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Department of Architecture

SPHERE

SPHERE is a research group dedicated to exploring how built environments shape, and are shaped by, social, economic, and political forces, with a focus on promoting equitable, sustainable, and inclusive development. SPHERE operates at the intersection of theory and practice, bridging academic research with practical solutions or ideas to cultivate in improved policy and create societal impact.
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Key Research Areas:

Housing Systems and Affordability:
This area focuses on housing affordability, tenure models, and the policies that shape housing accessibility across various regions. We examine the spatial dynamics of housing provision, as well as how planning practices influence residential development, and gentrification and segregation. Critical areas of interest include the financialization of housing, the rise of rentierization, and the impact of commodified housing on communities.

Urban and Regional Planning:
We analyze planning policies, and land-use strategies at both urban and regional levels. Our work examines how spatial planning interventions and infrastructural projects intersect with the often financialized production and reconfiguration of spaces. This area of study aims to better understand how urban and regional plannning shape the built environment and impact social equity.

The Reciprocal Relationship between Space and Spatial Practices:
SPHERE delves into how space and everyday spatial practices are influenced by various social values, norms, and interests. We explore how individuals connect to places, the role of place-making, and how residents and local entrepreneurs engage with planning processes in different localities, from inner cities to suburban and rural areas.
 

News

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Boendets pris - ett finskt perspektiv

Gästföreläsning för jagvillhabostad.nu i samarbete med institutionen för urbana studier, Malmö universitet

News
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Erasmus week in architecture at Sapienza, Universita di Roma

Erasmus week in architecture at Sapienza, Universita di Roma

News
The CityLife skyscrapers in Milan depicted in a colorful sunset.

Urban Politics in Spatial Development: Insights from Brussels and Milan

Veronica Conte presents her research on urban politics and spatial development via two significant cases in Brussels and Milan.

Events
Aerial map of Helsinki.
Events

Latest publications

Hossam Hewidy, Johanna Lilius 2026 The Wiley Blackwell Companion to the City, Retail, and Consumption

Grete Gansauer, Johanna Lilius, Ria‐Maria Adams 2025 Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space

Johanna Lilius 2025 Rakennettu ympäristö

Johanna Lilius 2025 Näkökulmia Euroopan asuntokysymykseen 2020-luvulla: Keskustelunavaus

Johanna Lilius 2025 International Planning Studies

Marjan Marjanović, Johanna Lilius 2025 Cities

Marjan Marjanović, Johanna Lilius 2025 International Journal of Urban and Regional Research

Leona Sandmann, Maria Gunko, Irina Shirobokova, Ria‐Maria Adams, Johanna Lilius, Katrin Grossmann 2025 International Journal of Urban and Regional Research

Rikke Skovgaard Nielsen, J Lilius 2025 Housing Quality Magazine

Anne Tervo, Sanna Meriläinen, Johanna Lilius 2025 Nordic Journal of Architectural Research
More information on our research in the Aalto research portal.

Veera Annala

Doctoral researcher

Veronica Conte

Postdoctoral researcher
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