MINDSET mission in South Savo supports the reuse of vacant public buildings

A new MINDSET mission in South Savo is supporting municipalities to reduce vacancy and underuse in publicly owned buildings through a coordinated, mission-oriented approach.

Developed through the MINDSET project, the mission brings together the municipalities of Juva, Kangasniemi and Pieksämäki around a shared ambition: by 2035, to ensure municipal properties are used effectively, support local vitality and are managed through participatory processes involving residents and third-sector organisations.

Like many rural regions, South Savo is experiencing demographic change, evolving service needs and increasing pressures on municipal property portfolios. Population decline, health and social welfare reforms, ageing buildings and changing demand have contributed to a growing number of vacant and underused public buildings. These challenges affect municipal finances, land use, housing, public services and wider regional development.

The mission provides a framework for addressing these challenges in a coordinated way. Rather than managing individual buildings on a case-by-case basis, it supports municipalities in developing a long-term approach to reducing vacancy, promoting the reuse of public buildings and strengthening local communities.

The mission also seeks to improve decision-making by combining better data with broader stakeholder engagement. Residents, community organisations and other local actors are encouraged to contribute to identifying future uses for vacant buildings and shaping solutions that respond to local needs.

The mission is being developed using the Regional Mission-Oriented Innovation approach, known as RegMOI. This methodology helps partners understand complex regional challenges by bringing together the organisations and stakeholders that influence them. In South Savo, municipalities act as mission operators, while residents, companies, associations, welfare organisations, investors, public authorities and European stakeholders all contribute to the wider mission ecosystem.

Using regional system mapping and mission planning, the project supports more coordinated decision-making and enables progress to be monitored through indicators such as vacancy rates, occupancy, building reuse, sales and demolition. This evidence-based approach allows municipalities to review and adapt actions over time as local circumstances evolve.

The South Savo mission contributes to the wider MINDSET objective of testing Regional Mission-Oriented Innovation approaches to complex societal challenges across the Northern Periphery and Arctic region. By focusing on the future use of public buildings, the mission demonstrates how collaboration, community participation and strategic planning can help create more resilient, attractive and sustainable places.

Read more about the MINDSET missions:
🔗 https://www.interreg-npa.eu/projects/mindset/home/outputs-results/