What is lähiö? The concept of suburb (lähiö) in Finland from the 1920s to the 2020s
Keywords:
suburb, urban planning, housing estates, 1900s, conceptual historyAbstract
The long-term conceptual historical approach to the notion of suburb has been discussed very little in Finnish research on suburbs. This article explores the concept of suburb (in Finnish lähiö, asumalähiö) and various wordings of suburb(s) in newspaper media from the beginnings of the concept to the present. In Finland, the word lähiö carries strong connotations, mirrored in the public debates and discussions, along with the urbanisation of Finland, from the 1940s to the present. We argue that the use of the word and its synonymes constructs a linguistic reality, which is reflected back to the social and material circumstances of suburbs. The conceptual history of suburb(s) is entwined to language and changing meanings that constitute our shared realities of suburbs. Therefore, it is also essential to contemplate, how the language of public discussion, policymaking, politics, and research affects the future of suburbs, along with land use decisions.
