Empowerment and marginalization were the main themes when the Finnish Healthy Cities Network (Terve kunta) met in Turku on 5-6 June 2012. So called ‘’Areal Welfare Indicator’’ was presented by Risto Kaikkonen from Finnish National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL). As there is a constant need for evidence-based policy making in the cities, the newly developed indicator can help in planning the municipal actions.

Intensive cooperation between St Petersburg and Turku has arisen this year in one special form of physical activity - Nordic Walking. Walking with the sticks was developed in Finland in the 1980’s by the organisation Suomen Latu ry.

Second Conference on Health Inequalities, organized in connection to the HEPROGRESS project, took place in Sarpsborg, Østfold County on 15 – 16 May 2012. More than 100 politicians, health practitioners and administrators from Latvia, Norway, Finland and Poland took part in the conference. Local coordinators of Healthy Cities from Norwegian Healthy Cities Network were also present.

Executive Director of Baltic Region Healthy Cities Association, Johanna Reiman, in her previous capacities was professionally involved with health-related innovations. The new ‘Innovillage’ (Innokylä) in Finland is therefore an interesting opportunity to get engaged in promotion of innovations in the social and welfare sector. Innokylä is a huge project of Finnish Society for Social and Health (SOSTE), the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities and National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL). Innovative projects and practices are presented on the website where also tools, support, training and network services to promote innovative practices can be found.