Sustainable and activating urban development for people
European life is concentrated in cities. Reducing emissions, sustainable urban development and a car-free Europe are big trends.
Public spaces and streets can be made into more vibrant, attractive and sustainable neighbourhoods through the cooperation of citizens, businesses and cities. In fact, good initiatives often come from citizens to city decision-makers. A cross-border marketplace makes it easier for residents' suggestions and opinions to be considered, while opening up new opportunities for businesses to export their products and services to new markets.
15-minute cities with everything close at hand
The international MULTIGINATION cooperation project is funded by Business Finland under the European Union's Driving Urban Transition (DUT) programme. DUT-funded 15-minute city projects aim to ensure that everything you need for daily life is within 15 minutes, either by walking, cycling or public transport.
The 15-minute city concept aims to make cities more livable. We are responding to this by developing a platform to showcase products that can help make better urban living a reality. We will involve residents in the process of choosing these products. We are entering a world where municipal and city procurement processes have previously been closed.
Petri Pohjola, Project Manager and Senior Lecturer in Industrial Engineering, TAMK
The platform allows residents to place products in their own neighbourhoods using a map and an imaging application. The choices and suggestions of several citizens will be visible and can be commented on. The app also has a crowdfunding option.
TAMK produces research data
Tampere University of Applied Sciences (TAMK) is the only Finnish participant in this major international project. In the application round, 46 projects of the international consortium were selected for funding and none of them had other Finnish partners than TAMK.
TAMK is studying the requirements of the 15-minute city concept for businesses and, also, how the marketplace works and is perceived in different target countries. The marketplace app combines geo-maps, photos and the opinions of city residents from the grassroots to procurement decision-makers.
“Istanbul residents are likely to value different features than Swiss residents. We produce localised information and bring a Finnish perspective. We seek answers to how we can engage different stakeholders while providing an efficient demand and economically sustainable service or function. We are also exploring how bottom-up initiatives can be channelled into urban decision-making processes where funding is key and the private sector can be involved," says Pohjola.
As a working life based higher education institution, TAMK has a practical approach
The project idea came up in the European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL), in which TAMK is an active member. Senior Expert Hanna-Greta Puurtinen says that there are no quick wins in European cooperation, but that reputation is built through long-term work.
“Close cooperation with working life and the Finnish culture of accomplishing tasks as agreed are key. We are a reliable partner, and we do what we promise. Erkki Kiviniemi, Head of Industrial Technology Competence, was a key driver during the application phase. We were able to highlight what TAMK has to offer as a university of applied sciences.”
The development forum is already actively running.
“We are solving problems related to the topic at the business interface, such as what kind of products to bring to the marketplace and how. It is important to make companies understand the benefits of joining the European platform," says Puurtinen.
Several companies have already understood the benefits of the marketplace
During the project, the TAMK team will conduct local living lab experiments with businesses. The aim is to get Finnish products onto the international marketplace.
Pohjola says that three companies are already involved in the project as partners: Lentola Logistics, which uses urban logistics solutions such as aviation and drones; Lehtovuori Oy, known for its smart trash bins and other products that make urban living easier; and Pirkanmaan Jätehuolto Oy, which takes care of recycling, sorting and waste collection. More companies are invited to bring their products and services to the international marketplace.
With drones and aviation, this 15-minute city idea is expanding quite a bit beyond traditional delivery methods. The living lab experiments also include things like city bike stations, storage racks and an intelligent recycling centre.
Puurtinen stresses that DUT-funded urban development projects cross-pollinate each other.
“Research and development work is not done in isolation, but we pass on the results and tools from one project to another. For companies, this is an opportunity to make a big impact in other DUT projects and to develop their products in the direction that citizens want,” she says.
Anyone can start developing their local environment
Public actors have a limited amount of money. Experiments with citizen-led budgeting have been done in the past.
“We are exploring what kind of joint procurement citizens could do if they wanted, for example, a slide in a park in Rautaharkko, Tampere. The city doesn't come and tell us how to do it, but we can all get involved. We are taking a digital and more immersive, yet tangible direction. We are at the forefront of this and hopefully in the future it will be even more participatory," says Puurtinen.
Pohjola points out that bigger issues still go through the city’s official planning process. But he thinks it would be great to have a say in your own living environment.
“Outdoor exercise equipment and gym areas cost hundreds of thousands of euros. If they are desired in my neighbourhood in Mäyrävuori, the municipality can get a jump-start on the purchase of such equipment if residents co-fund it. This is a one-shot deal. If the platform can be made commercial, then perhaps, inspired by this project, citizens' initiatives can be made digital. This could be the start of an Amazon online store for the European public procurement world.”
MULTIGINATION project
The Multiplicative Imagination of Citizens and Stakeholders towards the 15-minutes City (MULTIGINATION) research project provides an innovative process and tools for the development of public spaces and urban environments and the involvement of citizens. The focus is on concrete urban sustainability measures in the 15-minute city. The project is funded by Business Finland as part of the EU's Driving Urban Transitions Partnership (DUT) programme. The DUT programme aims to accelerate the transition to more sustainable, resilient and inclusive cities in Europe. Researchers from HEG-VS, ZHAW, Tampere University of Applied Sciences, Coventry University and actors from Switzerland (City of Winterthur, Canton of Geneva), Italy, Belgium, Spain, Finland and Turkey are involved. The MULTIGINATION project will run from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2026.
More information at project’s Finnish website: MULTIGINATION | Multiplicative Imagination of Citizens and Stakeholders towards the 15-minutes City -tutkimushanke | Tampereen korkeakouluyhteisö (tuni.fi)
Contact person
Petri Pohjola
Senior LecturerAuthor: Hanna Ylli
