Land use, housing and transport agreements

Land use (M), housing (A) and transport (L) agreements i.e. the MAL-agreements are concluded between the State of Finland and the seven largest urban regions: Helsinki, Turku, Tampere, Oulu, Jyväskylä, Kuopio and Lahti regions. The purpose of the MAL-agreements is to facilitate and support the cooperation between municipalities in urban regions and between municipalities and the State of Finland in the guidance related to the urban structure and coordination of land use, housing and transport.  MAL agreements have been drawn up with the regions of Helsinki, Oulu, Tampere and Turku since 2011. The agreements were extended to the urban regions of Jyväskylä, Kuopio and Lahti in spring 2021. 

The parties to the agreements representing the State are the Ministry of the Environment, Ministry of Transport and Communications, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, Ministry of Finance, Housing Finance and Development Centre of Finland (ARA), Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency, Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom, and the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment of the region concerned.
 
The agreements have become established as part of cooperation between municipalities and central government. The procedure also strengthens inter-regional cooperation.
 
The objective of the MAL agreements is to promote a sustainable urban structure and transport system. The key aim is to improve the functioning and competitiveness of urban regions and ensure a balanced development of municipalities. The matters specified in the agreements include the objectives for land use development and housing production in the coming years and key development projects concerning the transport network.
 
The term of the agreement is 12 years to allow the long-term development of the regions. However, the MAL agreements are updated every four years to agree on measures for the next four-year period. Each government, in turn, undertakes to contribute financially to this section.
 
MAL agreements I ym.fi (in Finnish)