Urban Parents and the Changing Consumption Landscapes in Helsinki

Abstract

Building on the argument that simultaneously with urban everyday life and planning, consumption is also involved in the construction and negotiation of urban life, this chapter shows how the consumption landscapes in inner-city neighbourhoods in Helsinki are reforming. It investigates how four inner-city neighbourhoods, in which resident interviews were conducted, are changing in family-friendly ways. It shows that there are differences between the consumption landscapes in the neighbourhoods, but although the retail changes in the neighbourhoods are vivid, they share the upscaling element. Services for middle-class families and parents have become an integral part of inner-city neighbourhoods.