From Plot to Block: Participatory Land Use for Climate‐Resilient Detached Housing in Finland

ABSTRACT This study investigates how urban planning in Finland is adapting to climate change, focusing on the practical challenges planners face in single‐family housing areas. It draws on participatory workshops with municipal planners in Pori and Joensuu, where three planning tools—green factor metrics, impermeable surface limits, and the 3–30‐300 guideline—were tested. The workshops strengthened collaboration between municipal planners and researchers, improved understanding of these tools, and supported their application in local planning. Although the process generated new approaches, further efforts are needed to integrate the outcomes into municipal frameworks. The findings show how researcher–practitioner collaboration can advance tool adoption and inform municipal guidelines, zoning, and adaptation strategies. The study provides implications for municipalities linking national climate goals with everyday planning, offers a transferable model for developing tools suited to low‐density areas, and contributes a systematic, practice‐ready method for enhancing plot‐level permeability and green factors in Nordic single‐family areas.

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Publication Details

Journal
Sustainable Development
Published
2026-04-13
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.70860
Primary Topic
Sustainability and Climate Change Governance
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

From Plot to Block: Participatory Land Use for Climate‐Resilient Detached Housing in Finland

Hossam Hewidy
Sustainable Development
Sustainability and Climate Change Governance
article

From Plot to Block: Participatory Land Use for Climate‐Resilient Detached Housing in Finland

Hossam Hewidy
article en

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study investigates how urban planning in Finland is adapting to climate change, focusing on the practical challenges planners face in single‐family housing areas. It draws on participatory workshops with municipal planners in Pori and Joensuu, where three planning tools—green factor metrics, impermeable surface limits, and the 3–30‐300 guideline—were tested. The workshops strengthened collaboration between municipal planners and researchers, improved understanding of these tools, and supported their application in local planning. Although the process generated new approaches, further efforts are needed to integrate the outcomes into municipal frameworks. The findings show how researcher–practitioner collaboration can advance tool adoption and inform municipal guidelines, zoning, and adaptation strategies. The study provides implications for municipalities linking national climate goals with everyday planning, offers a transferable model for developing tools suited to low‐density areas, and contributes a systematic, practice‐ready method for enhancing plot‐level permeability and green factors in Nordic single‐family areas.

Sustainable Development
Aalto University (FI)
European Regional Development Fund
Climate action
Openalex Percentile: Top 15%
Sustainability and Climate Change Governance
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