SCENARIO A: In the year 2030 there is a research and production centre of wood products in Varkaus.

Over 50 percent of Finnish communities are constantly losing inhabitants. Migration loss
is a problem in urban areas especially, as the effects of a decreasing population become
perceivable in the cityscape.

My Master’s thesis investigates the effects of shrinking populations in Finnish cities. The
town of Varkaus, situated in the Pohjois-Savo Region will serve as an exemplary case site
for research and planning. Varkaus has lost 15 per cent of its’ highest population level
of 1986. In the Master’s thesis, future development is investigated with the aid of four
scenarios.

SCENARIO D: In the year 2030 the former paper mill area of Varkaus is forgotten and has gradually
been taken over by vegetation and wild animals.