SPIN Unit is an urban research and innovation lab.
We work with local and national agencies to support learning, adaptation, and new governance models shaping the futures we aspire to live in. We also collaborate with urban planning and design offices, to deliver analytics and scenario planning to clarify choices and guide development strategies.
Our team develops advanced methods to analyze new urban dynamics and explore new scenarios, focusing on how technology and digital platforms support equitable change.
We emphasize the social and technological foundations of cities as sources of opportunity and innovation, integrating collective intelligence, urban analysis, and creative approaches that span between science and intuation. SPIN Unit was founded by experts from diverse backgrounds and has grown into an international network based in Helsinki and Tallinn, but actively engaged with cities across Europe.
Participatory AI
SPIN Unit leads the development of participatory planning platforms. These platforms leverage generative AI and digital twins to allow citizens, stakeholders, and officials to collaboratively co-design urban spaces, aligning creativity with local policy requirements.
Urban Analysis Methods
Utilizing cutting-edge spatial intelligence, our practice studies how human interactions alter urban environments and, in turn, how these environments shape citizen behavior. Our projects deliver insight into land use, urban morphology, and social dynamics, helping cities envision new opportunities and equitable transformations.
Innovation in Urban Policy
SPIN Unit consults on spatial policy, strategic planning, and scenario modeling for municipalities and cultural organizations. Recent collaborations include transformative urban visions in Helsinki, Tallinn, Turku, and across the EU, supporting sustainable, inclusive urban futures.
SPIN Unit merges rigorous academic research with experimental practice and fieldwork. Our methodology integrates the disciplines of critical urban studies, urbanism, architecture, sociology, ethnography, and AI development. We believe that democratizing access to data and design tools is key to cultivating resilient communities and innovative cities.
Join Us
SPIN Unit welcomes partnerships with public agencies, cultural organizations, academic institutions, and tech studios who share our dedication to participatory, intelligent, and equitable urban change.
For more information or to explore collaboration, please contact us at spin@spinunit.org
SPIN Unit 