CHALLENGE
The City of Järvenpää wanted to create new types of innovative and inclusive housing and business programs, in a format that was different from the traditional boring paper reports. Järvenpää wanted to involve different stakeholders in the planning of the programs – current and future residents of the city, entrepreneurs, decision makers, housing developers, civil servants, etc. – to ensure that the perspectives of the different groups were taken into account in the best possible way and to ensure that the programs would support future decision-making.
OUR APPROACH
Sailer designed and implemented a participatory program concept for the City of Järvenpää, involving stakeholders in the planning phase using a variety of methods. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used, including in-depth interviews with residents and businesses in Järvenpää, surveys and benchmark interviews with decision-makers from peer cities in Finland and abroad, workshops, facilitation, and activation of residents through social media. Based on the collected data, Sailer produced videos for both programs, highlighting the housing and business programs through the stories of Järvenpää’s residents and businesses.
Actionable Insights
As a result of active involvement of stakeholders, the stakeholders can commit to the contents of the housing and business programs, which enables frictionless decision making. The videos are easy to share through a variety of channels and at different events. They reach a new type of audience and on a noticeably larger scale than with a traditional program report alone. This approach provides an effective way to reach potential new habitants and businesses and to awaken their interest. Through video, Järvenpää’s message for future plans and strengths is easy to share online to targeted audiences near and far. Authentic people awaken emotions and leave a lasting impression on the viewer. The genuine thoughts and opinions of Järvenpää’s residents and business representatives portrayed in the videos support the main aspects of the housing and business programs in a convincing and memorable way.
Outcomes
Järvenpää’s new housing and business programs are impactful and meaningful tools for the development of the city. The new programs will support and guide decision-making well into the future. The city of Järvenpää uses the videos to communicate the new programs and as a tool for the marketing of the city. The video communication will further strengthen Järvenpää’s position as the northern hub of the metropolitan area.
