jmarchitects Hosts City of Helsinki for International Urban Planning Symposium

We were delighted to welcome the Western Unit of the Planning Services team from the City of Helsinki’s Urban Environment Division to our Glasgow studio last Tuesday, as part of a wider European knowledge exchange initiative focused on urban planning and design.

The visiting group—comprising eight architects alongside colleagues from urban space, landscape services, and building control—joined us for an afternoon symposium exploring how cities across Europe can collaborate to create more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable urban environments.

As hosts, we were proud to share our ethos and experience in place-making and regeneration, including an in-depth look at our work on St Andrews Drive Phases 2 and 3—projects that reflect our ongoing commitment to community-led design, high-quality housing, and the transformation of public realm.

We were also pleased to welcome Nick Walker from Iceni Projects, who delivered a thought-provoking presentation on Glasgow’s urban identity—past and present—offering valuable context for the Finnish cohort on the city’s evolving challenges and opportunities.

The afternoon concluded with a dynamic roundtable discussion comparing planning and design strategies in Scotland and Finland, highlighting both shared values and distinct national approaches to architecture, landscape, and urbanism.

For jmarchitects, the visit was an inspiring moment of international connection—an opportunity not only to showcase our work, but to engage in meaningful dialogue about the future of our cities grounded in a shared commitment to thoughtful, people-focused urbanism.

“We were delighted to host colleagues from the City of Helsinki and and would like to thank them for an engaging and inspiring visit. Opportunities like this to share knowledge and exchange ideas are invaluable, and we look forward to continuing the conversation.”

- Paul Smith, Architect, jmarchitects

For more information on this project: https://jmarchitects.net/st-andrews-dr-2/

Credit: Paul Smith, jmarchitects