There are a lot of perceptions circulating about municipal politics -- and some of them are completely wrong. When you follow the debate, it sometimes feels like the same myths are swirling around from year to year and are hardly being challenged.
But what are the biggest misconceptions that influence decision-making? And what should be done differently?
Here are five of the most persistent myths in municipal politics -- and why they're not true.
1. “We Can't Afford” — Or Do We Have No Vision?
The economy is important, but too often it becomes an easy reason not to do anything new. How many times has it been heard that “we can't afford” to develop something?
It's not always about money, it's about how the money is spent.
The economy of Kauniainen is on a solid footing, but if the city is not developed, we will be left at the feet of others. Sometimes investing in the future pays for itself many times over. So the right question is not “can afford it”, but “Do we have the courage to invest wisely?”.
2. “Municipal Policy Is Slow” — But Could It Be More Agile?
Decision-making can feel sticky. Surveys are carried out for years, the zoning process can stretch for ten years and sometimes things are left hanging without a clear direction.
But does it have to be this way?
Beautiful is small and agile. We would have the ability to act faster than big cities -- if only we wanted to. How about we experiment more, test new solutions and introduce the advantage of small city speed?
3. “You can't have everything” — But who said you only have to choose from two options?
Often the political debate is trundled to black and white choices: either save or raise taxes, either keep services intact or cut, either build a lot or not at all.
But what if the solution is somewhere in between?
Beautiful could be a city that develop its economy without services suffering. This means, for example new revenue models, innovative investments and increased vitality It's not just a balancing act between savings and tax increases.
4. “The most important thing is to take care of the basics” — But what about the future?
It goes without saying that schools, health care and safety are important. They are the cornerstone of municipal policy.
But if we focus only on the “basics”, what will happen to the development of the city?
The beautiful need to look beyond. If we want to attract international talent, provide children with future opportunities and remain vibrant, we can't just run basic services. We must build a city that will still be desired 20 and 50 years from now.
5. “Everything is already pretty good” — But is that enough?
It is true that many things are better in Kauniainen than elsewhere. But if the goal is only to maintain the current state, has development stalled.
The question is not whether everything needs to be changed. The question is, how do we ensure that Kauniainen remains a top-tier city in the future.
For this you will need:
-Bold investments
-More agile decision-making
-Long-term strategy
-Listening to the voice of the community
What if...? Time for new thinking
It's easy to make decisions that look good in next year's budget. But if the gaze is only there, we are not building the future, but simply reacting to what is happening.
The beautiful have the opportunity to do things differently. We can develop the economy without services suffering. We can grow without going to mass construction like Espoo. And most of all, we can make decisions that don't just preserve Beautiful as a good city — just make it An example of the future for others.
But what if we thought even bigger?
🌍 Kauniainen x Zurich Could we be the world's first “twin city” with Zurich? Learn from their community of excellence and attract international talent and funding with the same model?
💡 International Innovation Hall in Kauniainen? Why not create a small but world-scale significant concentration of entrepreneurship and high technologythat serves as a pilot for new sustainability solutions?
🏗 Urban planning based on experiments — Could Kauniainen test new types of residential solutions that combine green technology, a sense of community and new models of work?
🔋 Energy independence of the beautiful? Could we have a completely self-sustaining energy model -- our own renewable energy generation that lowers the price of electricity for residents and generates additional income for the city?
🚀 The world's first “Boutique Smart City” — a small but advanced city that tests and develops future urban solutions faster than any other.
No worries, but why aim for 10th place in the league table when you could be aiming for gold?
Beautiful is small, but that does not mean that our thinking should be small. If we dare to look boldly into the future, we can create something that other cities can't even imagine yet.
What are you thinking? Do we dare to embark on this -- and build Kauniainen into a model city known worldwide?
🚀 Let's keep the conversation going -- the future is being made now!
