Seeking bold innovations for urban development
Public discussions on sustainable urban development typically focus on large cities or metropolises, addressing issues such as air pollution, traffic, housing and employment, whereas the TURNS research platform takes a creative approach by integrating expertise from multiple disciplines to specifically target the unique challenges of small and medium-sized cities.
“We are interested in exploring what the sustainability transformation means outside of major cities. We have set our long-term sights on becoming an internationally renowned, multidisciplinary innovation platform in urban research,” envisions Professor Panu Lehtovuori, Director of TURNS.
TURNS brings together researchers, city stakeholders and other interest groups. Initially, the operations will focus on the Tampere city region.
TURNS aims to enhance the functionality, healthiness, smartness and justice of urban spaces, while integrating the historical context and future vision of cities into urban planning processes. In addition, TURNS investigates the concepts of quality and sustainability in the context of architecture and construction and examines how cities are applying circular economy principles in practice.
According to Lehtovuori, the primary goal for TURNS is to foster innovative, nonconformist and critical studies in urbanism and sustainability. TURNS places a special emphasis on building a multidisciplinary research community, with participation from almost all the faculties at Tampere University.
Local activities and urban events
The core of TURNS’s mission is to unite researchers from various disciplines to pursue high-impact urban research and create innovative events, initiatives and actions. Together with the research community and external stakeholders, the research platform organises local activities and events under the TURNS Thursday umbrella.
“In May, we hosted an urban physics walk, a film night and a speech picnic in Tampere, among other activities. In August, we visited URF – an urban festival showcasing sustainable living and construction in the city of Kerava – and organised a PhD writing retreat in Päivölä. Looking ahead, we plan to host more international PhD summer schools and conferences of various sizes,” says Project Manager Riina Lundman, who coordinates TURNS’s activities.
Increasing resident involvement in the activities is also on the agenda.
“We are looking to promote citizen science, which involves exploring new ways for residents to produce knowledge and participate in the planning and development of their urban environment,” Lundman adds.
Funding for new research initiatives and networking
In the spring of 2024, TURNS invited applications for seed funding to support new research initiatives at Tampere University and for mobility grants to cover the costs of short-term research visits abroad. Among the recipients was the Time for New Energy? project, which explores the regional and local impacts of the energy transformation, using the City of Pori as an example.
“Our goal is to foster collaborations between researchers and local stakeholders and thereby pave the way for a more large-scale research project,” says Antti Saloniemi, a Professor at the Pori unit of Tampere University and the primary grantseeker.
The TURNS research platform welcomes urban development ideas and initiatives aimed at effecting societal, cultural and technological change. Potential research topics can range from health and society to technology.
Tampere Urban Research Network for Sustainability TURNS
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Further information
Riina Lundman
riina.lundman [at] tuni.fi (riina[dot]lundman[at]tuni[dot]fi)
