In spring 2026, Aalto University’s Design for Government (DfG) course will be cooperating in two public-sector projects addressing climate adaptation and equitable healthcare in Finland. The first project, with the City of Helsinki, explores how to incentivize housing companies to proactively implement climate adaptation measures in residential buildings, addressing regulatory gaps, building lifecycle entry points, and structural vulnerabilities as extreme weather events intensify. The second project continues a multiyear partnership with Kela and the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, focusing on how “Continuity of Understanding” can support bilingual, interprofessional care pathways within Finland’s healthcare system.
Image source: City of Helsinki (2019). Helsinki’s climate change adaptation policies 2019–2025, pg. 28.
INCENTIVIZING CLIMATE ADAPTATION FOR AN INTERGENERATIONAL FUTURE
CITY OF HELSINKI
This year’s new project partners with the City of Helsinki to understand how private housing companies—who control 9.1% of the city’s land—can be incentivized to play a significant role in advancing climate resilience in residential areas. As climate change intensifies heat waves and heavy rainfall, especially in winter, Helsinki has experienced growing strain on infrastructure and increased risks for vulnerable communities over the past 60 years. In response, Helsinki’s City Strategy 2025-2029 prioritizes climate and nature, outlining measures to prepare for extreme weather through infrastructure changes, flood management, and expanded green spaces. Delivering on this strategy requires creative and systemic interventions that reduce vulnerability, improve preparedness, and actively engage the private housing sector in long-term climate adaptation efforts.
Main questions:
- How should housing companies be incentivized to take action on climate adaptation?
- What are the entry points for climate adaptation throughout the building lifecycle?
- What are they key factors that contribute to vulnerability in residential buildings owned by housing companies?
- What are they building legislation gaps that hinder adaptation action? How could the permitting process better promote it?
Image source: Group 2A, working on last year’s brief ‘Continuity of Knowledge’. Creative Commons CC BY 4.0. Takashige Doi, Joni Lappalainen, Francesca Martini, Paola Rapino, Huang Tzu-Tai.
CONTINUITY OF UNDERSTANDING: SUPPORTING BILINGUAL, INTER-PROFESSIONAL CARE PATHWAYS
KELA AND THE INTERPROFESSIONAL BILINGUAL CENTER
Continuity of Understanding is an ongoing, multiyear collaboration between Kela, the Social Insurance Institution of Finland, and Aalto’s Design for Government (DfG) course. The project will expand on the previous concepts of care and knowledge continuity, with the focus on innovating within the system of healthcare delivery in Finland. To explore possible interventions, this year’s project partners with the Interprofessional Bilingual Center to focus on finding principles and insights on how “Continuity of Understanding” can support patients’ constitutional right to be cared for in either of Finland’s national languages. This must be done in ways that build strong connections both within the system and between the patient and their care environment, fostering trust and wellbeing.
Main questions:
- How does the patient’s/client’s native language guide the implementation of the care process or the provision of services?
- What services do patients feel they need, and do the services offered meet those needs?
- Does availability or lack of services in one’s native language affect service utilization?
- Do service chains function effectively in practice in both national languages? Where do they fall short, and why?
- How will the integration of social and health care services be implemented in the regions?
If you want to find out more about the design process or the tools we use during the course, you can check previous coursework and upcoming updates on our blog.