Business Think-Tank: Espoo Serves Residents Best
Image: Anu Kuivalainen
Espoo wins the prize as Finland's best city, according to a study by the think-tank Finnish Business and Policy Forum, EVA. In the study, Espoo out-ranked Vantaa, Turku, Tampere, Oulu and Helsinki in managing its finances to provide for residents.
Espoo's neighbour Vantaa came in second. While Vantaa is the most debt-laden of the cities, the study said the city operates frugally and performs quite well.
Meanwhile Turku and Tampere took third and fourth place. EVA gave Turku top marks for providing residents with services. However the city suffers from inefficiency and dependency on the state and state subsidies. The think-tank says the same is true for Tampere.
Fifth-placed Oulu stumbled on its excessively high taxes. Meanwhile Helsinki took last place. EVA said the capital lost points for its unmanageable operations model and its habit of heavily investing tax payers' money in business.
EVA evaluated the finances and operations model of the six largest Finnish cities.