The Strategic City-region
My earlier projects
Beyond MALPE-Coordination: Integrative Envisioning" (BeMInE)(2016-2019)
Personal responsibility: technical project coordinator, researcher
responsibility for project planning (project and sub-project level), responsibility for acquiring project funding (3 750 000 €, Aalto/SPT share 780 000 €)
Funding: the Academy of Finland, Strategic Research Council
Other partners: Aalto University/Department of Architecture; School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape, Newcastle University; University of Jyväskylä/School of Business and Economics; University of Tampere/School of Management; Finnish Environment Institute; The Joint Authority of the Tampere City Region; Norwegian University of Life Sciences; Demos ry; School of Environment Education & Development, Manchester University; VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd
Personal responsibility: project coordinator, researcher
responsibility for project planning, responsibility for acquiring project funding (800 000 €, Aalto/SPT share 400 000 €)
Funding: the Academy of Finland
Other partners: University of Tampere
Land Use, Housing and Sustainable Public Economy (JULMA)(2014-2015)
Personal responsibility: researcher
responsibility for sub-project planning
Funding: the Prime Minister's Office
Other partners: University of Tampere, MAL-network, Uusimaa regional council
International comparison of general land use planning (YLKÄ)(2014-2015)
Personal responsibility: Project manager, responsible researcher
main responsibility for project planning, responsibility for acquiring project funding (25 000 €)
Funding: the Ministry of the Environment
'Structural Schemes' as Planning tools for Urban Regions (2013-2014)
Personal responsibility: researcher
responsibility for project planning
Funding: the Ministry of the Environment
External Costs of Transport and Land Equalisation (€COTALE) (2013-2015)
Personal responsibility: responsible researcher, Finnish sub-project; steering group member
responsibility for project planning, responsibility for acquiring project funding (at project level, sole responsibility at SPT) (1 200 000 €, YTK share 152 000 €)
Funding: Interreg IV C
Other partners: University of Bologna, IUA (Ile de France), Institute for Logistics (Poland), Emilia-Romagna region (Italy), RIbeira Alta mancomunitat (Spain), Thessaloniki city (Greece), Poznan city (Poland), Central Transdanubia region(Hungary)
Smart Parking for Intelligent Real Estate (SPIRE) (2013-2014)
Personal responsibility: YTK sub-project responsible researcher
responsibility for project planning, responsibility for acquiring project funding (at project level, sole responsibility at YTK) (360 000 €, SPT share 100 000 €)
Funding: Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation TEKES
Other partners: Helsinki Institute for Information Technology HIIT / Digital Content Communities, Aalto University / Computer Science and Engineering; Aalto-yliopistokiinteistöt Oy, Citycon Oyj, NCC Property Development Oy, Q-Park Finland Oy, Senaatti-kiinteistöt
”Marine Spatial Planning in the Nordic Countries” (2012)
Personal responsibility: head consultant. Creation of action programme.
responsibility for project planning, responsibility for acquiring project funding (30 000 €)
Funding: Nordic Council of Ministers
“Sustainable Shopping Locations in Network City" (KAVERI) (2010-2012)
Personal responsibility: analysis of retail planning cooperation in three sectors: high street, big box, shopping centres.
participation in project planning, acquiring project funding
Funding: Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation TEKES
Other partners: Aalto/REG, Aalto/BES, Aalto/Transport Eng.; University of Turku; Tampere University of Technology; Helsingin kaupunki, ARA, Kauppakeskus Mylly, Lempäälän kehitys, Helin & Co Architects, HYY, Citycon, Espoon kaupunki
”Manifestations of Polycentrism” (MOT) (2009-2010)
Personal responsibility: Project manager; research on multilevel and trans-scalar forms of polycentricity.
main responsibility for project planning, main responsibility for acquiring project funding (Aalto share 75 000 €)
Funding: Inter-ministerial Advisory Board for Sectoral Research.
Other partners: Tampere University of Technology
”Shopping Centre as part of Sustainable Consumption and Urban Structure" (KOKKKA) (2008-2010)
Personal responsibility: Final report co-editing; planning research, international comparisons (Netherlands, UK).
participation in project planning, acquiring project funding
Funding: Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation TEKES.
Other partners: Aberdeen Property Investors Finland Oy, Citycon Oyj, Espoon kaupunki, Helsingin kaupunki, HOK Elanto Liiketoiminta Oy, Lemminkäinen Talo Oy, NCC Property Development Oy, Realprojekti, Ruokakesko Oy, Skanska Commercial Development Finland Oy, SRV Yhtiöt Oyj, Suomen kauppakeskusyhdistys ry, Tampereen kaupunki, Tampereen kaupunkiseudun kuntayhtymä, Uudenmaan liitto, Ympäristöministeriö, YTV Liikenne, Wereldhave Finland Oy
”Evaluation of effects of municipal reform PARAS on urban structures" (PARAS-ARTTU) (2008-2011)
Personal responsibility: planning policy responses to PARAS law requirements, urban structural change factors.
participation in project planning, acquiring project funding
Funding: Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities.
Other partners: University of Helsinki, University of Eastern Finland, University of Lapland, University of Tampere, Åbo Akademi, City of Helsinki Urban Facts; Association of Finnish Local Authorities
”Urban Environmental Governance” (2007-2009)
Personal responsibility: conceptual work on planning integration (part time, for Department of Architecture).
Funding: the Academy of Finland.
“Factors for Appeals in Land Use Planning and Means for their Reduction" (MUTASE) (2007-2008)
Personal responsibility: case studies on detail plan projects
responsibility for project planning, responsibility for acquiring project funding (30 000 €)
Funding: the Finnish Ministry of the Environment.
“Car Dependent Urban Structure and its Alternatives” (2006-2009)
Personal responsibility: Head Researcher, project manager; everyday mobility analysis and mobility policy implications
responsibility for project planning, responsibility for acquiring project funding (YTK share 220 000 €)
Funding: the Ministry of the Environment
Other partners: Finnish Environment Institute; cities of Hämeenlinna, Lohja, Lappeenranta, Imatra, Salo, Kokkola and Mäntsälä; regions of Lahti, Etelä-Savo and Keski-Suomi
”Functional urban regions – Co-operation for sustainable success in spatial planning” (2005-2008)
Personal responsibility: Project manager; analysis of urban region LUT policies and practices.
sole responsibility for project planning, sole responsibility for acquiring project funding (200 000 €, YTK share 100 000 €)
Funding: Nordic Council of Ministers.
Other partners: Danish Forest and Landscape Research Institute
"Spatial Planning and Regional Competitiveness" (SPARC)(2005-2008)
Personal responsibility: preparing learning material on regional development theories and practices.
Funding: EU INTERACT programme/Heriot Watt University (lead partner)
“Medium-sized Cities in Dialogue Around the Baltic Sea" (MECIBS) Interreg IIIB (2002-2005)
Personal responsibility: coordinating Finnish partnership and research theme ‘Revitalising cities’. member of steering group.
responsibility for project planning, responsibility for acquiring project funding (at project level, sole responsibility at YTK) (2 900 000 €, YTK share 420 000 €)
Funding: ERDF, Finnish Ministry of the Environment and Finnish ministry of Em-ployment and the Economy
Other partners: GERMANY: Leibniz-Institute for Regional Development and Structural Planning, Municipality of Jüterbog; DENMARK: Municipalities of Randers and Nakskov; Chamber of Commerce and Industry Herning-Ikast-Brande; Centre for Forest, Landscape and Planning, KVL (lead partner); Dep. of Marketing, Southern Denmark University; Dep. of Geography, University of Copenhagen; SWEDEN: Municipality of Nyköping, Municipality of Norrtälje; Dep. of Regional Planning, Royal Institute of Technology; FINLAND: Municipalities of Salo, Kokkola and Lappeenranta; NORDIC COUNTRIES: Nordic Centre for Spatial Development, Nordregio, Stockholm; RUSSIA: Municipality of Vyborg Region, Municipalities of Kronstadt and Pskov; Leontief Centre, St. Petersburg; ESTONIA: Municipality of Sillamäe; Public Science Academy; LATVIA: Municipalities of Valka, Kuldiga and Bauska; Department of Geography, University of Latvia, Riga; POLAND: Municipality of Chojnice; University of Gdansk.
“Urban Systems and urban Networking in the Baltic Sea Region" (USUN), Interreg IIC (1999-2002)
Personal responsibility: analysis of city networks in the Baltic Sea region.
Funding: ERDF, Finnish Ministry of Employment and the Economy
Partners: Danish Forest and Landscape Research Centre, Southern Denmark University (Denmark), KHT Royal Insitute of Technology, University of Stockholm (Sweden); Polich Academy of Sciences, University of Gdansk (Poland); City of Helsinki Urban Facts (Finland); Nordregio; University of Riga (Latvia); University of Vilnius (Lithuania); Leibniz-Institute for Regional Development and Structural Planning (Germany)
I see the city-region as a strategic cooperation area. My point of view emphasizes the "emerging" local character of processes of self-direction, state control and local development: a strategic cityregion is a dynamic forum for cooperation that has, on the one hand, institutional stability, but on the other hand, is contextually linked to the city-regional problems and developmental issues and thus has a "loose" existence. The ability of strategic co-operation to create and promote coordination of operations in turbulent and controversial environments is a key factor determining the city-region and its future-creating success.
My research strategy emphasizes the pragmatic relationship between theories and activities of research and planning practices alike. I ask what kind of pragmatic interpretation of strategic spatial planning in urban areas is useful for identifying, reflecting, and dealing with social and local contradictions and confrontations. My work is particularly related to the so-called agonistic democracy and planning theories.
My research is based on the arguments of agonism in planning and democracy, while at the same time trying to present a powerful view of power to support my pragmatism. On the other hand, my work is strongly contextualized through the theoretical discussion of strategic spatial planning, and is essentially related to the so-called "new regionalism" discourses about the economic, state and local power relations.
The central result of my recent study is a model for the practical construction and operation of planning co-operation. I have developed a collaboration model based on, on the one hand, the theoretisation of cultural research and linguistic research via the "contact zone" (Pratt 1991) concept, and on the other hand, the concepts from science and technology studies, namely the "trading zone", (Galison 1997), and "boundary object" (Star and Griesemer 1989).
I see city-regional strategic spatial planning to have a "radically coordinative" nature, as my thinking emphasizes the conflictual nature of strategic spatial planning at the city-regional scale, where unified governance and democratic control are scarce . My work has a strong normative undercurrent, so I pose both my original question and my model with intention to improve the understanding of strategic planning cooperation practices and, at least implicitly, the practice itself.