B.Green is carried out in Tallinn and Helsinki by three project partners – Forum Virium Helsinki, Tallinn Strategic Management Office and Stockholm Environment Institute Tallinn Centre. In this series, we’ll introduce the people behind the project. Mette Hiltunen works as a Project Manager at Forum Virium Helsinki and is responsible for B.Green’s communications while also supporting all local project activities in Helsinki.
Mette, what topics are you working with at Forum Virium Helsinki and what kind of expertise do you bring into the B.Green project?
I have worked at Forum Virium Helsinki with several projects dealing with smart cities, sustainable urban development, health and wellbeing as well as green infrastructure. With an educational background in design, sustainability and engineering, my focus in B.Green has been especially on resident engagement and facilitating co-creation workshops with our local stakeholders in Helsinki. I have also been responsible for B.Green’s overall communication and supported project management.
What have been the most important learning points for you during the project?
Working on B.Green has taught me a great amount of the importance of green infrastructure in relation to urban resilience. I have also continuously increased my understanding of how green infrastructure planning really requires multidisciplinary collaboration across different professional fields, and how this collaboration can be supported by applying different participatory methods.
Which B.Green activities are you the most excited about?
Our local activities in Helsinki provide many new perspectives on using digital tools and technologies for planning greener neighbourhoods – it is very exciting to see plans come alive in a 3D format and also to see how residents can be involved early on. I am also keen on seeing Tallinn’s pilots as the Pollinator Highway offers such a unique site to implement new ideas.
Although I am leaving Forum Virium Helsinki and B.Green at the end of February, I will eagerly keep a close eye on the upcoming project activities in 2022. I wish all the best to everyone involved in the project!
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Read more about the B.Green team:
Mai Andresson, Tallinn Strategic Management Office
Piret Kuldna, SEI Tallinn
Silja Peltonen, Forum Virium Helsinki
