väestönlaajuinen

Väestönlaajuinen is a Finnish adjective used to describe considerations, planning, or analyses that are scaled to or determined by the size of a population rather than by geographic area or administrative boundaries. The word is formed from väestö (population) and laajuinen (of extent or scale). In urban planning and public administration, väestönlaajuinen can refer to approaches where service provision, infrastructure capacity, or policy measures are designed to match the number of inhabitants.

In practice, the term appears in phrases such as väestönlaajuinen palveluverkko (service network sized to the population) and väestönlaajuinen riskinarviointi (risk assessment based on population affected). The concept emphasizes scale and resource allocation proportional to population size, which can influence decisions about housing, transportation, health care, education, and other public services. It often serves to highlight the difference between planning that responds to population needs versus planning that is primarily tied to land area or administrative divisions.

Väestönlaajuinen is not a formal policy label but a descriptive expression used across planning and demography literature. Its practical relevance lies in aligning investments and services with population dynamics, including growth and density. The term is related to broader concepts such as demography, scalability, and service optimization. See also: väestö, väestönkasvu, palveluverkko, suunnittelu, skaalautuvuus.