Project Ryhti - Built environment information system 

The built environment constantly produces valuable information that can be used to influence the functionality, healthiness and energy efficiency of the environment we live in, and climate change. There is extensive and important information on the built environment, but at the moment this is scattered, incoherent and difficult to use. The movement of information between organisations is difficult because the data and systems do not work together. There are also shortcomings in the data or they are not up to date, and it is difficult to access information on the national level.

In the project on the built environment information system (Ryhti) data created in the permit procedures will be compiled and stored in a coherent and readily accessible form. To achieve this, a national built environment information system will be created in broad cooperation between the relevant stakeholders. The management of data on the built environment is being transformed in a way that data on land use and construction will be even more readily accessible in a coherent form. 

The key elements of the new model are the commonly agreed data structures, legislation and access to data in one place. A new, more coherent way to manage, use and utilise data is an absolute necessity in order for the digitalisation of the sector to proceed. The project lays the foundation for the digital utilisation of planning and construction permit data in the whole country. More detailed and accurate data on the impacts of construction and land use helps to mitigate the burden they cause to nature and climate emissions. National information can be used to monitor the impacts of the plans and to make decisions that cause as little environmental harm as possible.

Legislation has been amended and will be further developed to respond to the need of the increasingly digitalised society to harmonise data on the built environment. The reform of the Land Use and Building Act is also based on the needs related to the digitalisation of the built environment. Now the provisions concerning construction have been separated into a new act, the Construction Act. The act requires that the applicant for a new permit must submit the data needed for this in a machine-readable form. The municipality forwards the design and as-built models created in the construction process to the built environment information system. When the process to develop the built environment information system started, separate provisions on digitalisation concerning land use were included in the Land Use and Building Act. 

The EU promotes the development of building information systems e.g. under the Digital Building Logbook initiative. The EU obliges to compile interoperable planning and building data that is accessible through interfaces and download services. This transformation has been successfully promoted in other countries, and Finland cannot afford to lag behind in this development.

Project lays the foundation for better and more accessible information

Information on zoning plans and building permits will be compiled and processed into a coherent and accessible form. To achieve this, a national information system on the built environment will be created in broad cooperation between the relevant stakeholders. Both the producers and users of information will benefit from this transformation.

Both producers and users of data benefit from the new information system

• Coherent data accessible smoothly and safely when needed.
• Much less overlapping data is collected and the data is always up to date.
• High quality data helps develop public services and various kinds of business activities.
• Investments in the digitalisation of data on the built environment will pay themselves back.

Digitalisation is a team sport

The new way to manage, produce and utilise information on the built environment will be created through cooperation. The project on the built environment information system and its timetable are linked to several other projects on promoting digitalisation in the sector. The parties to the project of the Ministry of the Environment and the Finnish Environment Institute are the local governments and regional councils, operators in the real estate and construction sectors, associations, information system suppliers, regional administration, and the relevant ministries and agencies. 
The project partners include the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities, National Land Survey of Finland, Digital and Population Data Services Agency and DigiFinland. The Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) will be responsible for the implementation and maintenance of the information system. 

Project timetable

2020

• Steering group appointed, stakeholder briefings started
• Work on interoperability started
• Building a common vision started with the relevant sectors
• Group for legislative drafting starts its work
• Authority responsible for the information system decided

2021

• Information models built together with municipalities and various stakeholders 
• Maintenance costs of the information system known
• Specifications of the information system completed
• Decision made on the content of the first stage of the information system 

2022

• Implementer of the first stage of the system selected
• Technical implementation started
• Information models of zoning plans and construction permits ready to be taken into use
• Transfer of zoning plans in force to the information system started with a pilot
• Transformation support for municipalities started

2023

• Information flows tested with municipalities
• Instructions and training on the new practices
• Preparedness built up to receive information on zoning plans, construction permits and construction restrictions
• Interoperable specifications of the information component library of the built environment ready for use
• New project website

2024

• Act on the Built Environment Information System into force
• Preparedness to receive and transmit information on buildings, zoning plans and construction restrictions
• Preparedness to receive and transmit new building ordinance information
• Maintenance, customer support services and further development