12-05-2025
Phillips: Clear transportation plan works for Helsinki; why not here?
The last decade has not been kind to Ottawa's transportation infrastructure and public transit. This must change if the Official Plan's goal is to be achieved: to become the most livable mid-sized city in North America.
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Ottawa's Official Plan calls for densely populated 15-minute neighbourhoods linked by equally dense and integrated public transit and networks for safe walking and biking. The city's newly released draft Transportation Strategy is a key instrument to realize this goal. To work, however, it must establish clearly defined measurable outcomes.
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Outcomes state desired changes in the quality of life for people, environmental conditions and economic vitality. Key indicators inform better decisions by staff, management and council.
Ongoing tracking of progress allows staff to adapt quickly and cost effectively. Can anyone see 10 years ahead? Does any organization always get things right the first time? No. So the city must constantly assess implementation and innovate in real time.
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To understand what is required, Helsinki, a city much like Ottawa in size and values, offers a results-oriented model with its Transportation Strategy. At the heart of Helsinki's strategy lies the Transport System Plan for the City Centre. It demonstrates the city's commitment to continually monitor and assess whether an adaptive, efficient and sustainable urban mobility network is emerging from its strategy.
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Helsinki is internationally recognized for its innovative urban development and forward-thinking public transport solutions. The 2023 Urban Mobility Readiness Index — produced by the Oliver Wyman Forum in partnership with the University of California — evaluated 67 international cities on how well their transit systems and mobility infrastructures are prepared to meet future challenges. Helsinki topped the ranking, based on its current transit but also its strategic foresight to adapt new technologies such as autonomous transport and smart infrastructure.
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In response to rapid urban growth and escalating demands on city infrastructure, Helsinki prioritized clear targets and constantly reassesses them. Rather than implementing static measures, the city sets ambitious performance goals and key performance indicators (KPIs) to capture progress. Helsinki constantly refines its strategies based on real-time data.
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The process began with a well-articulated vision: to transform the city centre into a hub where sustainable mobility is the norm, and where walking, cycling and public transit become the preferred modes of travel over private cars. This vision is underpinned by specific, quantifiable targets such as reducing travel time, lowering carbon emissions, reducing accidents and injury and increasing public transport usage. By defining KPIs from the outset, the plan ensures that every initiative is measurable and aligned with the overall vision.
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A continuous cycle of action, evaluation and adjustment integrates feedback loops through mechanisms such as citizen juries and digital data analysis. Public opinion is actively sought, supporting real-time refinements. When a specific measure falls short, the strategy component is recalibrated, allowing for flexible, data-informed decision-making. Each desired outcome such as 'improved urban air quality' is matched with a metric, in this case 'reduced concentrations of carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter' that is monitored through data tools.
