The Organisation of the Council of Oulu Region

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The Organisation of the Council of Oulu Region
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The Regional Planning System in Finland
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Functions of Regional Councils

• Regional Councils are responsible for general
  development in their region, working in
  cooperation with State authorities
• draw up the regional land use plan
• are responsible for drawing up and approving the
  regional strategic programme forming part of
  regional planning

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Functions of Regional Councils

• draw up an annual regional strategic programme
  implementation plan based on the regional
  strategic programme (the budget of the region)
• in cooperation with the State authorities,
  municipalities and other parties involved in
  financing the regional strategic programmes
• are responsible for drawing up programme
  proposals for the region regarding regional
  Structural Fund programmes

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Functions of Regional Councils

• promote sub-regional and other cooperation by the
  municipalities and cooperation between regions
  and with bodies under public and private law
  important in terms of regional development
• monitor development in the region and its parts
• manage international matters and contacts related
  to their functions

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Land use planning system in Finland

• Finlands land use planning system is defined in
  the Land Use and Building Act
• Municipalities have high degree of autonomy in
  land use planning

NATIONAL LAND USE GUIDELINES
REGIONAL LAND USE PLANS
LOCAL MASTER PLANS
LOCAL DETAILED PLANS
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Judicial effects of Regional Land Use Plan

• Regional Land Use Plan guides municipalities
  planning
• Land use plan functions as an instruction for
  local master and detailed plans
• Officials has to pay regard of land use plan when
  planning actions towards land use
• Land use plan must be proactively realized by
  officials
• Regional land use plan can also contain
  conditional building restrictions and protection
  orders

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Regional Land Use Plan

• Sets out principles governing land use and the
  community structure in the region
• Presents land use structures in timescale 10-20
  years
• Plan is drawn up through interaction between
  local authorities, other municipalities and
  approven by the regional council
• Regional land use plans define a general
  framework for the more detailed local plans drawn
  up by the municipalities

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The Need for Regional Land Use Plan

• Need for Plan from various reasons
• Serves as a guideline for local authority in land
  use decisions and systematic community
  development transportation and energy issues,
  retail developments, popular recreational
  facilities, major water supply schemes etc.
• Helps to reconcile land use issues between many
  municipalitities
• Safeguard regionally typical and unique culture
  and nature environment

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Contents of the Regional Land Use Plan

• Land Use and Building Act sets qualitative
  demands for the Plan
• Functionality of spatial and community structure
• Ecologically sustainable land use patterns
• Good operating environment for the companies and
  economic life
• Economic efficiency in land use patterns
• Foster traditional scenery, nature values and
  cultural heritage

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Presentation of regional land use plans
Regional land use plans are presented in the
forms of maps at scales of between 1100000 and
1250000

• Different types of regional land use plans
• Comprehensive regional land use plans covering
  all major issues in the whole region
• Phased regional land use plans covering certain
  specific planning issues during each planning
  phase
• Sub-regional land use plans covering smaller
  sub-regions or coherent areas such as river
  systems

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Participatory planning processes
Individual citizens and non-govermental
organisations are fully entitled to participate
in planning processes

• Participation and assessment schemes helps
  citizens to contribute to planning process
• Public meetings are organised for local residents
  and other interested parties
• Planning objectives opinion expressions
• Draft planning proposals are exhibited in public
  places

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Ratification and appeals

• Regional Council will first approve Regional Land
  Use Plan
• Ministry of the Environment checks the legality
  of the plans and requests official comments from
  other ministries before final ratification
• Supreme Administrative Court is the highest
  appeal court
• Regional land use plans are regularly reassessed
  and updated according to changing conditions

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Map examples of the Land Use Plan
Focus areas of the city development Focus areas
of the urban-rural interaction Focus areas of
the countryside development

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Map examples of the Land Use Plan
Important cultural environment and scenery areas

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