The land use planning in Finland consist of three planning levels; the regional land use plan, local master plan and local detailed plan. The regional land use planning is guided by the national land use guidelines issued by the Ministry of Environment.
The regional land use plan defines how land is used in the region. It is a guideline for municipal planning and other official activities. The regional plan is prepared by the provincial association and approved by the provincial council. The regional plan guides municipal planning at the regional level and enables more precise solutions to be aligned in detailed planning.
The master plan is the municipality’s general land use plan, which guides the preparation of the detail plan. The master plan is prepared by the municipality and approved by the municipal council.
The detailed plan is the most detailed plan level to guide construction. It is guided by a legally binding master plan or a regional plan. The detailed plan is approved by the municipal council. The waterside plan guides the construction of water areas, which can also be prepared by the landowner.