Kari Halinen 2009

Amministratore Delegato / Chief Executive Officer Art and Design City Helsinki Ltd | Gio/Thu 25/06/2009 9:30-12:00; ADC office - Hämeentie 133 a - 00560 - Helsinki

1. What are your channels of information? From Agency (company, citizen, research-students) to the citizen? (eg phone, fax, sms, website, newsletter, mailing lists, chat - skype, forum)

It's digital channels are the mainly. Web site and e-mail; some informations goes on the big screens. And then third one is written or printed in paper or posters. The main is virtual.

2. What are your channels of communication? By citizens to the Agency (company, citizen, research-students) and vice versa? (eg phone, fax, text messages, mailing lists, blogs, chat, wikis, forums)

Again, web site and e-mail and the forum or SMS because we can use web site for SMS messages, but we don't use it very much. We are very careful, because SMS is you, so to send personal message in your telephone as sms you have to be very personal message. Is a little be tricky: we have try to SMS ad hoc like in the winter time, because we have (especially last winter was very snowy) very much snow and there was a problem at parking places, car can't get in 'cause the snow and time to time we have to clean the snow away, but it need it that nobody parking. So it was an ad hoc information, in that situation you can use SMS. But we are very... we dislike the use very much, because is question of privacy. If you use e-mail, you can be not so private (of course, you get lot of junk mail, but if is not just for me). But if you got in the your cellular phone, messages wich are not ment for you, than you can be hungry: "why they send me that?". We have the technology but we see that majority of receiving SMS in large scale is not good. We collect the numbers when people (if they want) register in our forum. 1/3 of them give the number and the permission to use that.

3. Where did your interest for the use of ICT to inform, communicate and to participate (engage, consult)?

Of course, the whole idea, when Arabianranta was started to build, was to make something different. We saw that traditional way to communicate to citizen in new area (the all fashion) way was when city started a new area was that people giving a kind of meetings; something like each year one big meeting with major and somebody is calling ok now we... (for example in Arabianranta now we have Arabianranta meeting and there's major. there's principal of the school, there's doctors, traffic designer) it's a huge meeting that everybody can come. We steel use that but in Arabianrata we haven't had them at least in three or four years. The problem is that in that kind of big meeting there is always very loud people and they start to argue with dogs or children or shit or anything and than discussions is going on the side walk and the whole meeting with two or three hundred people will be aggressive. They are not so effective; they are nice happening to get people hungry out; is just the occasion to the government to say: "we have give the possibility to the people to say something" but on base on the real dialogue is not so handle one. And that's why we start to use that information channel. Everybody can say something but is not shouting or just hungry. It's continuously go, it's running all the time and people have to see that people have the possibility to say opinions but they can also see the effect that after all speaking something happen. That was one of the idea to establish that kind of ICT based information channel.

4. What are your resources and equipment of IT infrastructure?

The platform of arabianranta.fi and then we have our own hub (the place where are keeping the server) then, of course keeping and manteing the services. Then we have a journalist who make story about people that are developing new services infrastructure. And of course the idea that everybody is using the same connection on this area, so that's a big resource; still this site would work in any environment, but it increasing the feeling of community that everybody knows, everybody has the same connection, everybody is using the same data... Is a democratic idea: I have the same kind of car as my neighbour has. So he or she can't say that we have a better connection because everybody has the same connection. So it's a big resource. It a feeling that everybody are in the same internet and intranet.

5. All of the workers (members, partners, research group) have the ability to use ICT tools?

Yes. And some of employers are especially expert in ICT tool.

6. There is a responsibility of communication? An employee communication? Of tutors or consultants?

Some of the people; for example like me, I'm not ICT person, I can use services but I don't know how code and program. So we have people who knows programming and web design especially we have put quite a lot of effort, in the last two year, is about the usability questions. That's is our fourth platform. The first one was very hard use it, was very slow and you know, was like a Russian tank. So question of usability; how we can do the services more usability, so how the citizen and users are more willing to use it if they can see that: "ok, that is easy, it doesn't take not so much time and even the symbolism and sings are very clear that ok everybody who is coming for the first time will understand".

7. Occurring phenomena empowerment or voluntarism?

Nearly all of the content are made from voluntarism, so of course is crucial.

8. Communication is differentiated according to target audience?

well.. language based we made the new site, so now we are going to have English service and in Swedish. So language based the site is based on three languages but at the moment I would say that differentiation according to the target is based on if they are citizen or if they are student of if they are worker. So is based on target group, but if they are citizen there is no differences if we communicate with citizen, so is the same for the whole. But then there are specific question —as I said— about SMS so if they are willing to get the SMS or small group of people. And of course if we have (I said about the parking question) so if we know that this problem is only in two or three house, it's only for them. So, we can target that information goes to only that two or three houses not for everybody. So is more like areal targeting or based on target if they are workers, citizen or students and some specific ad hoc SMS or something. But based on social-economic groups like old ones, young ones, handicap ones, we could use it but we haven't had reason. So is more general questions for everybody.

9. Can you tell me the experiences of information, consultation and active participation made using the Ict and NOT as a factor of involvement? (past, present, and future plans)

The main forum is on the main debate area, so is the forum for everybody and that we have specific forum for every one house, so if you go inside in a specific building there is for example the discussion forum has been visited 7731 time after this December and that is only discussion in one house. So experience came from through this discussions (in house discussion, areal discussion) and then of course direct information via e-mail or SMS.

10. Have you had other experiences point and specific areas? (eg historical, tourism, management and design of the neighborhood, social cohesion, organization of events, planning, gas, real estate services ...) (past, present, and future plans)

This project, historical project, presents the houses that you go around, this is about architecture and then we have here in. This is made my Tuula, so is campus walk and there are art work that goes around the pieces of art. So there is, is based on pieces of art, what you can see following the path. There are general informations about the artists and the piece of art. So that one is made.

And the other one, is a cultural walk where you can find the story about the pieces and there is even a map. So we are here and that are the rapids where Helsinki was stared. So it based on what destination and what you can find in each place. This history walk is presented by artists that are playing and you can see king Gustav and the queen and the people presented in the web site that call history where you can see that is quite big are with a lot of information about the history. So the area is like a open museum. And this we have done in internet, we have tested, we have done this walks with specific groups (children, daycare, profession history people) and the people could give their opinions in the web site (was it too long, too short, too many thing, too difficult to understand...).

11. Have you tried other combinations, systems and tools, and between real and virtual? How to reach non digitization?

Urban screen are the way to reach the people that can't have internet because urban screen are in the mall and school. Is like if you are buying the afternoon paper that tell just the headlines. So we see that urban screen are bit similar; it's a flow: people read for just seconds, 20 seconds. You are not stop there and start to look all what is inside. We just give the image of what is happening, what is headline and after you can go on internet and see the more information. The content in internet should be more transforming, more fresh, that if you go there you will find always something new. But is not responsible for the citizen always to go there, but is responsible for as to give the information on paper, on urban screen, so that even the short version of the information is delivered in some other way: papers, leaflets and urban scree. So is a kind of, we say that internet is the deeper information, give the fast information on the urban screen and I would say that second big challenge is how to make this mobile. Because we have big project to get here tourism, so the visitor information and tourist information should be on their mobile device. Because is not handy to go in internet and look for information, should be on usable mobile.

12. Have you taken action to mediation and communication with the council or other bodies?

The problem is because we are not the city, we are a private company, so we can't get inside the city intranet. That's very typical problem with all our stakeholders because the owners of ADC are the City, State, University of Helsinki etc. they all have their own intranet. And the problem with as is that usually there is something we should communicate with each of the stakeholder, they can say: "It's in our intranet, just go there!" But we can't go there, we have no access to your intranet. So the channel flow is that each of the very big organisation they look their own information inside: if those are enough for them but how open the informations so that everybody can access. That's a huge problem and we don't know how do and work with the problem.

In general we have very tight relationship, especially with City department. We have meeting at least one per day with some organisation. The most of our communication is through e-mail, telephone with City. We are very closely connected especially with City planning and Arabianranta projects.

13. What are your perspectives, orientations and evaluations of general use of ICT?

About the ICT infrastructure and technical question I would say that in future the base is the fiber, the broadband net. What we are doing in the technical side is simplified the application; means that we are using the same kind of server and same kind of technology in each house, in each pleace. For as is more simple to take care if there are problem, so we know that the problem is in a or in each place. We don't have to make so much by hand, it's something more automatic.

Then we are increasing the amount of the WiFi spot, in the mall and in some of the houses if they want to make their own area as free WiFi. We don't put very much effort because we can't see the benefit for the citizen very big if everything will wireless. But if there are specific reason for some area like a lot of visitors, tourist as mall, library, so, we can invest in wireless connections.

On the application side the big challenge is mobility, so how to get informations and services on mobile devices. Then might be discussion about ethic, like who is allow to write and for what.

What we are doing now is how simplify application, so in large scale, because is already so big, so the coming problem we can't any more tailor services for each house separately. So we should make more generic services which it could be use in every house and not only for that or you. So is more like mass targeting customisation on area and not for person to persons.

Third one is the Living Lab surrounding, so we are more and more putting effort to get the idea of Living Lab wich the users are develop new services and concept.

14. Acknowledges an interest, a push on the part of institutions? What funds or claims regarding the use of ICT?

I would say that in the high level, I mean in the high political level like prime minister even government have made ICT strategy: something like 2013 you should have broadband in every place and they have this kind of political agenda. The problem is that e-participation and e-government it's not sexy any more so is not high e-gov like 5-6 year ago. It seem so that still the politicians are saying that is still important but if you look for example the rate of Finnish knowledge competitive is very high but if you look the rate of our internet connection and capacity of internet connections we have lost places compare to other countries. So Finland was something number one or two in the beginning of 2000 and now we are less then 10.There is political willingness there is a lot of staking but there are not many concrete ideas how to do it. The problem is that there are not so many institutions that give money to do it and resource.

So is more like political level and quite high political level, but if you look for example Helsinki city council doesn't have any ICT strategy at all. So is more like: "you can test it, than we will see". Even Helsinki hasn't made anything about the new areas that we are building. And any notice: how to make ICT system, it should have the same kind of ICT system? or different kind? For example I have been consultative inside the Helsinki city about the ICT strategy and city has very good strategy for the City Government. So again the intranet is very good, but only the Helsinki City governament is quite well. But I think that they got something EU price about how Helsinki City government is working. But is not helping the city but the City itself.

15. You start courses approach to new technologies? Literacy? What's missing citizens?

No, we didn't started, because we are putting effort in usability. So the idea is that service is so simple that you don't have to do any courses. Usability is very big issue. That's why we prefer to put money in usability. If somebody say: "that's difficult" or he or she doesn't understand, we don't make a course to solve it, but we ask why is so difficult. What's the problem, and try to solve the problem not make any course. We think that courses are twisting the problems; you should have the service so simple that you don't have to do any course. And the best example is one house call "active seniors" so in the beginning they said to don't put  broadband in the active senior hospital because they don't use any computer. And now are the second bigest users after student houses. Still the average is 70-100 years and there are only two ladies that doesn't have computer, but all the recipes and communication is based on ICT. They learn to use it by them self, everybody have not use it before than come here. Skilled active seniors teach to no skill active users. For the e-modererator we have made courses than advises for them but today we don't use any more because the services are so simple. We lot effort for specific project like in symbolism. This platform is based on open source system and symbolism was very difficult so if you want to write about there is only two symbol: anywhere or write a new post; but not else. So the idea was to make so simple services that everybody knows exactly what to do.

16. The people in your neighbourhood, feel a lack of services ICT?

In technical term is totally enough, even too much. But in application services for special house (handicap, blind, seniors, multi scleroses disease people, students) with group of people that we don't even know which services they should have. That's a questions that somebody time to time ask: "can we have services", (as blind Swedish speaking young). That is what I meant with "mass customisation": how deep we can go in specific group, only for them, like twenty persons. That is tricky, who knows the needs for blinds, different language... So that's why we call the moderator that they are living in the house and they know some specific demand of services.

17. Felt that push too much on Ict reinforce inequality? Or open the territory to the phenomena of greater democracy?

In the beginning there was that kind of discussions. As I sad the example of the active seniors that two ladies who doesn't have computer and everybody here has the same connection and the same ability to achieve that. So in the senior house there was that discussion that it was not familiar to put everything in Internet. So they have discussions: which is the main communication channel, putting in the traditional way and the same on internet? Or put everything in internet and made main informations on paper? And that's happened in the most of cases that all the information is in Internet. In each house there are some informations in paper also.

But is a little bit similar on urban screen with the headline but the deep information are in the digital way. So it doesn't mean that if you put everything in internet or in the digital environment is not something away from somebody. I would say that is mean that if you want to have very precise informations, if you want to get deeper inside, than you have to have to be connect in the digital world. That's why is important to have people that can help. So the e-moderator, the ICT expert in active senior house.

As we have this rate of data connection is 100% totally and in Helsinki area is 80%  and in Finland is 60 or 70%. I would say, if you compare the traditional way, somebody said that you should not put any effort in ICT because everybody is use it. That democracy is the majority! If the majority use the ICT, the minority should have the ability to achieve the services. The right at the moment is the both: so achieve everybody in digital and fisical way.

18. Could you speak more of your active contribution to planning and land management? The participation of citizens with regard to land and public spaces?

The Aalto University is establishing a new university call Aalto and at the moment the campus of this three university, so now we are speaking where it should be situated. We think that today campus should be integrated in city in a living environment and not in one place like in a island. So that's why we make this campus brochures about land use. Because university is here and we bought this site, this corner and that's is a resource own by the City. We discuss about university in large, just go away or has new facilities. So is one possibility to increase the Aalto university, with using the warehouse.

And than again the new kindergarten, because the strong pressure about the citizen, so this Autum is coming 271 places for children. And then Arcara they also make new site, double than before for sport and gymnastics; again there was the question about how we can make a hybrid so that citizen or other school can use also it. Because is quite expensive just made for one school.

A new example is the new comprehensive school that we'll open next September, so there are places to make wood work, metal work; and that's for lack for citizen to make their hobbies. So we are discuss how we can use school facilities for making people and citizen hobbies.

So is the kind of idea of how to combining the resources, and not take for them self. Yes, for them self but even open for citizen.