Sustainable Mobility and Logistics in Municipal Cultural Services
Promoting the use of public transport, replacing fossil fuels with renewable alternatives, encouraging sustainable commuting, finding solutions for transporting materials and artworks, and providing services locally.
The environmental impacts of mobility within municipal cultural services arise from both audience and staff travel, as well as logistics. In both cases, the use of fossil fuels and long travel distances increase emissions, while electrification, the use of renewable fuels, and shorter distances help reduce them. Environmental impacts from audience and staff travel can be significantly reduced by shifting to walking, cycling, and public transport. However, long distances and the lack of public transport connections may hinder the use of these modes. In such cases, bringing content and services closer to the target audience can offer a viable solution.
The examples in this article are drawn from the report Kuntien kulttuuripalveluiden ympäristötyön hyvät käytännöt (Best Practices in the Environmental Work of Municipal Cultural Services). The report offers a broad overview of good practices in Finnish libraries, arts and cultural institutions, cultural centres, basic education in the arts, and general cultural services.
Common Environmental Actions in Mobility and Logistics within Municipal Cultural Services
- Highlighting public transport connections in visitor information
- Facilitating bicycle access with functional and secure bike racks
- Bringing content and services closer to local communities
- Reducing travel through remote work and virtual participation in events and meetings
Good Practices
Public Transport
City of Karkkila • Public Transport for Event Visitors
The City of Karkkila supports sustainable mobility to cultural events through its public transport services, Höökikyyti and the TOPI city train. During the city-coordinated Iron Days event (Rautapäivät), TOPI transported visitors between the bus station and event venues throughout the festival. With Höökikyyti, the city can also offer free transport services to residents during special events when needed.
City of Kouvola • Cultural Education via Public Transport
In Kouvola, pupils in basic education are encouraged to use public transport to attend activities organised as part of the city’s cultural education programme. These journeys take place during the school day and are accompanied by teachers.
Turun konserttitalo • Pääsy- ja joukkoliikennelippu samassa paketissa
In Turku, tickets to paid events at the Concert Hall also serve as public transport tickets. The so-called Föli ticket (Föli-lippu) allows travel on the Turku region’s Föli public transport network for three hours before and three hours after the event. The ticket covers up to four journeys, allowing for a transfer in each direction if needed.
Vaasa City Orchestra • Concert Start Times Aligned with Train Schedules
Vaasa City Orchestra has adjusted its concert start times to 6 p.m. to better align with train schedules. On Fridays, this allows audience members to catch the 20:31 southbound train after the concert. Earlier finishing times also improve access via local public transport.
Making Arrival by Bicycle Easy
Various Cultural Services • Bicycle Racks for Customers and Visitors
Bicycle racks located outside cultural service venues promote sustainable travel among visitors. For example, Raseborg Museum and Chappe both offer good bicycle parking facilities and have expressed interest in having the city’s bike-sharing station moved closer to the museum. Similarly, Nurmes Cultural Centre has appropriate bicycle racks, and in Nousiainen, racks were installed in front of the library in response to customer requests.
Vekarateatteri • Cycling to Learn
At Vekarateatteri in Kerava, most children attending basic art education cycle or walk to the theatre school. The yard provides ample space for bicycles, and a path has been built on the sloped terrain to allow easy access to the front yard by bike.
Replacing Fossil Fuel
Helsinki City Theatre • Charging Points for Electric Vehicles
Helsinki City Theatre provides electric vehicle charging points for its customers. In 2023, the number of charging stations was increased to 12 with the support of the City of Helsinki’s energy grant.
Vantaa Mobile Libraries • Transition to Biodiesel
City of Vantaa’s two mobile libraries, Tarina and Mysse, run on biodiesel. Switching to biodiesel is one of the actions outlined in Vantaa’s roadmap for resource wisdom.
Rautjärvi is a municipality characterised by long distances. For this reason, all motorised transport is kept to a minimum, for example by widely enabling remote work. Functional bicycle parking facilities have been built or are being planned at the municipal office and at the Kasarminkangas museum area. The goal is to promote cycling within the municipality.
– Ossi Välimäki, Cultural Coordinator, Municipality of Rautjärvi
Sustainable Commuting
Petäjä-opisto • Reducing Work Travel through Scheduling
Good planning can reduce the need for work-related travel. At Petäjä-opisto, part of the Sasky Municipal Education and Training Consortium operating across five municipalities, it has been found that careful scheduling of courses helps reduce the number of commutes required by teachers.
Various Libraries • Carpooling and Shared Vehicles for Staff
Library staff use various practices to reduce the environmental impact of car travel, such as carpooling and sharing existing resources efficiently. For example, staff at Pornainen Municipal Library travel to events together whenever possible. In Tohmajärvi, the library and cultural services department uses a municipal shared vehicle.
Various Municipalities • Sustainable Staff Mobility
Staff in Kokkola’s cultural services favour public transport and avoid air travel. A shared office bicycle encourages cycling for short distances. In Kajaani, staff also have access to bicycles and prefer public transport over flying. The city also uses a hybrid shared vehicle. In Pello, an electric car has been purchased for municipal staff. In Salo, “culture carpools” have been introduced, especially for meetings and study visits involving the Cultural Partners (Kulttuurikumppanit) cooperation body between the city and local arts and culture actors.
Various Educational Institutions • Walking, Cycling and Public Transport to Work
When distances are reasonable and public transport is available, staff at arts education institutions can make an environmental choice by walking, cycling or using public transport. At Kerava Dance Institute, staff mainly travel by bike or public transport, and hourly-time teachers receive financial support for commuting by public transport. At the music Institute Keski-Suomen musiikkiopisto and Keuruu Adult Education Centre, permanent staff are eligible for an employer-sponsored bicycle benefit.
Various Educational Institutions • Shared Rides to Perform and Teach
Alajärvi Music Institute organises shared transport to performance venues. It also provides shared commuting options for teachers travelling long distances to teach at different locations across the region. Mikkeli Music Institute also uses carpooling for work-related travel whenever possible.
Various Orchestras • Sustainable Mobility in Orchestras
Orchestra musicians and staff have several ways to travel sustainably. Seinäjoki City Orchestra uses trains instead of buses for long-distance travel. Oulu Symphony has reduced air travel and prefers trains. The orchestra’s diesel lease vehicle is being replaced with a hybrid. In Vaasa, soloists, conductors and guest performers typically arrive by public transport, unless transporting heavy instruments. Vaasa City Orchestra can also reserve a fully electric municipal vehicle for work-related travel within the Ostrobothnia region.
Library Cycling in Helsinki-Uusimaa Region since 2019
As part of its regional development responsibility (AKE), Porvoo City Library has been organising library cycling tours in the Uusimaa region since 2019. For several consecutive years, these tours have brought together library professionals to visit new libraries by bike. Along the way, participants network and share experiences.
Typically, around 15–20 people take part in the tour, which lasts from one to three days depending on the weather. The route includes visits to around ten libraries, covering a total distance of 100–150 kilometres. Participants and library destinations are also drawn from outside the Uusimaa region. The tours are organised in collaboration with the AKE team in the city of Lahti.
The concept of AKE Porvoo’s library cycling is based on Cycling for Libraries, an idea developed in Finland and implemented since 2011. Cycling for Libraries is an international unconference for library professionals and library enthusiasts, aimed at fostering discussion, visiting libraries, and cycling longer distances together.
Material and Artwork Transport
Pieksämäki City Library • Integrating Material Transport within Internal Logistics
In Pieksämäki, attention has been paid to internal logistics within the library consortium. Separate transport runs between library branches have been discontinued. Instead, materials are moved between locations by library and other municipal staff as part of their regular travel between workplaces.
Pornainen Municipal Library • Reducing the Need for Customer Travel Through Centralised Material Transport
At Pornainen Municipal Library, materials are delivered from other libraries twice a week. These deliveries ensure that customers can access the materials they need at their local library – the one most conveniently located for them – thereby reducing the need for personal travel.
Multiple Libraries • Floating Collections
A network-based approach to collection management, known as floating or partial floating collections, has gradually become more common in libraries across Finland. In a floating system, borrowed items remain at the branch where they are returned, rather than being sent back to their original location. This transforms the collection from a branch-specific resource into a shared network-wide collection. The aim is to minimise transport needs and reduce costs.
Various Museums and Art Spaces • Sustainable Practices in Artwork Transport
Museums and art venues can promote green logistics in various ways, such as by choosing sustainable modes of transport or reducing the volume of shipments. For instance, Raasepori Museum and Chappe avoid air freight for transporting artworks, and in Kajaani, the number of art transports has decreased due to a reduction in the number of exhibitions.
Culture and Education Close to Home
City of Helsinki, Culture and Leisure Division • Art in Your Own Neighbourhood
The City of Helsinki’s participatory cultural initiative, the Helsinki Model, provides development grants for cultural activities. These activities are rooted in the unique characteristics of neighbourhoods outside the city centre and are created in collaboration between residents and professional artists. The model offers residents the opportunity to experience art close to home, in their own neighbourhood.
Pieksämäki City Library • The Mobile Library as a Versatile Space for Learning and Gathering in Villages
In Pieksämäki, the mobile library has served as a versatile space for education and community gatherings for over ten years. Activities have included, for example, a mobile library club organised by the regional adult education centre, featuring lectures, exercise sessions, and crafts. This service enables gatherings in villages and areas that otherwise lack suitable meeting and hobby spaces.
Multiple Municipalities • Culture in the Village
The Culture in the Village development initiative for cultural services in the Helsinki-Uusimaa Region was carried out in 2021–2022 through collaboration between municipal cultural staff and local organisations. One of the aims was to bring culture and art to areas outside central towns, especially to village residents. During the project, 68 artists delivered 100 art and cultural events in 70 villages and towns across the region. Around 6,700 people of all ages participated. Events in 2022 included, for example, a birch bark workshop called Art Tree, a medieval mystery play Säilättäret, and an immersive nature trail featuring aerial acrobatics and rhythmic performances. The initiative was primarily funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture.
Various Educational Institutions • Teaching Close to Students
Art schools can reduce their environmental impact by bringing teaching closer to students. Huittinen Music Institute provides instruction to residents of nine municipalities, mainly children and young people. A key principle is to organise lessons as close to the student’s home as possible, minimising the need for travel. Kerava Dance Institute also aims to offer instruction near students’ homes. In the best-case scenario, only the teacher travels to a more distant location, for example by car.
Municipal Cultural Services
In Finland, municipal cultural services refer to activities through which a municipality promotes the creation, participation, accessibility, and use of culture and the arts. This includes arts and cultural education as well as the preservation of cultural heritage.
Environmental Work
An organisation’s goal-oriented and systematic efforts to achieve ecological sustainability. Environmental work may include actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or biodiversity loss.