Master Planning

Master Plan is the statutory land use plan which guides the city's development and detailed planning as well as other planning and building in the medium term, over the next 10 to 20 years. The purpose of a master plan is to provide general guidance regarding the urban structure and land use of a municipality, and to combine and integrate all the functions.

The local master plan presents the principles of development for targeted areas. There are numerous local master plans in Oulu, in municipal centres and villages mainly by the riversides and coastal areas, of which some are approved and some underway.

The master plans are approved by the local city council. In Oulu, the plans are prepared by the Master Planning Unit of Urban and Environmental Services.