Summary

The Planning Act, prepared during the codification of planning and construction law during the period 2008 to 2013, entered into force on 1 July 2015. Among other changes, the Act, which has been in force for more than four years, introduced a new type of planning: the national designated spatial plan. The Planning Act in force until 30 June 2015 contained some special provisions that allowed the planning of buildings with significant spatial impact as well as buildings of national importance and other buildings subject to special regulation, but lacked a planning type that could be applicable in practice so that the State could plan its significant buildings in such a way that it would be possible to begin the construction works without delay.

The article introduces the history of the development of the national designated spatial plan, its content, the legal issues that have arisen during its implementation, and the related case law. It also gives a brief overview of the options available in Finland for designing high impact buildings of national importance.