Otakaari 4
Mechanical engineering 1, K1
Spatial Planning and Transportation Engineering
Deeply rooted in the complexities of key societal challenges in our everyday environments, the Spatial Planning and Transportation Engineering (SPT) group employs practice-focused and science-based research approaches. Addressing a range of wicked challenges, this research group covers a spectrum of topics related to sustainable built environments, transportation planning, and systems design.
Urban realities are increasingly dynamic, complex, and fragmented while demands for their liveability, sustainability, equity, competitiveness, and attractiveness are growing. Our research connects spatial planning and transportation engineering to develop new scientific knowledge needed in systemic understanding, problem-solving, and integrative planning and policy-making beyond sectoral boundaries.
The sustainability of our modern living environments is challenged by rapid processes of urbanisation and climate change. In addition to contributing to advances in digitalisation and automation, shaping our futures requires deeper understanding of human behavior and values, urban systems dynamics, citizen participation, and inter-sectoral institutional collaboration.
Our research themes
Understanding human multidimensionality and diversity is a central focus area, relying upon a range of economic, psychological, and sociological approaches. Investigating human needs for living and moving within urban and surrounding environments is accompanied by the development of advanced data collection and analysis methods. In particular, the development of place- and activity-based data collection and analysis methods relies strongly on advances in digitalisation and automation.
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This research area focuses on planning and managing urban and surrounding environments considering environmental,procedural, and institutional complexities. Development of concepts, methods, and computer models covers a range of spatial and temporal scales, from regional and long-term envisioning to detailed neighbourhood levels. Our research into decision-making methods and processes considers governing mechanisms, institutional arrangements, actor constellations, self-organization, and communicative dynamics.
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Based on a deep understanding of technological transition processes, this research area develops a range of strategies and services in the domains of housing, urban structure, and mobility. Grounded in a human-centered approach, this development considers liveability requirements, carbon neutrality, and mobility systems dynamics. The resulting systems contribute to steering emerging technological roadmaps focused on such trends as sharing, automation, servitization, and connectivity, as well as steering national and international policies and regulation.
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Latest publications
More information on our research in the Aalto research portal.
Research group members
Professors
Lecturers
Postdocs and Staff Scientists
Francesco Vitale
Doctoral Researchers
Our location
