Let them speak: Insurgent planning and urban justice

Demographic shifts in European cities challenge urban planning to balance the urban renewal with inclusivity. This article examines the insurgent planning approach through the case of Kontula Strip Mall in Helsinki, where immigrant entrepreneurs faced exclusion from the renewal process. Despite Finland's participatory planning framework, procedural justice remained inaccessible due to language barriers, limited outreach, and structural biases favoring certain actors. The study investigates the interplay between substantive and procedural planning, highlighting how non-decision-making excluded ethnic retailers. A pilot initiative enabled their participation, positioning them as active stakeholders in planning discussions. Drawing on theories of spatial justice and insurgent planning, the findings suggest that grassroots-driven engagement can challenge top-down planning paradigms but faces structural limitations in influencing formal decision-making. The study underscores the need for integrating insurgent planning into planning cycles to enhance institutional responsiveness to urban diversity. It argues that the recognition of multicultural spaces must move beyond discourse to shape substantive planning outcomes that prevent cultural displacement and homogenization. • Examines insurgent planning as a response to the exclusion of immigrant entrepreneurs in Helsinki's urban renewal • Identifies structural and procedural barriers that limit multicultural participation in planning • Demonstrates how grassroots-led engagement can challenge top-down planning but struggles to influence formal decision-making • Highlights the role of informal, multilingual participation methods in enhancing spatial justice • Calls for integrating insurgent planning into institutional frameworks to prevent cultural displacement