Every design for Kerava

Kerava sits on the Keravanjoki river in the middle of Uusimaa, hemmed in by Vantaa, Sipoo and Tuusula, and it is one of the smallest municipalities in Finland by area. Its two original villages, Ylikerava and Alikerava, grew up on the riverbanks, and the town was later carved out of Tuusula once the railway had brought industry, Finland's first cement works among it.

It is also one of the most densely built places in the country, and that shapes everyday life. Kerava leans on its commuter trains and has made itself a model town for walking and cycling, with Kauppakaari, named as Finland's longest pedestrian street, running through the centre. Art and garlic are its calling cards: Keravan Taide- ja museokeskus Sinkka shows art, the garlic festival and the circus market fill the calendar, and the Sinebrychoff brewery is based here. In the seventies, local rockabilly fans twisted the Swedish name Kervo into "Sherwood", and the nickname has stayed.

For anyone who grew up here, the ride home ends with the train pulling into Kerava, and in a town this compact home is never far from the platform.