The city's top leaders have committed themselves visibly. But in other quarters, lacking knowledge and commitment is obvious. Innovation always encounters prejudice, and the inherent reluctance to change in administration can be seen in Helsinki, too. To many, the local agenda is a secondary matter, in some extreme cases even something negative. Most feel that the local agenda is important and stress its role as a channel of influence for the inhabitants, but at the same time they do not believe that citizens really want to participate in societal matters.
More knowledge is needed.
We cannot with any certainty tell what a sustainable society will be like in the future and what makes economic, political and social structures sustainable. This knowledge exists in Helsinki, too, but it has not reached the policy-makers and citizens very much yet. The local agenda process has met the same difficulties in Helsinki as elsewhere in Finland and Europe. The problems are linked with administrative structures and models, prejudices and weak civic participation. A large organisation with hierarchical and sectored structures makes the process hard to master.