Case 2010

Case Conference October 28 & 29 2010 in Espoo

Infrastructure in municipalities from a planning law point of view

The infrastructure in municipalities generally includes highways, streets, water and sewage pipes, cables, power lines, city heat/city cold, canals, harbors and rails.
The legal point of view brings several aspects to all these. How to construct and maintain important infrastructure that reach over municipal borders and is necessary to lager regions? What legislation is applicable for this variety of infrastructure? How do the different types of infrastructure comply? Who is paying for the construction and maintenance, how are these allowed to be built on private lands, how are landowners compensated and in which register contains information of the infrastructure?
We have limited this topic to roads and rails to be discussed in the conference. Therefore both highways and streets as well as rails, meaning railroad, tram and metro (underground) transportation lines, are included. Roads and rails are currently under major development in the Helsinki Metropolitan area. The new rail transportation possibilities also have positive impact to climate change by reducing traffic on roads.

Questions: 
1. Is there legislation concerning highways, streets and railroad, tram and metro transportation lines? What is the procedure in that legislation and does it contain documents as planning tools and what body is responsible for this planning?

2. How do roads and rails comply with land use planning of a region and of a municipality?

3. What is the role of a single municipality and it´s needs in these matters?

4. How is public participation organized?

Erja Werdi, Espoo, May 2010

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