Ilpo Laitinen

This book provides a framework for understanding the creation of public value in urban environments. The ability of cities to produce value is related to their capacity to generate meaningful resources for city residents and workers that enable them to craft meaningfulness in life and work. Meaningfulness and public value require new ways of leading and developing city governance. This extends to designing inclusive structures and processes for people to grapple with the meanings and values underpinning public value creation. A public value framework demands that city governance goes beyond ordinary government to considerations of how to involve city residents and workers in creating and maintaining the common good. The common good is determined by an inclusive associational life characterized by deliberative processes and opportunities for social contribution. When acting upon their entitlements to make the city, urban residents and workers – as members of diverse civic, public andprivate organizations – co-create the meanings that facilitate the collective action necessary to translate values into value. The experience of cooperating for the common good produces meanings that people can adopt into a sense that their lives have significance and purpose. This is particularly relevant to understanding how to motivate just and inclusive sustainability transitions, especially as cities recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. Focusing on cities and urban policy, the main theme of this book is to elaborate on public values for cities and city policies, and to further develop the concept of the meaningful city. This book aims to provide new kinds of tools for city development that can help them co-create resilience against future shocks.

This book provides a framework for understanding the creation of public value in urban environments. The ability of cities to produce value is related to their capacity to generate meaningful resources for city residents and workers that enable them to craft meaningfulness in life and work. Meaningfulness and public value require new ways of leading and developing city governance. This extends to designing inclusive structures and processes for people to grapple with the meanings and values underpinning public value creation. A public value framework demands that city governance goes beyond ordinary government to considerations of how to involve city residents and workers in creating and maintaining the common good. The common good is determined by an inclusive associational life characterized by deliberative processes and opportunities for social contribution. When acting upon their entitlements to make the city, urban residents and workers – as members of diverse civic, public andprivate organizations – co-create the meanings that facilitate the collective action necessary to translate values into value. The experience of cooperating for the common good produces meanings that people can adopt into a sense that their lives have significance and purpose. This is particularly relevant to understanding how to motivate just and inclusive sustainability transitions, especially as cities recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. Focusing on cities and urban policy, the main theme of this book is to elaborate on public values for cities and city policies, and to further develop the concept of the meaningful city. This book aims to provide new kinds of tools for city development that can help them co-create resilience against future shocks.

Pohjoismaiden lintukodotkin ovat kiperien ongelmien edessä, kun muutos on yhä monitahoisempaa. Meillä on oppimista esimerkiksi verkostomalleista, joissa pyritään useiden yritysten ja järjestöjen väliseen yhteiskuntavastuulliseen toimintaan. Kun organisaatio pyrkii kestävään kannattavuuteen, se ei voi jättäytyä muun maailman ulkopuolelle. Yritykset, muut organisaatiot ja yhteiskunta ovat yhä vahvemmin sidoksissa toisiinsa. Moraalisuus merkitsee sitä, että tehdään enemmän kuin normit velvoittavat.” Moraalinen logo ottaa uuden, tuoreen näkökulman sosiaaliseen todellisuuteemme yhdistäen vastuullisuuden, moraalin ja kompleksisuuden teemat arvokkaalla, uutta luovalla tavalla”, toimitusjohtaja Esko Kilpi luonnehtii kirjaa. Kirja auttaa organisaatioita hyödyntämään muutoksen tuomia mahdollisuuksia. Uutta aaltoa edustavat mm. yhteiskunnalliset yritykset ja osallistuminen niiden verkostoihin. Kiinnostavat esimerkit näyttävät, miten johtaa vastuullista yritystoimintaa käytännössä.” Ilpo Laitisen kirja on inspiroiva avaus uuteen maailmaan, jossa yksityisen ja julkisen hallinnon rajapintaan syntyy uutta dynamiikkaa”, Culminatumin hallituksen puheenjohtaja Eero Holstila vahvistaa.” Sosiaaliset ja taloudelliset tavoitteet eivät ole lähtökohtaisesti vas-takkaisia vaan liittyvät toisiinsa. Maailmalla yleistyvä eetos ohjaa yrityksiä toimimaan siten, että sosiaalinen ulottuvuus ei unohdu”, Ilpo Laitinen itse toteaa. Hallintotieteen tohtori, MBA Ilpo Laitinen on luennoitsija, kouluttaja ja tutkija, joka on toiminut asiantuntijarooleissa mm. Suomessa, USA:ssa, Isossa-Britanniassa, Australiassa ja Kanadassa.