Cultural Revitalization in Helsinki: The blurring line between locals and tourists

Recently, many central locations in Nordic cities have been transformed into cultural spaces with services and leisure opportunities to attract visitors and talented workers. These spaces dissolve boundaries between urban tourists and residents by emphasizing the role of culture and leisure in value production conforming to urban entrepreneurialism. In this chapter, we ask what these developments mean from the perspective of the urban community, as we focus on the intended audiences and spatial configurations of two central locations in Helsinki. We analyze ‘place-frames’ in media discussions and interviews of key individuals involved in the development of central Helsinki. First, our study shows that the new appeal of the city as a temporary residence for tourists, students, and workers ensures that the locations themselves, along with the services they offer, serve a broader audience than the stable resident communities. This means that the very concept of a uniform local community in the city center has become obsolete, as the audience is increasingly heterogeneous, fluid, and transient. Second, the new cultural spaces transform local urban cultures according to transnational ideals and consumption patterns. Finally, the local community is expected to benefit from the new developments through perceived benefits of the visitor economy.