The capital of the country that topped the World Happiness Report again in 2025 is doubling down on green mobility and culture: the 0.75-mile-long Kruunuvuori Bridge, designed for a 200-year lifespan, will be one of the world’s longest bridges built only for trams, pedestrians and cyclists. Pedestrians cross in 2026, trams in 2027. The bridge is part of the $355-million Crown Bridges project of five spans that are prepping the city for population growth – and elevating the #38 ranking for Public Transit.
Hospitality is leveling up, too. The Hotel Maria, which opened at the end of 2023, is now the only Finnish entry in both the Forbes Travel Guide and Historic Hotels Worldwide; nearby, the new Solo Sokos Hotel Pier 4 anchors the timber-built Katajanokan Laituri waterfront complex – part HQ, part hotel and all climate- forward design. Perfect venues for attendees of the Helsinki Biennale, a summer 2025 highlight bringing outstanding contemporary art to Helsinki’s archipelago nature. For investors and site selectors, two national parks on the metro’s doorstep (Nuuksio and Sipoonkorpi) and the Baana cycle spine keep talent both happy and close to nature, as does a #13 ranking for Air Quality. A re-energized Makasiiniranta waterfront, with a new museum of architecture and design, will add to the walkable city center.