16. Survival Stories from the Finnish Built Environment

Finnish cities are undergoing an intense phase of urban transformation in which “infill by demolition” (purkava täydennysrakentaminen) has become a norm. Modern and post-war buildings are especially threatened by demolition, often framed as having reached “the end of their lifecycle”. Such claims are reinforced by public narratives that depict existing buildings or environments as ugly, monotonous, or socially problematic. However, these representations rarely correspond with lived realities: buildings are not only material structures but repositories of everyday practices, social relations, and collective memories.

This session invites critical, yet hopeful, discussion on demolition and renovation by asking what kinds of urban practices, values, and forms of knowledge could shape the future of Finnish cities and their peripheries. We welcome contributions from both researchers and practitioners, drawing on perspectives such as architectural heritage, urban planning, democracy and politics, and grassroots activism, from both rural and urban contexts.

We encourage participants to share “survival stories” in which buildings, places, or neighbourhoods have avoided demolition. These contributions may illuminate critical moments when dominant trajectories were challenged and reveal how alternative pathways and solutions were made possible. The presentations may highlight how continuity in the built environment can be achieved, for example, through practices that strengthen communities, foster built heritage, and safeguard our planet’s resources.

The session puts an emphasis on the diversity of values and knowledge embedded in the built environment, raising questions on epistemic justice in urban planning and development processes concerning demolition or renovation. Potential questions can be: whose knowledge is considered legitimate in decision-making, whose experiences are acknowledged, and whose needs are excluded; how working with existing urban fabric fosters social cohesion and planetary well-being; what kinds of practices support post-neoliberal, less extractive, and more user-led urban development; and what are the critical moments in planning and redevelopment processes to question, delay, or prevent demolition.

The objective of this session is to create a shared space for reflection, exchange, and learning. By critically examining the drivers and consequences of demolition while foregrounding survival stories and alternative practices, the session aims to broaden understandings of values in the built environment, strengthen epistemic justice, and cultivate hope and agency for more caring, socially grounded, and sustainable urban futures. How can hope for cities be maintained?

The presentation can be given in English or Finnish.