For many, Vantaa as a hometown means a more natural living environment and a better reputation as a place to live

The survey was conducted to find out how satisfied Vantaa residents are with their own homes and with their neighbourhood and its services. Residents' views are used in the planning of Vantaa's services and the development of the urban environment.

Monitoring resident satisfaction through the resident barometer is one of the indicators used to monitor the implementation of the objectives of the Vantaa City Strategy. The aim was to increase satisfaction from the 2020 Residents' Barometer. The percentage of people satisfied with their neighbourhood (78%) has slightly decreased from the previous survey (81%), so the target was not met.

– There is a slight variation in satisfaction with one's own neighbourhood by major region, language and type of house. However, the differences in satisfaction between different population groups and areas are still quite small, and dissatisfaction is not strongly concentrated in certain areas or population groups, says Elina Taipale, Housing Specialist in Vantaa.

Location and transport connections, tranquillity and safety, and the surrounding nature were particularly perceived as factors that create a sense of well-being.

In the Tikkurila, Myyrmäki, Hakunila and Kivistö areas, the location and transport connections were the main factors that created a sense of well-being. In the Aviapolis and Koivukylä sub-areas, tranquillity and safety were particularly cited as contributing factors, and in the Korso sub-area, the surrounding nature.

This was reduced by social disturbances and insecurity, lack of parking spaces, and noise and insecurity caused by traffic. Social disturbance and insecurity are more common than in the previous survey. Disruption was most prominent in the Myyrmäki and Kivistö sub-areas, while lack of parking spaces was most prominent in the Kivistö sub-area. Traffic noise was most disturbing in the Tikkurila and Aviapolis areas.

Still, according to the survey, Vantaa as a hometown means security, a peaceful and natural living environment and a better reputation for many people.

Demand for diverse housing

According to the Resident Survey, there is a demand for all types of houses. 38% of respondents would like to live in a detached house in the future, 29% in an apartment building, 18% in a terraced house and 6% in a semi-detached house. The most significant change has been in the desire to live in a semi-detached house, as only 2% of respondents in the 2020 results said they would like to live in a semi-detached house. Similarly, there has been a slight decrease in the preference for both single-family homes and apartment buildings.

The vast majority of Vantaa residents, 74%, would like to live in an owner-occupied dwelling in the future. However, this is down six percentage points on the previous survey. In 2020, 80% still said they would like to live in owner-occupied housing. Among respondents in English, the preference for owner-occupation is clearly lower. Only 60% of them want to live in owner-occupied housing.

Nature is near and dear for Vantaa residents

Accessibility to recreational and outdoor areas in the neighbourhood was considered good on average across the city. Parks and nearby forests were perceived as very important.

The highest satisfaction with the accessibility of parks and outdoor areas was found in the Myyrmäki metropolitan area. The Korso area was the most satisfied with the accessibility of nearby forests in the city. In Korso, 93% of respondents felt that nearby forests were fairly or very accessible from their own neighbourhood.

Access to structured sports facilities was perceived to be best in Hakunila (80% of respondents were satisfied with accessibility), and worst in Kivisto (61%) and Koivukylä (64%).

The survey was sent to a random sample of 2 200 Vantaa residents. A total of 635 responses were received, giving a response rate of 29%. This was the third time the survey had been carried out. The previous surveys were carried out in 2018 and 2020.