In the 2025 call for proposals, the Urban Impact project will allocate funding to two topical and significant thematic areas from the perspective of cities in the Helsinki metropolitan area: Urban development research and Employment research.
Funding for impact assessment research concerning the Helsinki Capital region
In the 2025 call for proposals, the Urban Impact project will allocate funding for two thematic areas: Urban development research and Employment research. Research call is open until 12 September 2025.
The goal of the Urban Impact project is to support the development of the Helsinki Capital region in strategically significant themes, to produce research-based information and evaluations for use in urban decision-making, and to utilize data produced by cities themselves where possible, while also developing structures for research collaboration.
This goal is advanced through annually funded research projects focusing on the Helsinki Capital region. The Urban Impact funding can be granted for research projects carried out at Aalto University or the University of Helsinki for up to two years. The cities are particularly interested in supporting new and experimental research approaches. Additionally, the cities wish for research projects to use the various types of numerical data produced by cities in their own activities.
A total of around €400,000 is distributed each year. Decisions on funding allocation are made by a steering group consisting of representatives from the cities and universities, as well as urban research professionals. There are no restrictions on academic disciplines, but the Urban Impact funding emphasizes empirical policy evaluation, causal inference, and research conducted through randomized trials.
Call for proposals
The research project call is organized annually in the autumn. The current call is now open for funding for the years 2026–2028.
Funded themes
In the 2025 call for proposals, the Urban Impact project will allocate funding to two topical and significant thematic areas from the perspective of cities in the Helsinki metropolitan area:
1. Urban Development Research
Possible perspectives within the theme of urban development include, for example:
- Development of residential areas: the impacts of urban renewal or other regional urban development policies.
- Effects of housing policy measures.
- Methods and impacts of infill development.
- Allocation and impacts of grants or project-based funding provided by cities.
- Impact assessment of the built environment.
2. Employment Research
Possible perspectives within the theme of employment include, for example:
- Impacts of employment or retraining services.
- Impacts of services for clients in need of support.
- Impacts of work ability-enhancing services and related funding models.
- Impacts of immigration and integration policies or services.
Funding round 2026-2028 - Kaupunkivaikutus
More information
Jari Järvenpää
Secretary General
+358 403 557 304
jari.p.jarvenpaa@hel.fi
Elli Luoma
Planner
+358 401 869 392
elli.luoma@hel.fi
Collaboration with cities and regions
Strategic partnerships play a key role in the development of Aalto University. Well-planned regional cooperation bolsters the university's impact. In the Helsinki region, cooperation with cities forms a strong and influential entity.
Key Research Area: Living environments
We are developing interdisciplinary research to enhance planning and engineering, architecture and design for better living environments.
Read more news
Meet-up: Nice to meet you, Helena Aspelin!
Doctoral researcher Helena Aspelin is developing a protein-based adhesive derived from the DNA of barnacles and mussels.
What will tomorrow’s infrastructure be made of?
Construction remains a major climate culprit, yet it could also hold the key to cutting emissions. Change is already underway in infrastructure materials, as researchers, cities and companies work together to find more sustainable – even carbon-storing – ways to build.
A joint project between Kesko and Aalto University examined the development of retail media, focusing on both everyday life and the moment of purchase
The student project gave Kesko an external perspective on the expectations and needs of its advertising customers and on product development in the media