Puistokatu 4 members

At Puistokatu 4, almost 80 researchers and agent members work together. The work of all our members contributes to building an ecologically sustainable future.

 

You can filter the member directory by membership type and affiliation. You can also contact our members regarding interviews, mentoring, and other collaborations.

 

Get to know our members below!

Aino Kangaspuro Haaparanta
Journalism, Media ecology, Media research
Aino Kangaspuro Haaparanta

Doctoral researcher in Media Studies

Tampere University

“I study how journalistic publicity could be produced within planetary boundaries. My research focuses on the material dimensions of journalistic publicity production, such as the use of natural resources, biodiversity loss, CO2 emissions, and various types of waste. I am particularly interested in how the working conditions, operational models, and production methods of the media industry should change to make journalistic publicity production materially sustainable for the environment.”

Aki Saariaho
Forests, Social Psychology
Aki Saariaho

Doctoral researcher in cultural psychology

University of Eastern Finland

“My dissertation research explores Finnish forests through a utopian imagination involving science, artificial intelligence, art, emotions and citizen activism. The research challenges dominant economic narratives and highlights the forest as an ecosystem. The study focuses on both traditional and AI-generated texts written by the high school students participating in the study. The research is rooted in imagination and utopian studies, and in particular in the social psychology and utopia pedagogy traditions.”

Alisa Rannikko
eco-social policy, Sufficiency, Sustainable wellbeing
Alisa Rannikko

Doctoral researcher in social policy

Tampere University

“My research focuses on ecosocial policy and sufficiency for sustainable well-being. In my dissertation, I analyse the potential and public acceptability of policies (taxes, caps) aimed at restricting overconsumption. My data is based on a nationally representative survey conducted in Finland and interviews. I am also a researcher on the MERGE and MAPS Horizon projects, which are exploring policies, metrics and models for sustainable well-being and a post-growth economy.”

Alizée Ville
Biodiversity, Forest sciences
Alizée Ville

Postdoctoral researcher in forest sciences

University of Helsinki

“My research explores the confluence of epistemological and economical inequalities existing in the forest sector, in Global South and Global North contexts. My current project, funded by the Nessling Foundation, explores biodiversity literacy in timber trade databases, comparing the cases of Finland and the Democratic Republic of Congo. My previous work at the Stockholm Resilience Center, focused on the intersection between gender and forest policy in Sweden.”

Andreas Otterbeck
Baltic sea, Caspian terns, Long distance migration
Andreas Otterbeck

Postdoctoral researcher in ecology

“My research focuses on the Caspian tern, a migratory seabird breeding in the Baltic Sea. I study where Baltic birds spend the winter and whether changes in wintering areas help explain past population declines and recent stabilization. By linking long-term ringing and GPS data with conditions in wintering regions, my work aims to reveal processes that are largely invisible from the breeding grounds but important for long-term conservation.”

Anita Seppä
Aesthetics, Interdisciplinarity
Anita Seppä

Professor

Uniarts Helsinki

“I research and teach the societal, decolonial, and ecological dimensions of art. I promote interdisciplinary dialogue and new forms of collaboration that strengthen the role of art in building a sustainable future.

Anna-Sofia Sysser
Artificiality, Environmental aesthetics, Representations of nature
Anna-Sofia Sysser

Doctoral researcher in cultural studies

University of Eastern Finland

“I study constructions of tropicality in Finland: how nature is presented in the “artificial tropical” visually, spatially, and experientially, and what kind of colonial heritage this phenomenon bears. With my concept “artificial tropical”, I refer to a phenomenon where the tropics are simulated and presented outside the geographical tropics. Addressing prevailing values, imagination, and aesthetic preferences critically is essential for building a sustainable future.”

Eeva Houtbeckers
Degrowth, Ecofeminism, Sociology
Eeva Houtbeckers

Docent of sustainable entrepreneurship

University of Eastern Finland, University of Helsinki

“In my current project, I examine work and livelihoods in socioecological transformations from the perspective of workers. My research frequently involves multidisciplinary ethnographic inquiry into economic cultures, alongside reflections on paradigm shifts and the nature of knowing. In addition to the fields of organisation and management studies and sustainable entrepreneurship, I have worked within design research, sociology, cultural studies, and gender studies.”

 

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Bluesky

Emilia Laine
Biotechnical food production, Cellular agriculture, Politics of food systems transformation
Emilia Laine

Postdoctoral researcher in sociology

University of Helsinki

“I study cellular agriculture in Finland, a field that seeks to contribute to the sustainability transition by replacing agriculture and livestock farming with biotechnology-based industrial production. I am interested in what kinds of food futures are currently being configured through biotechnology, as well as in the diverse challenges that the existing food system poses to the field. Through my work, I seek to ask what kinds of worlds being made by strengthening the role of advanced food technologies and the associated energy- and material-based path dependencies.”

Erich Berger
Anthropocene, Art, Deep Time Orientation
Erich Berger

Doctoral researcher in cultural anthropology

University of Oulu

“I am an artist, curator, and doctoral researcher in cultural anthropology at the University of Oulu, but based in Helsinki. I study contemporary artistic practices that respond to current planetary and human conditions and examine how these practices reimagine scale and its spatiotemporal, material, and political dimensions. I ask how art can contribute to developing a deep time orientation. By this, I mean modes of positioning and relating that situate humans within planetary and more-than-human rhythms.”

Esubalew Kasaw Gebeyehu
Biobased fibers, Textiles
Esubalew Kasaw Gebeyehu

Doctoral Researcher in Bioproduct Technology

Aalto University

My research looks at how to make natural fabrics smarter and more useful. I work with cellulosic textiles and use coatings made fully from plant-based materials. With a clean mechanochemical process, I turn fabrics that normally absorb water into ones that strongly repel water and resist bacteria. The goal is to make safer, more sustainable textiles made without fossil-based chemicals.

Ilari Ceder
Critical research, Organizational communication, Purpose communication
Ilari Ceder

Doctoral researcher in organizational communications

Tampere University

“In my dissertation, I analyze the communication of organizational purpose, which seeks to justify the existence and actions of business organizations. This communicative phenomenon of ‘purposezation’ has significantly increased in recent years due to global ecological and social crises. In my research, I approach the communication of purpose and CSR communication from the perspective of diverse stakeholders and analyze how power relations are constructed and renewed through this communication.”

 

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Inka Santala
Post capitalism, Sharing economy
Inka Santala

Doctoral researcher in geography

University of Helsinki

“A just sustainability transition requires a rethinking of prevailing market economy and innovation politics. My PhD research explores the actually existing diversity of urban sharing economies, shedding light on the possibilities and limits of post capitalist community economies and innovation logics. I believe that a transition that repairs current inequalities is performed in the here and now, not with easy ad-hoc solutions but often by navigating and staying with the troubles that emerge.”

Jaakko Torvinen
Natural shaped wood, Wood architecture
Jaakko Torvinen

Doctoral researcher in architecture

Aalto University

“My research focuses on the potential of non-standard, organically shaped wood in architecture and its relevance to a more ecologically sustainable future. My goal is to utilize diverse wood structures to support forest biodiversity and promote the use of wood as long-lasting products. My research is practical: I build prototypes and conduct mechanical strength tests. As an architect, I aim to support sustainable building practices with innovative solutions that reduce environmental impacts.”

Janne Halme
Multispecies studies, Nature positive, Solar energy
Janne Halme

Docent of Applied Physics

Aalto University

“I am exploring new research paths and practical solutions for nature-inclusive, regenerative solar energy production. My research bridges physics, engineering, ecology, and art to ask how we might design energy systems in ways that foster ecologically sustainable relationships and interactions with other species.”

Joni Lappi
Energy transition, Global south, Sustainability assesment
Joni Lappi

Doctoral researcher in sustainability studies

Lappeenranta–Lahti University of Technology LUT

“I research the sustainability of the energy transition and the role different actors play in its unfolding in the Global South. My dissertation explores the environmental impacts of renewable energy solutions and their effects on people’s wellbeing and agency. The energy transition cannot be considered sustainable if we overlook the people, communities and broader global environmental impacts of local energy solutions.”

Juni Sinkkonen
Eco-emotions, Eco-psychology, Planetary wellbeing
Juni Sinkkonen

Doctoral researcher in psychology

University of Eastern Finland

“I am a psychologist, doctoral researcher at the University of Eastern Finland, and eco-emotions expert at Tunne ry. I study the concept of planetary psychology and psychologists’ roles in sustainability transformation. Previously, I have examined the identities and vulnerabilities of young environmental activists. As an eco-emotions expert, I train and lead workshops on mental health and ecological crisis for organizations, social and health care professionals, and EU-level actors, among others.”

 

juniroosa.fi

LinkedIn

Kasia Gorniak
Clothing-based, Collective, Textile-based
Kasia Gorniak

Fashion designer-researcher

Aalto University

“My research is carried out at Aalto University, positioned in the field of expanded fashion design. My research topic ‘Dialogic narratives as method and matter for meaningful fashion design practice’ explores the development and application of a collective, participatory approach as means towards meaning creation in clothes. My works are based around notions of garments being facilitators of communication between bodies, through collaborative and chance-based design processes.”

Kata Fodor
Multi-scale urbanism, Strategic design, Sustainable food systems
Kata Fodor

Doctoral researcher in urban food systems

Aalto University

“How can design meaningfully shape urban food futures? My work explores this question through research and practice. In my PhD at Aalto University, I connect food policy with urbanism and design for sustainability, while my practice creates collaborative urban food spaces. Through conceptual tools, ideas and built spaces, I support cities and practitioners in tackling complex system challenges, as much as envisioning and building more resilient urban food futures.”

Laura Berger
Buildings, Demolition
Laura Berger

Doctoral researcher in architecture

Aalto University

“During 2025–2028 I have the pleasure to lead a project titled Building extinction (Rakennuskato), funded by the KONE Foundation. The focal notion is that ‘built’ and ‘natural’ environment cannot be separated, but they are connected both systemically as well as materially. In my own research, I focus on demolition of buildings as a long historical continuum. The aim is to make visible reasons, justifications and ways in which demolition has been argumented in different time periods, including the present day.”

Laura Haapio-Kirk
Ageing, Art, Wellbeing
Laura Haapio-Kirk

Postdoctoral researcher in anthropology

University of Oxford

“I research wellbeing amid social, digital, and environmental change, with a focus on later life. I have conducted long-term ethnography in Finland and Japan, using participatory artistic methods to explore how everyday actions shape wellbeing. I share my work through my writing and graphic non-fiction, and am the author of Ageing with Smartphones in Japan (2022).”

 

www.laurahaapio-kirk.com

Laura Heiskala
Social mobility, Sufficiency solutions
Laura Heiskala

Postdoctoral researcher in sociology

University of Turku

“I focus on socially just sustainability transformation. My postdoctoral research explores how social mobility can be maintained within planetary boundaries in a post-growth society. I am also part of the SISU consortium, studying the role of sufficiency solutions in a just green transition. My research aims to identify societal pathways that integrate an open society with ecological sustainability.”

Liisa Mäkinen
Environmental agency, Future beliefs
Liisa Mäkinen

Doctoral researcher in Corporate Environmental Management

University of Jyväskylä

“I study young people’s future beliefs and their connections to pro-environmental behaviour. In my research, I examine how pressures arising from the ecological crisis can hinder sustainability agency among youth, and which factors help maintain and strengthen their capacity to act. I aim to contribute to an ecologically sustainable future by producing knowledge and supporting youth agency in sustainability transitions while safeguarding hope and wellbeing.”

Lotta Staffans
Inequality, Political economy, Post growth
Lotta Staffans

Doctoral researcher in sustainability sciences

Lappeenranta–Lahti University of Technology LUT

“I am interested in economic inequality and its implications for the planetary crisis. For my PhD I am doing research on the concentration of markets and the accumulation of power and wealth that comes with it. I am focusing on the role of the public sector in driving this development and exploring ways to build a more inclusive economy within planetary boundaries. At the moment, I am focusing on urban planning and the impact of suburban development on the ownership of local malls in Helsinki.

 

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Lukas Junghanns
Activism, Organisational learning, Transport planning
Lukas Junghanns

Doctoral researcher in urban planning and transportation

Aalto University

“In my research group, we imagine a transformation of our mobility systems with the goal of creating and serving more coherent, ecologically sustainable and resilient, (more than) human-centered communities. The focus of my doctoral research is on the role of bottom-up movements, such as protests or civil disobedience, and how they can steer the desired change. I look at movements like the Critical Mass bike protest (Kriittinen Pyöräretki) from the side of the activists and on the side of the planning officials, and how it helps or can help shape existing planning paradigms.”

Maija Lumme
Corporate political influence, Corporate responsibility, Regulation
Maija Lumme

Doctoral researcher in management

Lappeenranta–Lahti University of Technology LUT

“In my PhD, I study corporate political activity and sustainability regulation. I am particularly interested in the process of EU corporate sustainability due diligence directive: the political landscape in which the directive has been carved, the roles of businesses and decision-makers in the process, and whether sustainability regulation is designed around the needs of sustainability leaders or laggards.”

Mari Manninen
Human mind, Sustainability, Travelling
Mari Manninen

Non-fiction writer

“I am writing a non-fiction book about travel and a sustainable future. I hope the work will help readers deeply understand their own relationship with travel and make the necessary changes to it. I am also trying to teach myself to be a more sustainable traveller. I am also a journalist, a lecturer, and a passionate advocate for art.”

 

www.marimanninen.com

Maria Lindeman
Collaboration, Interdisciplinarity, Regeneration
Maria Lindeman

Doctoral researcher in artistic research

Stockholms Konstnärliga Högskola (SKH)

“In my doctoral research, I focus on collaborative creative processes and apply artistic methods to their facilitation and leadership. My research is situated at the intersection of art, science and society and is grounded in interdisciplinary collaboration with a range of societal actors. I explore how artistic research can hold space for reflection on complex ecological questions and contribute to regenerative and more sustainable futures.”

Mikko Puumala
Environmental ethics, Philosophy, Space ethics
Mikko Puumala

Doctoral researcher in philosophy

University of Turku

“I’m a philosopher specialised in environmental ethics and space ethics. I also serve as the director of the Turku Environmental Ethics Research Center (TEERC). My current research is on environmental philosophical questions regarding environmental protection and resource management in space. I’m also interested in philosophy of sustainability, climate ethics, and philosophical methodology.”

Natalia Lyly
Organizational research, Systemic change
Natalia Lyly

Postdoctoral researcher in business studies

Lappeenranta–Lahti University of Technology LUT

“In my research, I aim to understand how societies can promote sustainability and create meaningful systemic change. I focus on socio-technical systems, such as mobility, and examine how different actors and structures interact and co-organize change toward more sustainable societal systems.”

Ossi Laaksamo
eco-social policy, Post growth, Wellbeing
Ossi Laaksamo

Postdoctoral researcher in social policy

Tampere University

“I work as a post doc -researcher in a multinational European research project called MAPS (Models, Assessment, and Policies for Sustainability). The aim of the project is to study well-being and social policies that operate within planetary boundaries, with a particular focus on different models of post-growth economies and their social acceptance. Last year, I completed my dissertation, which examined activation policy measures for long-term unemployed people in Finland from a sustainability perspective.”

Rasmus Sihvonen
Dialogue, Moderation, Over consumption
Rasmus Sihvonen

Postdoctoral researcher in social sciences

University of Eastern Finland

“I view overconsumption as a part of a larger phenomenon of chronic insufficiency (ever-enoughness) that’s threatening to burn out both us humans and the rest of nature. In my research I arrange dialogues, in which the participants discuss their experiences related to sufficiency (and insufficiency) in working life and consumption. What do these experiences tell us about our society and our culture? Could discussing sufficiency be a key to more sustainable future?”

Riina Bhatia
Post growth
Riina Bhatia

Doctoral researcher in political economy

University of Helsinki

“I study post-growth economic models, focusing on technologies and innovations needed in them, how they are innovated, who owns them, and how they can be leveraged through innovation policy. Previously I have of governance of sustainability transitions in Finnish city management and in Indigenous communities in Ecuador. Currently, I am trying to understand what kinds of organizations, technologies, and innovations we need to create a more sustainable way of living.”

 

www.riinabhatia.fi

Sanja Hakala
Biodiversity, Sociality, Urban ecology
Sanja Hakala

Postdoctoral researcher in ecology

University of Helsinki

“I am a researcher of ecology and social evolution. So far, I have studied the balance mechanisms of cooperation and conflict in insect societies. In addition, I have done a lot of science communication, for example by writing children’s non-fiction books on biodiversity, and supporting the international climate movement. In 2026, I will expand my research focus to human societies. I work at the University of Helsinki as part of the “Fifth Dimension – Transformative urban greening” research group, where I study a multi-actor construction process and investigate what enables and hinders the reuse of local native plants in green construction.”
Sara Tolonen
Carbon markets, Climate mitigation, Environmental integrity
Sara Tolonen

Doctoral researcher in environmental law

University of Eastern Finland

“My doctoral research, ‘From Offsets to Outcomes – Legal Pathways toward Carbon Market Integrity‘, examines the legal governance and credibility of carbon markets. I contribute to the OFFCORR and ACHIEVE projects on voluntary climate action. My key areas include EU and international climate law as well as nature-based solutions. My research supports an ecologically sustainable future by strengthening the ability of carbon markets to deliver real, measurable, and permanent emissions reductions as a complementary climate action.”

Saska Tuomasjukka
Behavioral science, Food chain
Saska Tuomasjukka

Food researcher

University of Turku

“Our daily food is the biggest source of biodiversity loss. I explore ways to support more nature respecting eating with the food chain actors, especially institutional catering. My work focuses on strengthening sociocultural niches for sustainable eating and easing essentialist tensions in food debates. I also use our Planetary Food Game to open space for new conversations – with our daily lunch in play.

Sonja Nielsen
Sonja Nielsen

Doctoral researcher in sustainability sciences

Aalto University

Knowledge co-production is widely advocated as essential for advancing sustainability transformations, as it brings together diverse societal actors and knowledge systems to produce actionable insights to address complex challenges. My dissertation critically examines and further develops knowledge co-production methods in environmental governance, empirically focusing on the Transition Arena method.”

Sonja Repetti
Adaptation, Algae, Ecotones
Sonja Repetti

Doctoral researcher

University of Helsinki

“My doctoral research is concerned with how algae and humans can live with each other under conditions of change. In my natural scientific research, I aim to understand how algae can respond and adapt to changes in their environments wrought by human impacts on our planet. In my social scientific research, I explore how humans can adapt their thinking to better live with increasing awareness of algae in their lives. I thrive in disciplinary ecotones, overlaps between various research and artistic fields.

www.sonjarepetti.weebly.com

Tapio Rasa
Education, Future, Metamodernism
Tapio Rasa

Postdoctoral researcher

University of Helsinki

“In my educational philosophy research, I discuss the concept of metamodernism and how it relates to education, futures, sustainability, science and technology. As education has a role in both reproducing and transforming society, it matters greatly what counts as knowledge, what are recognised as valid perspectives and what education is for in the era of sustainability crises. These questions link to difficult issues in postmodernism, and here my research seeks new answers through metamodernism.”

Teemu Lehmusruusu
Teemu Lehmusruusu

Doctoral researcher in artistic research

Aalto University

“I conduct artistic research on human-soil relations in the context of regenerative thinking and practices. The research is based on dialogic fieldwork with regenerative farmers and soil and climate scientists. I explore the topic through artistic work, perception studies, and environmental aesthetics. I also consider the art-historical continuum from land art to contemporary regenerative art forms.”

Teija Ahopelto
Democracy, Interaction, Joint decision-making
Teija Ahopelto

Doctoral researcher in social psychology

Tampere University

“Building an ecologically sustainable future requires collaboration in situations where the issues are complex and the future is partly uncertain. Essential to this collaboration is the ability to maintain dialogue even when perspectives differ. In my research, I examine the context of climate activism to determine which interaction practices support shared decision-making and which undermine it. Through my research, I aim to promote inclusive and constructive societal dialogue.”

Tuuli Parviainen
Co-creation of knowledge, Crisis management, Marine governance
Tuuli Parviainen

Postdoctoral researcher

University of Helsinki

“In my research, I explore and develop participatory methods to enhance crisis preparedness to cascading and cross-sectoral socio-ecological crises. My current work explores the impacts of socio-ecological crises on winter shipping in the Bothnian Bay, focusing especially on the co-creation of transformative knowledge together with diverse marine actors and stakeholders.”

Vili Virkki
Global environmental change, Water cycle, Water resources management
Vili Virkki

Postdoctoral researcher

University of Eastern Finland

“My research is about the water cycle, its meaning for sustaining the Earth system, and interdependencies between local and global changes in water resources. I map changes in freshwater resources using global data and combine these findings with the Finnish context by analysing physical and virtual water flows to and from Finland. I hope that my research would produce increasingly holistic knowledge on how we change the vitally important water cycle and how does it affect us.”

Ville Lindgren
Climate resilience, Earth system processes, Freshwater and climate interactions
Ville Lindgren

Postdoctoral researcher in environmental sciences

University of Eastern Finland

“I study global changes in freshwater–climate interactions, focusing on how changes in freshwater cycle influence climate processes such as moisture recycling and precipitation patterns. By strengthening understanding of Earth system processes, my research supports climate-resilient solutions that sustain ecosystems and contribute to a socially and ecologically sustainable future. I value open communication and bringing research-based knowledge into broader societal discussions.”

Viola Hakkarainen
Viola Hakkarainen

Postdoctoral Researcher in Sustainability Science

University of Helsinki

“I am currently working on understanding urban biodiversity and the multiple values and value conflicts associated with it. I also research and develop creative and embodied learning methods for sustainability education. I often apply cross-disciplinary research, facilitate workshops and use creative methods in my research.”

Vuokko Härmä
Vuokko Härmä

Postdoctoral researcher in sociology

THL

“In my research, I aim to examine the impacts of climate change on society and well-being, and to provide researched data on attitudes, experiences and feelings related to climate change. My research interests also relate to how behavioural science can be used to inform the design and implementation of climate action.”