For a long time, Pasila has been known as a hub of transport, administration and media, and Pasila already had a significant role in the urban landscape more than a hundred years ago. At the time, the area was a busy agricultural centre. As Helsinki kept growing, the rental plots in the centre could no longer house the growing population, so the farm owners in Pasila started to rent out plots of their land. Perhaps due to these rural, small town roots, Pasila is characterised by a strong community spirit and a village atmosphere that have remained up to these days.