Tampere Approves 2026–29 Plan to Boost Resident Influence

According to the City of Tampere, the City Board approved an updated Participation and Interaction Plan on 7 September 2026, setting targets to increase resident influence, inclusion and self-organised activity for 2026–2029.

The update builds on the city's broader inclusion work, including the Kaikkien Tampere inclusion programme launched earlier this year the Kaikkien Tampere inclusion programme and the spring residents' evenings that drew more than 1,050 participants the residents' evenings.

Lilli Siikasmaa, the planning officer who coordinated the update, said the city will focus on three priorities. First, strengthening staff skills and leadership in participation work; second, ensuring diverse groups are heard more effectively; and third, making it easier for residents and communities to organise initiatives themselves. The city also plans to develop advance assessments of decision impacts during 2027 to better capture who will be affected by proposals.

Tampere intends to improve practical participation channels, such as neighbourhood development events, Tampere residents' evenings and the online residents' panel, so more people hear about them and feel welcome regardless of language skills or prior knowledge. Everyday encounters between city employees and residents, for example in schools, nurseries and employment services, are part of the participation work the plan aims to strengthen.