Project Ryhti

The built environment is constantly creating valuable information that can be used to influence the functionality, healthiness and energy efficiency of the environment we live in, and climate change. At the moment the abundant and important information on the built environment is quite scattered, incoherent and difficult to use.

The digitalisation of our society will also transform the way we manage, process and use information on the built environment. The project ‘Ryhti’ (2020–2024) will make this transformation happen on the national scale.​​

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.
 
The objectives of the project are that

  • harmonised information is readily available to users in the whole society
  • much less overlapping information is collected and information is always up to date
  • high-quality information enables better decisions and promotes business and services.

‘Ryhti’ project is a joint effort

The new way to manage, produce and utilise information on the built environment will be created in cooperation among a broad network of stakeholders. The project is coordinated by the Ministry of the Environment, and the project partners include local governments, operators in the real estate and building sectors, associations, information system suppliers, regional administration, and the key ministries and agencies. The project is also willing to learn from experiences gained in other countries and follows the international trends very closely.

The Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) is responsible for the implementation and maintenance of the information system. The project and its timetable are linked to several other projects on promoting digitalisation in the sector. The most relevant one is the process to reform the Land Use and Building Act.

Project timetable

In 2020

  • Organisation of the project: 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
  • The authority responsible for the information system decided 

In 2021

  • National information model for zoning plans completed
  • National information model for building permits completed
  • Minimum requirements and specifications of functionalities 
  • Maintenance costs of the information system known

In 2022

  • Programming of the information system
  • National digitalisation of zoning plan and building information started
  • Testing and piloting of the information system
  • Draft acts circulated for comment

In 2023 and 2024

  • Land Use and Building Act and Act on the Built Environment Information System into force
  • Information system published
  • Training on the information system
  • >Maintenance and further development