Browsing by Author "Ojala, Johanna"

The aim of this study is to examine what kind of mental images are attached to twelve city districts in Helsinki. More accurately put the research questions are 1) to find out how images are portrayed when writing about them in newspapers or spoken about by real-estate agents. 2) What kind of effect mental images has on people and 3) what kind of discursions affects those images. The districts are chosen so that they represent well different areas in Helsinki from their socio-economic and cultural background, as well as architecturally. These districts are Kruununhaka, Töölö, Kallio, Haaga, Oulunkylä, Paloheinä, Viikki, Malmi, Jakomäki, Herttoniemi, Mellunmäki and Östersundom. The research data contains real-estate agents' interviews and articles from Helsingin Sanomat. Real-estate agents provide an interesting viewpoint to different districts with their expertise of neighborhoods and clients. Helsingin Sanomat, for one, portrays the word of media in this research. The influence of media is very powerful, even so that the image it gives of unknown districts becomes 'the truth' of them. The newspaper data contains over 300 articles of different city districts and matters that are associated with mental images of those districts. The real-estate agents' data consist of 43 answers to internet based survey questionnaire. Based on the results it turns out that the real-estate agents are very familiar with almost every district, especially those located in downtown. Most poorly they know about the image of Östersundom, which has been merged to Helsinki most recently. Downtown districts' mental images are perceived positively, as also is the case with residential district Paloheinä and green functionalistic suburb Haaga. The mental images of areas located in eastern or north-western Helsinki, such as Malmi, Jakomäki and Mellunmäki, are perceived most negatively. The impression that newspaper articles give is the same. Articles about those districts very often contain negative expressions even though during the year 2014 aspect of writing has been more positive and has given more peaceful and better image of districts that have bad reputation. The data of real-estate agents' questionnaires also imply that mental images have very great significance for people, especially for the citizens of Helsinki when they are making decisions where to move. Many mental images are also stereotypical and dated. Based on the results can be discovered that mental images are composed by many factors. Firstly, architecture and building time have great influence especially to techno-rationally built areas. They usually have week images for example because of the hard times Finland was going through during the building time. Areas that were built during Empire, Jugend or Functionalistic eras are very popular and perceived positively. They are commonly portrayed by good historical matters. New districts are perceived mostly positively and are sometimes linked to images that are created during city planning. Secondly, geographical location has prejudiced influence on image. Location in eastern or north-western Helsinki dramatically pushes the mental image towards negative conceptions even though it was unsuitable. Thirdly, poverty discursion stigmatizes disadvantaged areas with slummy things such as alcoholism and disquietude. Mental images are altered very slowly but the change is important for example for the city of Helsinki, which is actively trying to create plans for making all city districts' images better.