Along the summer we’ve been delighted to see a lot of blog posts and newspaper articles popping up in connection to Helsinki Beyond Dreams. Here’s a link to an extensive review of Helsinki Beyond Dreams by Brendan Crain from Project for Public Spaces. This text really captures well the essential message of the book, which applies to many cities around the world, not only Helsinki.

“Helsinki Beyond Dreams illustrates how LQC [lighter, quicker, cheaper] interventions add up to a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts by generating a more robust public discussion around public space. For that alone – never mind the crisp writing and beautiful illustrations – the book is well worth a read.”

Another blog post well worth reading is an interview by Pop-Up City, unfolding the background of Helsinki Beyond Dreams and offering more insight into some of the projects presented in the book. For Helsinki enthusiasts, Pop-Up City offers a lot more of Helsinki-related articles too.

Enjoy!

“This was just about the most fun I have ever had doing a project,” says Sac Magique, the fantastic illustrator behind the cover and main illustrations of Helsinki Beyond Dreams. Have a look here at his magical works.

Upcoming presentations and discussions with Hella Hernberg and Helsinki Beyond Dreams this autumn. Welcome!

28.8. Miniseminar: Designing for Better Cities at Design Forum Shop, Helsinki.

29.8. Lecture: “Everyman’s Urbanism” at the 4th Sustainable Summer School Expert Day at WDC Pavilion, Helsinki

6.9. Breakfast discussion: Co-creating a Sustainable City. Co-moderated with Ida Kukkapuro, at +Studio Breakfast series – Shaping the Future.

7.9. Panel discussion: ARMI Open workshop – Urban Brain Stream at Huutokonttori, Jätkäsaari, Helsinki

10.9. Book of the Month: Helsinki Beyond Dreams / Hella Hernberg at Stoa, Helsinki. Interview by urban sociologist Pasi Mäenpää.

8.10. Delice - annual meeting of the global food cities network. Presentation with Kirsti Tuominen about Helsinki Beyond Dreams and Restaurant Day.

We are really happy to have been covered in so many media articles lately, but this one of course made us especially glad: Helsinki Beyond Dreams in the July/August issue of Monocle! In the same issue, the famous quality of life survey, where Helsinki still ranks high as 2nd best city in the world.

You can also listen to us on Monocle Daily evening news, 12/07/2012.

Helsinki Beyond Dreams made the way to the evening news yesterday! Yle, the Finnish national broadcaster, published an inclusive story of Helsinki’s flourishing urban culture, featuring We Love Helsinki, Restaurant Day, us and the newly launched local “factory”, Made in Kallio, together with comments from our cultural minister.

»Watch the news here (the story of urban culture starts at around 18:15)

»Read the article “Helsinki on uusi Berliini” (Helsinki is the new Berlin) here

On 28 June, Finland’s biggest newspaper, Helsingin Sanomat featured us with almost a whole spread of articles. The deputy mayor of Helsinki, Pekka Sauri wrote a review of Helsinki Beyond Dreams (right), and with HS editors, we went on a journey to find new, undiscovered gems around the city.

»Read the book review here

Writers Matti Klinge, Hella Hernberg, Leena Parkkinen and Kirsi Piha with moderator Tommi Laitio from Demos Helsinki

On Helsinki Day, 12 June, Demos Helsinki organised an evening with new books on Helsinki. The panel discussion at the WDC Pavilion was an exceptional encounter with experienced and renowned specialists (such as professor Matti Klinge), young writers (such as Leena Parkkinen and Hella Hernberg) and ex politicians (such as Kirsi Piha) – covering all imaginable perspectives of past, present and future Helsinki.

The books featured were:
Pääkaupunki: Helsinki ja Suomen valtio 1808-1863 (by Matti Klinge)
Mitä tapahtuu huomenna Helsingille? (by Ellun Kanat)
Keltainen kaupunki – Yellow City (by Napa Illustrations)
Helsinki Beyond Dreams (by Hella Hernberg)

Hella Hernberg, Eero Holstila, Timo Wright and Ville Relander had a fruitful discussion on 5 June. Photo: Anni Syrjänen

Urban activists and city officials will encounter next Tuesday 5 June, 12-1 pm at the WDC Pavilion.

We’ve been invited by OK Do to host a discussion around Helsinki Beyond Dreams. More precisely, we’ll be talking about new grassroots culture and how the city’s rules and regulations meet citizens’ ideas.

Speakers will be: Hella Hernberg (editor of Helsinki Beyond Dreams), Eero Holstila (former head of Helsinki Economic Development), Ville Relander (Helsinki food culture strategy, Abattoir) and Timo Wright (Bermuda Helsinki).

The event is inspired by a book action taking place right now. Urban Dream Management together with Cable Factory and Abattoir have distributed copies of Helsinki Beyond Dreams to Helsinki’s city officials and members of the city council. We hope that the good message will spread and open up new kinds of interaction between citizens and the city’s official policies.

Welcome! The event will be in Finnish.
»Event page on Facebook 

HEL/LO we talked about dreams! From left: Asif Khan, Hella Hernberg, Hanna Harris, Maw Dewndey, Chee Kit Lai and Olli Sirén. Photo: Aleksi Niemelä.

We are back in Helsinki after spending two fantastic weeks with book launches in New York and London. Thanks to Finnish Institutes in both cities for organising interesting seminars and exhibitions.

Grassroots innovations in Helsinki seem to be of interest abroad. Our list of retailers is growing: You can now find the book at MoMA PS1, Van Alen Books and Spoonbill&Sugartown in NYC, and at the AA Bookshop in London! And apart from that, we also have a distributer in Japan: Matkatori. Keep an eye on our list of retailers for future updates.