Commentary
The Economy of Wellbeing – a new narrative
What would life be like if instead of GDP, we measured how many girls ride their bikes to school every day? If politicians, in the face of elections, promised to slow down biodiversity loss and reduce the number of people sleeping on the streets instead of promising economic growth? If…
Read MoreNavigating uncertainty by putting people first
Businesses, governments, and organizations all over the world have been forced into reactive mode. But the pandemic isn’t the only cause of uncertainty. Societal roles and expectations are evolving rapidly and human experiences are at the center of change. Now people will remember 2020 (at least) for the pandemic,…
Read MoreThe world’s most ambitious circular economy program
The Ministry of the Environment together with the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment published a proposal for a national strategic circular economy program for Finland. Demos Helsinki participated in building this ambitious program by supporting the communication and interaction work. This post presents our three key remarks: 1) the…
Read MoreWhat happens next?
As Covid vaccines roll out, we start to think about the time when our societies will reopen. Various estimates say that it will take between half a year to two years—at least with the limited knowledge we now have. As a result, the focus is shifting away from the crisis…
Read MoreReflections: Governing Through Transformation webinar, OECD Government After Shock
We invited practitioners from Finland, Estonia and Germany to share and discuss learnings of what governments should do differently, and how. This is what we learned.
Read MoreAddressing the most complex problems of the 21st century demands a humble approach to policy-making
For the government to formulate policies that address the most pressing questions of the 21st century, it must first address the structural and cultural problems of its policy-making processes. Solving wicked problems requires policy-making that moves away from the illusion of top-down steering into a networked model. The review ’Humble…
Read MoreTake part in co-creating a joint Nordic smart city model
Design and Architecture Norway and Nordic collaboration partners are inviting you to the second digital workshop, open for everyone who wants to contribute to the development of a joint Nordic smart city model, as a human-centered alternative to the American and Chinese models. Demos Helsinki is one of the organizations…
Read MoreThe most important policy question of 2020: Impact of climate policy on employment
“Why do we thrive to maintain economic growth if we cannot keep the planet habitable?”, stated the primary shareholder of Kone, and one of the key business figures in Finland, in the Helsingin Sanomat newspaper. The urgency of climate action is widely recognised, as is the deficit of the economy.…
Read MorePublic Governance Must Be Able to Imagine a Better Future
In uncertain times, people turn their eyes towards central and local government. The importance of public governance and its role in securing the conditions in which people can lead good lives is highlighted especially now, during the COVID-19 pandemic. This article is originally published in the Finnish weekly magazine, Suomen…
Read More“Why Silicon Valley when you can be like Moominvalley” – We must bring people to the heart of smart city thinking
Over the last decade, people have become fascinated by smart cities and how technology can help make cities better places to live. The world’s leading smart city models, the so-called Chinese and Silicon Valley models, have been criticised for increasing public surveillance and the power of global tech companies. In…
Read MoreLetter: Tech vs Covid-19 – Transparency And Trust to the Heart of Public Power
In terms of privacy, the past few months have brought about a tidal wave of actions by governments that a short while ago would have been seen deeply tinged with dystopian undertones. Placing entire cities, countries and regions in lockdown and creating digital applications to track movement have been swift…
Read MoreLetter: The Unkept Promise of Globalisation Does Not Mean Localism Will Alone Solve This Crisis
In the midst of a global pandemic, most countries are opting for national and local solutions, mostly discarding any global or international approaches. Though this path may lead to increased system resiliency and environmental sustainability, sole localism will not be sufficient to solve this crisis or address the other challenges…
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