Protecting the built environment: Roles of authorities

	Photo: Tapio Heikkilä

The local authorities supervise land use planning, construction and demolition work, and are also responsible for increasing awareness of the cultural environment. Many historically significant heritage sites are also owned by the local authorities.  

The Ministry of the Environment prepares legislation, policies and programmes related to Finland’s cultural landscapes and architectural heritage, and is also responsible for monitoring the state of cultural environments and supporting the management of heritage sites and landscapes.

The Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment supervise planning, to ensure that local plans safeguard nationally significant sites.

The environmental administration works closely with Finland’s National Board of Antiquities on issues related to cultural landscapes and architectural heritage. The National Board of Antiquities also has special responsibility for managing archaeological remains, and is supervised by the arts and cultural heritage unit of the Ministry of Education, who are also responsible for other issues related to cultural heritage.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry controls and develops the built environment in rural areas, including construction related to farming and other rural livelihoods.

For more information

Ms Tuija Mikkonen, Senior Specialist, Ministery of the Environment
Tel. +358 400 143 970
E-mail: firstname.surname@ymparisto.fi

Ms Anna Simola, Senior Officer for Legal Affairs, Ministry of the Environment
Tel. +358 40 8092 052
E-mail: firstname.surname@ymparisto.fi