Due to the need to curb climate change, increasing attention is paid to land-use planning in Finland. A key question in this debate is to what extent the construction should be concentrated in existing (densely built) settlements and whether the tradition of granting building permissions for sparsely populated areas should be constrained.

This paper reports on an empirical investigation concerning the views of local policy-makers on the above-mentioned issues. The data is based on an internet-based survey conducted by a regional newspaper in western Finland before municipal elections in 2008. The analysis utilizes deductive content analysis.

A majority of these electoral candidates challenge the need to constrain traditional building rights. This is an indication that the political debate on environmental issues and climate change is conditioned by domestic policy traditions and locality-specific issues.

Key words: land-use planning, rural areas, Finland