Register and join us in developing Oulu’s city centre with A.I. on October 1–2, 2025
The city of Oulu invites citizens to design the future city centre in the AI-Powered City Centre Workshops at Cultural Centre Valve in early October. The workshops are a part of the city centre vision update which guides the city centre’s development until 2040. The new city centre vision will be published in 2026, and it will present what citizens of Oulu think a memorable, unique, and functional city centre is in the year 2040.
The AI-Powered City Centre Workshops held at Cultural Centre Valve on Wednesday and Thursday October 1–2, 2025, promote the newest advancement in urban planning. Participants get to ideate Oulu’s future city centre and create visual concept pictures using the UrbanistAI tool. UrbanistAI was developed especially for urban development, and it generates images based on the participants’ ideas and wishes.
One of the workshops, on Thursday October 2 at 16.00, is held in English. All other workshops are held in Finnish.
Workshops:
Wed Oct 1: 14.00–15.30 Youth and young adults (ages 13–25)
Wed Oct 1: 16.00–17.30 Architecture / geography / construction / culture students and operators
Wed Oct 1: 18.00–19.30 Residents of the Oulu city centre
Thu Oct 2: 14.00–15.30 Seniors (over 65 years old)
Thu Oct 2: 16.00–17.30 Immigrants and international residents and students in Oulu (Workshop held in English)
Thus Oct 2: 18.00–19.30 Entrepreneurs and workers in the city centre, owners and operators of property in the city centre
If you wish to join, please register beforehand by September 28, 2025, via the City Centre Vision webpage. Each workshop only fits the first 20 people who register. If the groups get filled, people can come and watch the workshop and talk with the urban designers.
Dreams turn into visions in guided workshops
In the workshops, citizens of Oulu will wear the shoes of urban designers. The ideas of citizens about the city centre turn into living visions and images with the use of artificial intelligence. The City Centre Workshop organizers and designers will guide the participants.
“The workshops offer a unique opportunity to citizens of Oulu to participate in urban planning and influencing the city centre’s future,” Project Manager Eini Vasu explains.
Ten development targets in different areas
The workshops focus on ten target areas that have been chosen based on the city centre vision work’s earlier surveys and events: Kyösti Kallio Park, Hollihaka Marina and Virransaari, Aleksanterinkatu between Kauppurienkatu-Pakkahuoneenkatu, Hallitusaukio at Rotuaari, Autoranta (Marketplace), Hallituskatu between Koulukatu-Mäkelinkatu, Pallaskortteli Block’s couryard at Rotuaari, Byström courtyard, Myllytulli martketplace, and Åströminranta.
Citizens of Oulu have actively participated in building the Oulu city centre vision. In a survey held in early 2025, citizens highlighted themes and recreation areas. The ideation continued in a LEGO event held in May.
The collected dreams are the current material of the AI-Powered City Centre Workshops. At the workshops, ideas will be cultivated, and wishes will be weaved into the coming City Centre Vision 2026. This is how we ensure that the city centre’s future is built in the image of the citizens.
Read more and register on our website: www.ouka.fi/en/oulus-city-centre-vision