Turku aims to become one of the world’s leading nature cities by 2030. Turku’s Biodiversity Programme (LUMO) for 2023–2029 has been designed to boost the city’s nature protection efforts and increase resources for nature management and conservation activities.
The LUMO programme contains concrete measures for stopping nature loss and increasing the amount of biodiversity in the Turku region. Achieving these goals will require both traditional nature conservation methods and new kinds of solutions.
The LUMO programme’s measures include:
- the establishment of new nature reserves
- more nature management
- a city-wide habitat survey
- the establishment of new habitats
- the use of local plant species in landscaping.
LUMO programme – themes and measures
The programme consists of six themes that include measures with monitored objectives.
According to the EU's Biodiversity Strategy, 30% of land and inland water areas must be protected by 2030, of which 10% must be placed under strict protection. These strictly protected areas include old-growth and natural forests, nature reserves, and Natura 2000 areas.
Turku will increase the number of strictly protected areas in the region and specify how it will achieve conservation objectives.
Turku will increase nature management measures and resources. The city is responsible for securing the preservation and natural state of habitats in the region.
During the first LUMO programme period, the city’s nature management and restoration efforts will focus on the most endangered habitats that Turku is especially responsible for. These sites include meadows, rocky meadows, and hardwood and hazel groves.
Turku supports biodiversity especially in areas where valuable natural environments have been degraded or lost. In addition, Turku aims to enhance biodiversity within the built environment.
Example: A new zoning designation is being planned to enable more comprehensive and flexible planning of biodiversity and habitat networks.
As Turku continues to grow, the city is developing and experimenting with new ways of safeguarding the habitats of species typical to the region. Turku has been a pioneer in the creation of operating models for safeguarding species and the collection and sharing of good practices. The first LUMO programme period will place special emphasis on insects.
During the first LUMO programme period, Turku will prepare ecological network assessments that will play a central role in the planning and implementation of future programme periods.
Habitat-specific network studies will help understand the entirety and dependencies of natural environments. These surveys identify weak points in the networks and the significance of individual sites to the whole. Increasing knowledge about the location of habitats facilitates understanding the regional distribution of natural values.
The additional information can also be used in zoning and when responding to new legislative requirements.
Maintaining and increasing biodiversity requires that the entire preparation chain, from zoning, planning and permits to construction and maintenance works, is subject to uniform objectives. This will require a cross-cutting nature objective for all areas of responsibility within the city.
The aim is to ensure that, at the end of the first LUMO programme period, all diversity targets and the related information is transferred efficiently from one area of responsibility to the next. Natural values will be taken into account at each stage of the decision-making chain, and the city will ensure that budgets and personnel competence support the achievement of the city’s objectives. The progress of each nature site will be monitored, and any detected issues will be corrected in a timely manner.
LUMO programme – objectives
Nature reserves: These areas play an important role in preserving biodiversity and preventing nature loss. Turku aims to increase the protected area fivefold so that 30 % of land and water areas will be protected by 2030.
Turku tähtää suojelupinta-alan viisinkertaistamiseen niin, että 30 % maa-ja vesialueista on suojeltu vuoteen 2030 mennessä.
Nature management: The city will target its measures especially at endangered species and natural habitats typical to the Turku region, such as rocky meadows and hardwood groves. Turku and Southwest Finland are home to species that do not exist anywhere else in Finland, and Turku wants to bear its responsibility for maintaining the vitality of these species.
Built environment: Turku also aims to increase biodiversity in built environments. Establishing new habitats and favouring local species in landscaping will help Turku reconcile its ever-densning urban structure with its aim of preventing biodiversity loss.
Achieving these goals will require extensive cooperation between different actors in the city as well as more visibility and information sharing on new solutions.