TURNS summer info
TURNS news
TURNS research enrichment funding 2026 decisions have been made. In the 2026 call, we received 11 applications and were able to fund 6 initiatives. The funded initiatives are (listed here by the main applicant):
- Martti Kaartinen: Modeling the city through cinema: films adding a tangible dimension to support discussion and understanding
- Antti Saloniemi: Voices in Empty Spaces (VES)
- Amitabha Sarkar: Community Literacy and Education for Wellbeing Society: A Finnish-Indian Joint Course on Urban Sustainability and Wellbeing
- Kalle Tuomi: AARRE Enrichment: Bridging the Citizen Participation Gap
- Tuomas Vanhanen: Popularized debate on increasing policy coherence to accelerate the net-zero transition
- Nina Vurdelja: Forest Listening Lab Tampere
You can find the public description of the initiatives on our website: TURNS research enrichment funding decisions 2026
TURNS has appointed a new director, Professor Jonathon Taylor, starting from 1 June 2026. We would like to thank the previous director, Panu Lehtovuori, for his inspiring work at TURNS.
TURNS activities
We are currently planning the TURNS program for autumn 2026, which will published in August. However, here are already some dates for events organised by TURNS and our partners.
TURNS Writing Camp
- Time: 17-19 August, daily at 9-17
- Venue: Scandic Rosendahl, Tampere
- Website: TURNS Writing Camp
- Apply by 22 June here: TURNS Writing Camp 2026 – Täytä lomake
TURNS organizes again its popular writing day camp for early-stage urban researchers at TAU. Participation is open to Tampere University’s PhD students and postdoctoral researchers who have recently completed their doctorate (within 2 years of graduation) and whose research relates to sustainable urban studies.
Tampere Urban Thesis Market 2026
- Time: Tuesday 8 September at 11-14
- Venue: Tampere University Main Building, Main Lobby, City Centre Campus (Kalevantie 4, Tampere)
- Event website: Tampere Urban Thesis Market 2026
Tampere Urban Thesis Market brings together students looking for bachelor’s and master’s thesis topics with researchers, organizations, municipalities, and companies working on urban sustainability. If your organization or research group would like to become a stand presenter at the thesis market, please feel free to reach out to Salman Moshiri (salman.moshiri@tuni.fi) or Ester Väisänen (ester.vaisanen@tuni.fi).
TURNS webinar series
TURNS is launching a new webinar series on vacant spaces in the autumn. The webinar is co-produced with academics, practitioners and citizen networks. The call for proposals will open in August!
From our friends
STUE Final Seminar
- Save the Date! Monday 5 October at 14-18
- Venue: TBC, Tampere University
- Sign in: registration to the STUE seminar
The seminar will bring together researchers, students, university staff, and partners to celebrate and reflect on Sustainable Transformation of Urban Environments’s work and its contributions to urban sustainability, research, education, and collaboration. The event will feature keynote speeches from STUE’s main professors, a panel discussion on urban issues and collaboration, as well as space to look back on STUE’s achievements and the connections it has helped build across the urban research community.
The location and full program will be announced closer to the event.
Urban Prosumers community grant
- Community grant: Kaupunkilaisten ratkaisut kestävyyshaasteisiin / Citizen Solutions to Sustainability Challenges
- Application period: 1 July – 30 September 2026
- Amounts funded: EUR 5,000 – 60,000 per grant.
- Amount to be distributed: Total EUR 180,000
- Website: Yhteisöavustus (an English website will be published later in June)
The Urban Prosumers project opens a call for tthe ‘Kaupunkilaisten ratkaisut kestävyyshaasteisiin’ community grant on 1 July 2026. The grant is meant for local experiments and solutions related to climate-resilient mobility, energy and/or food in Tampere, implemented by the communities and residents of the Tampere region. Eligible applicants are non-profit organisations, SMEs, micro-enterprises, start-ups and cooperatives domiciled in the Tampere region (so not universities nor private individuals).
***
Wishing you all a warm, sunny and relaxing summer!
Best regards,
TURNS team