Nordic welfare state ideologies inform democratic and transparent land
use and building practices. A closer examination reveals how variously
these ideals are translated into practice. Finnish law strictly defines
how building processes should proceed; however, a number of decisions
still ignore the law, which can be seen in the complaints sent to the
Administrative Courts. This paper examines the legality of Finnish land
use processes through cases and interviews with judges. The findings
suggest a need for a more critical spatio-legal analysis of planning
that realizes the relationality of the law, and the invisible
jurisdictions inherent in local decision making.