The English summary follows the Japanese article.
English summary follows the Japanese article
On December 4, 2025, an international dialogue session on urban development was held in the presentation room of the Yokohama Minato Mirai 21 General Incorporated Association, inviting two researchers from the Finnish national research institute VTT (Technical Research Centre of Finland). Organized by the Future Innovation Yokohama Institution and with planning cooperation from BizTech, participants from a diverse range of backgrounds, including Finnish and Japanese researchers, government officials, students, and business people, gathered together to engage in lively discussions about the future of cities and society.
Background and purpose of this session
Mori from the Future Innovation Center Secretariat opened the event by saying, "As an organization promoting open innovation within Yokohama City, the Future Innovation Center is working to create a future-oriented society. Today, we are honored to have the opportunity to welcome two researchers from faraway Finland who have been researching the future of cities for many years, and to have them share their valuable knowledge with us."
The session was facilitated by Mr. Sato, a visiting professor at Yokohama National University (BizTech Co., Ltd.), and consisted of a lecture, Q&A, and discussion.
Lecture 1: Arho Suominen (VTT) "The Importance of Future Orientation"
The first speaker, Arho Suominen, has been researching "foresight" for 15 years, and the data he presented from the OECD was shocking."Only 1.2% of organizations plan for more than 10 years ahead.".
Using the historical transition from horse-drawn carriages to automobiles as an example, Arho said, "People tend to underestimate the speed of change. As Finland's Minister of Transport pointed out, 'Everyone says the world is changing rapidly, but at the same time, they assume that the things they care about will never change.'"
He emphasized the importance of balancing "Exploitation" and "Exploration." He said that leveraging and deepening existing strengths while at the same time investing some resources in uncharted territory and experimenting—these two pillars are the key to preparing for the future.
"It's important not to rest on the laurels of having a lifeboat, but to have a ship that can withstand the storm and be able to choose its own direction," Suominen stressed.
Lecture 2: Kirsi-Maria Hyytinen (VTT) "Impact Leadership and Future-Adaptable Cities"
Next on stage was Kirsi-Maria Hyytinen, leader of the Future-Proof Societies research team at VTT, which works with cities, local governments, and government ministries across Finland to bring about comprehensive, systemic change across society.
Kirsi advocates "Impact Leadership” is an approach that develops the capacity of cities to set long-term goals and simultaneously achieve economic growth, the well-being of their residents, and respect for environmental boundaries.
He gave a detailed introduction to the Helsinki area.Espoo CityThis is a practical example. The city of Espoo took the pandemic as an opportunity to set four sustainability goals: economic, social, environmental and cultural. Working with the city's strategic department,A multifaceted basket of indicatorsIt has achieved data collection and visualization from a more comprehensive perspective, moving away from traditional indicators that focus on the economy and technology, and including resident welfare, education, health, transportation, and the environment.
"The important thing is,Combining qualitative and quantitative data"We reused existing government data, while also incorporating the opinions of residents and the knowledge of experts to create a dashboard that allows us to understand changes in the city in real time," Hyytinen explained.
Discussion: "How do we envision the future of cities?"
After the lecture, a lively discussion ensued between attendees, including Professor Mihoko Matsuyuki of Yokohama National University, and VTT researchers.
A treasure trove of untapped data: new possibilities for data utilization
Professor Matsuyuki asked, "How should a large city like Yokohama prepare for future uncertainties, such as large-scale earthquakes and tsunamis? And what specific data does VTT use?"
In response, a VTT researcher pointed out that "much of the data that local governments already possess is actually unused." He cited the fact that, for example, footage from traffic surveillance cameras was initially installed for police traffic management, but it was later discovered that it could be used for multiple purposes, such as maintaining urban infrastructure, flood control, and disaster response. "By integrating data held by different departments, we can gain a more three-dimensional understanding of the situation in the entire city. In addition, by combining qualitative data such as resident satisfaction surveys and social media analysis, we can also capture the voices and values of citizens that cannot be seen from numbers alone," he said.
How to break through organizational inertia: The key to change
"Especially in the case of public organizations, they tend to become formulaic and rigid, and it is not easy to introduce new approaches. How did the City of Espoo achieve change?" was a compelling question.
"The key to the success of the city of Espoo isStrong leadership by the mayorWhen,The external crisis of the pandemic"It was a combination of these factors. Crises are powerful catalysts for organizational change. In addition, the city's strategic department was aware of the problem and recognized the need for an indicator system that would evaluate not only the economy but also welfare, health, and the environment in a balanced manner."
He also introduced examples such as a hydrogen industry promotion project in the Magallanes region of Chile and the reuse of infrastructure data in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, and emphasized that in both cases, "local practitioners and leaders must play a driving role and involve a variety of stakeholders" is crucial for change.
Phased approach and community participation
Furthermore, in response to the opinion that "Japanese local governments have large populations, making it difficult to reach consensus," another comment was offered: "A step-by-step approach would be effective, starting with a small area or theme, visualizing success stories, and gradually expanding."
In the case of Singapore, a large-scale exhibition of urban planning was held, providing a forum for citizens to see the plans and express their opinions. It was also reported that an attempt was made to use AI technology to virtually generate a "vision of future citizens" and to comprehensively analyze the opinions of various demographics.
There was also discussion about new trends in regional cities, which are smaller than major cities, and the possibility of applying this approach to future-oriented urban planning. There was a shared understanding that this kind of international collaboration in practice could provide insights for future initiatives in Yokohama.
Considering the future of Yokohama's Minato Mirai 21 district
Towards the end of the session, a Yokohama attendee asked a specific question: "How should we think about redevelopment of the Minato Mirai area with a view to the next 30 years?"
A VTT researcher suggested, "We recommend that you cross-reference multiple future forecast reports and scenarios, not only from within Japan but also from overseas, and integrate them to build hypotheses specific to Yokohama. Then, it is important to hold workshops and dialogues involving citizens, businesses, and experts to reach a common understanding and develop a direction."
He also offered words of encouragement, saying, "To create a future-proof city—that is, a city that can anticipate the future and adapt to it—it is necessary to comprehensively understand not only technology, but also people's values, well-being, and harmony with the environment. Yokohama has ample potential in this regard."
Towards future international collaboration
At the end of the session, there was a positive exchange of opinions about future collaboration between Yokohama and VTT. Facilitator Sato concluded by saying, "We would like to put the knowledge gained in today's session to practical use in urban development in Yokohama. Let's continue to promote dialogue and collaboration between Finland and Japan."
Participants commented, "I was impressed by the perspective of people-centered urban development, rather than an emphasis on technology," "The idea of multipurpose use of data seems like something we can adopt right away," and "I was reminded that the lack of a long-term perspective is an issue."
Through this session, the path to the future city that Yokohama should aim for -- a "Future Proof City" that achieves a good balance between economic growth, resident well-being, and environmental sustainability -- has become more clearly visible.
The Future Yokohama Institute will continue to provide such international forums for sharing knowledge and dialogue, contributing to building the future of Yokohama.
English Summary
International Dialogue Session on Urban Development with Finnish Researchers
On December 4, 2025, Yokohama Future Organization hosted an international dialogue session titled “SOCIETY AND CITY IN OUR FUTURE – An Exploration with Researchers in Finland” at the Yokohama Minato Mirai 21 Presentation Room. Two leading researchers from VTT Technical Research Center of Finland shared their expertise on future-oriented urban planning with participants including researchers, government officials, students, and business representatives.
Dr. Arho Suominen (VTT) emphasized the critical importance of long-term foresight, citing OECD data showing that only 1.2% of organizations plan beyond a 10-year horizon. He stressed the need to balance “exploitation” of existing strengths with “exploration” of new possibilities, warning against organizational inertia that leaves cities vulnerable to rapid technological and social changes.
Dr. Kirsi-Maria Hyytinen (VTT) introduced the concept of “Impact Leadership” — an approach helping cities develop capabilities to become “Future Proof” by balancing economic growth, citizen well-being, and environmental sustainability. She presented a detailed case study from Espoo, Finland, where the city developed a comprehensive indicator framework combining quantitative and qualitative data to track progress across economic, social, environmental, and cultural dimensions in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Key discussion topics included:
Data Utilization Innovation: Repurposing existing municipal data (eg, traffic cameras for flood management) and creating integrated data lakes
Overcoming Organizational Resistance: The importance of strong leadership commitment combined with external catalysts like crises, plus gradual implementation starting from small pilot projects
Citizen Participation: Methods ranging from large-scale public exhibitions (Singapore example) to AI-generated “future citizen” personas for inclusive decision-making
Multi-indicator Approach: Moving beyond technology and economy-focused metrics to include well-being, environmental boundaries, and cultural values
Professor Mihoko Matsuyuki from Yokohama National University and Yokohama city officials engaged in robust dialogue with VTT researchers about practical application challenges, data sources, and strategies for implementing future-oriented planning in large-scale Japanese municipalities. With a little reference of some on-going discussion with smaller municipality in Japan, the discussion indicated a successful process of international partnerships in urban development research, in form of combination of smaller and bigger cases.
The session concluded with commitments to strengthen ongoing collaboration between Yokohama and Finland, applying these insights to Yokohama's urban development initiatives including the Minato Mirai district's long-term renewal planning. Participants recognized the importance of shifting from technology-centric to human-centric approaches in creating sustainable, resilient “Future-Proof Cities” that balance economic vitality, quality of life, and environmental stewardship.