So Helsinki won the World Design Capitol 21012 competition today. There is already a website, twitter feed and facebook group to follow such being the norm nowadays. I’m happy but not that surprised that we won as the city is home to a vibrant if small design community and the changes in the city coming up over the next few years with the establishment of the Aalto university that is trying to meld design and business together and the masterplan of Helsinki 2050 which is trying to shape a city of the future made it a shoe in not least because this city is home to many talented designers.

But here is an idea lets try to make this award and designation more than just an excuse to sell some Aalto vases or Harri Koskinen block lamps (note to iitala never reject anything he designs again!). There is a chance with this award to invigorate the base of finnish design, startups and urbanists. Not just to advertise the top down framework Finland has created in the last few years, but create something from the bottom up.

Definitely networked urbanism has a part to play in this, but not centrally planned like songdo and not just a new way of organising activities but new ways of organising relationships within the city. Also maybe I’d like to add many other sorts of activism, whether its urban farming or community generation. This city has the right conditions to meld these things and shape city and design thinking globally that could, just maybe, put Helsinki in the centre of something and belie its geographical location. Here’s to dreaming the future!