Helsinki’s urban planning often seems shaped by spring and summer conditions, even though the city is in use all year round. In an opinion piece published by HS, the central message is that planning should work just as well when the weather turns cold, dark and difficult.

The point is practical: streets, public spaces and everyday services need to function in frost, snow and low light as well. The article argues that a city should not be designed only for the warm season, but for the full cycle of the year.