Beyond Polarisation versus Professionalisation? A Case Study of the Development of the Helsinki Region, Finland

Abstract

Starting from the polarisation (Sassen) versus professionalisation (Hamnett) discussion, the paper presents an analysis of the development of the Helsinki Metropolitan Region, the capital district of Finland. The analysis of new urban differentiation shows how modern ITC-based 'informational development' (Castells) seriously challenges the egalitarian basis of the Nordic welfare regime. The bimodal urban differentiation is not, however, regarded as a sign of polarisation, but rather as a new phase in economic development linked with a structural shift in the demand for labour that can result in very different outcomes in different cities and welfare regimes. In other words, both polarisation and professionalisation are interpreted as different versions or outcomes of a more fundamental structural shift combining both.

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