The new Land Use and Building Act in Finland came into force in the year 2000. According to this Act more power was given to the local level and public participation in the planning process was emphasised.
The concrete instruments of the Finnish planning system are national land use guidelines, regional plans, local master plans and local detailed plans. Municipalities are responsible of preparing the local master plan and local detailed plans for their area and Regional Councils are in charge for preparing the regional plan. The regional plan has to be submitted to the Ministry of Environment for ratification, whereas local level plans are only approved by the elected local council. In the hierarchical system the regional plan steers the local master plan and the local master plan steers local detailed plans. The legal effects go in the other direction. This means that, e.g. a regional plan is not valid if a more specific master plan exists and a master plan is not valid in the case of an existing local detailed plan (Rautsi, 2004).
According to the new Land Use and Building Act, flood risk needs to be taken into account in planning. The Act does not set a decree for a safety margin or a minimum elevation level. When a building site is outside the local detailed plan area, some special requirements are named in the act. The building site should be appropriate, also considering flood or landslide risk. Otherwise a building permit should not be granted (Land Use and Building Act 17/ 116 §).
Since the local level is the main operative planning level in Finland, municipalities’ role in flood risk- and possible sea level rise assessment is significant. Every municipality needs to have a building code that includes regulations necessary for the realisation and preservation of a good living environment. Regulations related to building near the shoreline comprise an important part of municipalities’ building codes. Presently not all municipalities set a minimum elevation level for building near shoreline or a minimum distance for building from the shoreline.
According to the new Land Use and Building Act, flood risk needs to be taken into account in planning. The Act does not set a decree for a safety margin or a minimum elevation level. When a building site is outside the local detailed plan area, some special requirements are named in the act. The building site should be appropriate, also considering flood or landslide risk. Otherwise a building permit should not be granted (Land Use and Building Act 17/ 116 §).
Since the local level is the main operative planning level in Finland, municipalities’ role in flood risk- and possible sea level rise assessment is significant. Every municipality needs to have a building code that includes regulations necessary for the realisation and preservation of a good living environment. Regulations related to building near the shoreline comprise an important part of municipalities’ building codes. Presently not all municipalities set a minimum elevation level for building near shoreline or a minimum distance for building from the shoreline.