Panu Lehtovuori
- Panu Lehtovuori is the Professor of Planning Theory at the Tampere University, School of Architecture, and the co-head of Urban Planning Research Group. Lehtovuori’s research interests focus on contemporary forms of public urban space, new urban design approaches and the resource-efficiency of built environment. Lehtovuori is co-founder and LAB lead at SPIN Unit international urban agency. Currently, he is involved in launching Tampere Urban Research Network for Sustainability (TURNS), a university-level collaborative platform for critical and progressive research and practice.
- TURNS
- Tampere University
- panu.lehtovuori@tuni.fi
Peter Ache
- Peter Ache is Emeritus Professor of Planning at the Department of Geography, Planning and the Environment at Radboud University in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. His research focuses on strategic spatial planning and vision making, especially for metropolitan regions. This research is related to a broader interest in urban futures as a result of lifestyle changes, technological advancements, but also of norm setting and policy making. Currently, Peter Ache works on an edited publication on European Spatial Visions with contributions from various experts in the field.
- peter.ache@ru.nl
Kristi Grišakov
- Kristi Grišakov, an urban planner, currently spearheads the Detail Planning Service within Tallinn City's Urban Planning Department in Estonia. She previously led the Policy and Analysis Division at the Spatial Planning Department of Estonian Ministry of Regional Affairs and Agriculture. With 15 years of academic research spanning Finland and Estonia, Kristi is deeply versed in urban planning and culture across Europe. Her expertise in future thinking methods, evidenced by her contributions to Estonian Human Development Reports, underscores her commitment to visionary planning. Over the past five years, Kristi has led numerous international projects in urban planning, participatory planning, and scenario development. Kristi sees futures studies as a way to push people out of their comfort zones and inspire new ways of thinking about how we plan and shape space in an unpredictable world. Rather than aiming to predict the future, she emphasizes the importance of understanding the present more deeply and giving voice to our collective hopes and fears. Central to her approach is the power of imagination and storytelling—using narratives and future scenarios to explore possibilities, question assumptions, and design more flexible, inclusive planning strategies. She believes that crafting positive, compelling visions of the future is just as important as addressing challenges and crises. Ultimately, she calls for a shift from rigid, linear planning to a creative, value-driven process where imagination becomes a tool for shaping how we live and use space together.
Aleksi Neuvonen
- Aleksi Neuvonen is an experienced social entrepreneur, futures thinker, and transdisciplinary researcher. Aleksi is the co-founder of the think tank Demos Helsinki. He is at his best analyzing and fleshing out complex societal transformations. Aleksi’s way of seeing research is one of an activist’s: research is done for the best of the world and to create impact. His current research focuses on building a notion on images of the future that affect human behaviour at present, especially in the current transformative context of just green transition. Aleksi holds a PhD degree from Radboud University Nijmegen, School of Management. He is an author of dozens of public reports, academic articles, books, and book chapters. Aleksi is also one of the organizers behind the research project Sufficiency solutions for a resilient, green, and just Finland (SISU).
- Demos Helsinki
- aleksi.neuvonen@demoshelsinki.fi
Riina Lundman
- Riina Lundman works as a Project Manager for the Tampere Urban Research Network for Sustainability (TURNS) research platform, at Tampere University, Finland. As a researcher, she is interested in equality and social sustainability issues related to urban spaces. Riina is specialized in urban art and has a PhD degree in Human Geography. Her research topics have been various, including public spaces, law, suburbs, urban play, art, participatory urban planning, neurodiversity and cities, and artificial intelligence.
- TURNS
- Tampere University
- +358504353702
- riina.lundman@tuni.fi