Kohdepaikat

Kohdepaikat is a general Finnish term referring to specific locations designated for a particular purpose within a project, study, service delivery, or operation. The concept is used across sectors, and its precise meaning depends on the context. In research, kohdepaikat designate fieldwork sites or sampling locations where data are collected. In public administration and urban planning, they may denote vaccination stations, service centers, inspection points, or disaster-response staging areas. In business or marketing, kohdepaikat can describe locations targeted for campaigns, stores, or market observations.

Design and management: Kohdepaikat are defined with geographic precision, often in a GIS-compatible format. Each kohdepaikka typically has metadata such as coordinates, address, geographic boundaries, associated jurisdiction, and purpose. They may be static (fixed over time) or dynamic (adjusted as a project progresses). Selection is guided by criteria like representativeness, accessibility, safety, population characteristics, risk exposure, and logistical feasibility. Data collection, monitoring, or service delivery conducted at kohdepaikat follows predefined protocols and quality controls.

Relation to other concepts: Kohdepaikat are not the same as broader areas (kohdealue) but are focused locations within them. They can be physical sites or, occasionally, virtual locations in digital monitoring systems.

See also: Kohde, Paikka, GIS, Sampling location, Service point.