For those who use Substack regularly, City Center Watch is now there too. The full monthly scan will still live on Urban Finland, but Substack is another way to follow along and get updates between editions. Follow here: citycenterwatch.substack.com…

City Center Watch #3 is out! The main developments from last month are in Tallinn, Hamburg, Kaunas, Aarhus and Stavanger. A takeaway: Cities do not always need to invent urban life. Sometimes they need to recognize it and make room for it. Full roundup: urbanfinland.com/2026/08/07/… – at Helsinki, Finland

Cities do not always need to invent urban life. Sometimes they need to recognize it and make room for it. That is one of the takeaways from City Center Watch #3, with new stories from Tallinn, Hamburg, Kaunas, Aarhus, Stavanger and more. urbanfinland.com/2026/08/07/…

The second City Center Watch is out! That's my curated scan of recent city-center developments around the Nordics and the Baltic Sea Region. This month: Turku embraces trams, Odense goes big on experiments, Riga faces Central Market turmoil, and more. urbanfinland.com/2026/06/30/…

I’ve been thinking about where city centers are heading, so I’m starting something: City Center Watch! It’s a monthly-ish roundup of city-center news from Nordics and around the Baltic Sea. First edition: urbanfinland.com/2026/05/14/… #CityCenters #UrbanDevelopment #UrbanPlanning

Great news! A new business-led city center association is an important new step for Helsinki’s city center. Together with two other new platforms launched this year, it lays the foundation for stronger downtown vitality, cooperation and long-term renewal. hel.fi/en/news/business-led-…

New Paris study reveals that cycling traffic has increased by 240% between 2018 and 2023. "The lesson is clear: change is possible when policy, infrastructure, and public space all point in the same direction." momentummag.com/new-study-pa… – at Helsinki, Finland

#Montreal is taking bold steps to improve a neighborhood: "The goal is to make Ste-Catherine Street East more welcoming and dynamic, while strengthening its role as a tourist, commercial, cultural and identity destination" cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/… – at Helsinki, Finland

The obvious is official: walkable neighborhoods increase walking. An American large cellphone data study across 1,609 cities shows that moving to a walkable city can increase your daily steps by over 1000. cnu.org/publicsquare/2025/08… – at Helsinki, Finland

Välähdyksiä Kallion kesäkatujen varrelta 👇 #Helsinki #Kallio – at Helsinki, Finland

Kallion Luuppi on herännyt eloon! Taannoin hahmottui visio reitistä, joka toisi Kallioon enemmän pysähtymisen paikkoja ja yhteisöllisyyttä. Nyt Kallion kesäkadut tekevät ideasta totta, ja kaupunkilaiset näyttävät, miten se toimii käytännössä. 👉 Lue lisää: urbanfinland.com/2025/08/16/…

YLE uutisoi kokemuksia Kallion kesäkaduista. Tavoitteet elämänlaadun parantamisesta ja vireyden kasvattamisesta vaikuttavat lupaavasti toteutuvan. yle.fi/a/74-20173565 – at Helsinki, Finland

Leon Krier's principles for creating high-quality neighborhoods. cnu.org/publicsquare/2025/06… – at Amsterdam, The Netherlands

"Contrary to pessimistic expectations, the congestion pricing program isn't causing traffic to be diverted outside the Congestion Relief Zone." Instead, as more people choose transit, there is less car traffic all around the region. nyc.streetsblog.org/2025/06/… – at Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Positive notes for Helsinki's city center: pedestrian activity, travel, number of shops & restaurants are all on the rise. “The centre is evolving. Businesses and the city are working together to make it more vibrant and experience-driven" helsinkitimes.fi/finland/fin… – at Akaa, Suomi

"Comparing January through mid-March 2025 to the same period in 2024, congestion in the tolled area of Manhattan dropped from 24.7% to 16.9%. Average travel times per 10 kilometers improved from 33 minutes and 53 seconds to 30 minutes and 48 seconds." tomtom.com/newsroom/explaine… – at Helsinki, Finland

The Kallio Summer Streets are nearly here! It’s been a joy to help make this happen — both as part of the project team and as a local. Can’t wait to see our streets bloom with greenery, art, events, and new spaces to relax. hel.fi/en/news/kallio-summer… – at Helsinki, Finland

"On Saturday 1 March 2025, Luxembourg celebrates five years of free public transport." The initiative has had a huge impact on tram use. Annual ridership has grown from 6 million to 31 million. today.rtl.lu/news/luxembourg… – at Akaa, Suomi