The city and its suburbs are growing, but so is its vision for dense, walkable neighborhoods and car-free transit. It’s a model for the future of urban smart growth. Helsinki already ranks as ...

Stepping back out into the gritty Helsinki neighborhood, I’m clean, relaxed and assured that — for bankers, laborers and tourists, too — the sauna is the great equalizer.

When I first researched the reputations of Kontula and Koivukylä, two neighborhoods in the Helsinki region, it led me to find various online forums, YouTube videos, and Reddit posts. These online ...