The study focuses on differences and similarities of land use patterns, regional and urban structures and traffic systems in the Helsinki and Stockholm city regions. The viewpoint of the study is connected to the theory of three urban fabrics (walking city, transit city, car city). The fabrics differ from each other in terms of their physical structure and the travel alternatives they offer. In the GIS analyses, the studied metropolitan regions are divided into urban, peri-urban and rural areas, which are further classified into travel-related zones (pedestrian, transit and caroriented). Statistical data about the amounts and densities of population and workplaces can thus be compared in a rather detailed spatial level between different parts of the metropolitan areas. Finnish city regions have been studied using the travel related zone model quite widely. However it has not been possible to compare Helsinki region to any other city region in Finland, because Helsinki region is the only international level metropolitan area in the country. In this report the zone analyses is extended to a comparison of two Nordic capital regions. The results of the study indicate that Stockholm has managed to channel the growth of the metropolitan area more inwards, densifying the inner areas of the city region. In the Helsinki region the growth has turned from the peri-urban areas to the core areas notably later, but since 2008 the growth of the core areas has been dominant also in Helsinki.