Skip to content
FutureHubs.eu
Lahti seen from the ski jumping hills, with the sports centre, stadium and forest in front of the city's apartment blocks

Finland

Lahti

Photo: Kallerna, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Lahti is planning a new data centre and a city-centre university campus, while piloting new downtown bus stops and adopting a zero-emission city logistics plan.

Updated · Checked against official sources

  • Population

    122,033

    end of August 2026, preliminary

  • Mayor

    Niko Kyynäräinen

  • EU programmes

    5

Latest

  1. Talent and innovation ·

    Pre-study backs a new city-centre university campus at Ranta-Kartano in Lahti

    A pre-study commissioned by the City of Lahti, LUT University and LAB University of Applied Sciences recommends continuing work on a new higher education campus at Ranta-Kartano and setting up a joint development company, with construction possibly starting in the early 2030s.

    Facts and source
    • The City of Lahti, LUT University and LAB University of Applied Sciences launched the pre-study at the end of 2025.
    • The pre-study recommends continuing preparation and setting up a development company to start planning.
    • It recommends delivering the project in phases.

    Source: City of Lahti, “Korkeakoulukampuksen esiselvitys: Ranta-Kartanosta voi muodostua Lahden uusi osaamisen ja elinvoiman keskittymä”

    Read with context →

  2. Inclusion ·

    EU co-funded International Work Lahti project reaches nearly 200 job placements

    The EU co-funded International Work Lahti project had achieved nearly 200 job placements for foreign-language job seekers by the end of August 2026, and an evaluation estimates 3.93 euros of social value per euro invested.

    Facts and source
    • By the end of August 2026 the International Work Lahti project had achieved nearly 200 job placements.
    • The evaluation estimates 3.93 euros of social value for every euro invested in the project.
    • The project is administered by the City of Lahti and co-funded by the EU.

    Source: City of Lahti, “The International Work Lahti project has led to nearly 200 job placements – an evaluation shows significant societal benefits”

    Read with context →

  3. Mobility ·

    Lahti's downtown bus stop pilot gets real-time displays after a smooth start

    Lahti has installed a shared departure display by Trio's main entrance and stop-specific screens on Vesijärvenkatu for its downtown bus stop pilot, which began on 10 August and has run smoothly, with no significant congestion reported.

    Facts and source
    • A shared departure display for the new downtown bus stops has been installed next to the main entrance of Trio.
    • The stop pilot began on 10 August and bus service has been running well.
    • 1.13 million people walked or cycled along Aleksanterinkatu between 1 May and 15 August.

    Source: City of Lahti, “Screens at the new bus stops in the city center and a schedule display are now in use”

    Read with context →

  4. AI and technology ·

    Lahti plans a second large data centre in the Kujala industrial area

    Lahti says a new data centre designed by ecogrid.energy Oy is planned on a Peab-owned site in the Kujala industrial area, with construction scheduled from the first half of 2027, completion in 2028 and more than 3,000 person-years of construction work.

    Facts and source
    • A new data centre is planned for the Kujala industrial area in Lahti.
    • Construction is scheduled to begin in the first half of 2027, with completion expected in 2028.
    • Peab estimates the construction phase alone will create more than 3,000 person-years of employment.

    Source: City of Lahti, “A new high-value data centre coming to Lahti”

    Read with context →

  5. Civic participation ·

    Evaluation of Lahti's participatory budgeting asks for a stronger link to decisions

    An evaluation of Lahti's participatory budgeting model OSBU for 2020–2025 finds it has become an established form of participation but remains weakly linked to wider decisions and strategic planning; the City Council has decided it will continue every two years.

    Facts and source
    • Lahti's participatory budgeting (OSBU) was evaluated for the years 2020-2025.
    • The evaluation found that its connection to broader decision-making and strategic planning remains weak.
    • The City Council has decided participatory budgeting will continue every two years.

    Source: City of Lahti, “Residents shape Lahti through participatory budgeting – next goal is wider engagement”

    Read with context →

City briefs are drafted with AI from official sources; every fact is matched automatically against the source text before publication, without an editor approving it first.

Projects we track

5 projects · 1 completed · 2 under way

    1. Planned
    2. Funded
    3. Under way
    4. Completed

    Kujala data centre

    A data centre developed by ecogrid.energy Oy and Peab is planned for the Kujala industrial area; a building permit application has been submitted, with completion expected in 2028.

    AI and technology

    Status checked 20 October 2026 · Source

    1. Planned
    2. Funded
    3. Under way
    4. Completed

    Ranta-Kartano higher education campus

    A pre-study by the city, LUT University and LAB University of Applied Sciences recommends continuing work on a new campus at Ranta-Kartano and setting up a joint development company.

    Talent and innovation

    Status checked 20 October 2026 · Source

    1. Planned
    2. Funded
    3. Under way
    4. Completed

    Downtown bus stop pilot

    Since 10 August 2026 buses use new pilot stops in the city centre, with shared and stop-specific real-time displays, alongside new public transport quality corridors.

    Mobility

    Status checked 20 October 2026 · Source

    1. Planned
    2. Funded
    3. Under way
    4. Completed

    International Work Lahti

    An EU co-funded city project that matches unemployed foreign-language job seekers with employers; it reached nearly 200 job placements by August 2026 and runs until the end of 2026.

    Budget approximately €1.7 million (project costs) Funded by European Union (European Social Fund) Inclusion

    Status checked 20 October 2026 · Source

    1. Planned
    2. Funded
    3. Under way
    4. Completed

    ZERO-TRAIL zero-emission city logistics

    An EU-funded 2025-2026 project in which Lahti, LADEC and LAB prepared a sustainable urban logistics plan (SULP), approved by the city board, and studied charging infrastructure for freight.

    Funded by EU Cities Mission (NetZeroCities Enabling City Transformation programme) Mobility

    Status checked 20 October 2026 · Source

EU programmes and networks

From the archive

Other cities in Finland

City hall press releases Subscribe (RSS) All cities