1 January 1946 Through land acquisitions the Helsinki region increases in size fivefold, and its population grows to 341,563. Reconstruction begins.

Recovery

Helsinki had developed into a cohesive city in the years preceding the Winter War. The population of Helsinki grew rapidly by tens of thousands after the wars, creating a severe housing problem. Land acquisitions that come into effect on 1 January 1946 bring a fivefold increase in the size of the Helsinki region.

Helsinki residents began to disperse into the suburbs, creating a need for new public transportation and other services. Young families willingly moved into the modern suburban apartment buildings, which were equipped with stainless steel sinks, drying cabinets, and refrigerators. Most also had balconies.

The soldiers who returned home from the front began to build homes, thus adding to the already fast increase in the amount of detached houses in the Helsinki region. The housing development project began with the construction of apartment buildings on privately owned land in Lauttasaari and Etelä-Haaga.

The first dedicated new residential area was Maunula, which was built during the 1940s and 1950s. Reconstruction also extended into the city’s neighbouring regions, laying the ground for what is now the Greater Helsinki Area.