The event featured two presentations by postdoctoral researchers involved in the Postdoc Forum, a research project coordinated by Urbaria. The Forum includes researchers from the University of Helsinki and Aalto University, and has received substantial funding from the cities of Helsinki, Espoo, and Vantaa.
Klavdiia Bochenina, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Helsinki, was the first to present her work titled “Sustainable Ride-Pooling with Reinforcement Learning at Scale: A Case Study of Helsinki City Area”. She works within the Spatiotemporal Data Analysis Group, and her research focuses on the application of reinforcement learning (RL) in Helsinki’s urban context.
The city aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035, a goal that requires a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, particularly those from private car use. This challenge can be addressed at various levels: vehicle, infrastructure, and fleet. Klavdiia Bochenina’s research focuses on the fleet level, with an emphasis on ride-pooling.
Ride-pooling involves complex decision-making and must balance several factors, such as passenger satisfaction, efficient fleet usage, and environmental sustainability (an element often overlooked in previous studies). Klavdiia Bochenina’s work investigates how reinforcement learning can optimize ride-pooling systems to reduce emissions.
Her approach combines heuristic methods with reinforcement learning to overcome the limitations each has when used independently. One of the key messages from her presentation was the importance of applying reinforcement learning in real-world contexts. Real environments present challenges and complexities that simulations cannot fully capture, making real-world testing essential for effective solutions.
The second speaker, Silviya Korpilo, is also a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Helsinki and is currently working in the Digital Geography Lab. Her research is part of the GREEN TRAVEL project and investigates how urban environment can influence people’s experiences during daily commutes.
Her presentation, titled “As if it Was Real: Using Virtual Reality to Measure Health and Well-Being Effects of Greenery During Active Mobility” showcased a blend of in-situ (real-world) experiments and ex-situ methods, including lab studies and virtual reality (VR). VR opens new possibilities by offering immersive and realistic experiences in controlled settings. It also promotes inclusivity by enabling people with limited access to nature to experience its benefits. Furthermore, VR is a powerful tool for eliciting emotions, though it presents challenges like cybersickness.
Setting up the VR laboratory took nearly two years. The team collected data from around 150 participants through a multi-phase experiment, which began with a pre-test questionnaire, followed by a VR baseline session, a stress-inducing phase, a treatment phase which included different virtual environments (urban, low biodiversity, high biodiversity, and winter), and concluded with a post-test questionnaire.
In her final remarks, Silviya Korpilo emphasized that VR is not merely a technological tool but also a psychological one, capable of deepening our understanding of how everyday exposures to nature can benefit human well-being.
Laura Ruotsalainen, Professor of Spatiotemporal Data Analysis for Sustainability Science, University of Helsinki
Tuuli Toivonen, Professor of Geoinformatics, University of Helsinki
Carlos Lamuela Orta, Senior Scientist (Sustainability, Mobility, City, Architecture), VTT
Hannu Oskala, Voi Scooters Finland Public Policy Manager and former Helsinki City Councillor
The panel discussion centered around the central question: Can digital innovations make urban mobility more sustainable?
The panelists began by discussing the meaning of urban and smart mobility and their link to sustainability. Professor Laura Ruotsalainen explained that urban mobility is rooted in people's daily choices. Her research uses digital tools and artificial intelligence to collect mobility data and optimize systems to reduce negative externalities.
Professor Tuuli Toivonen highlighted her focus on how people perceive the built environment and their daily travel decisions. She utilizes digital tools, such as apps and mobile data, to identify mobility patterns and evaluate the sustainability of commuting habits.
Carlos Lamuela Orta offered a critical perspective, suggesting that “smart mobility” is often driven by corporate and political agendas that view digital innovations as competitive tools for progress. “Sustainable mobility,” on the other hand, remains a broad narrative often contradicted by the persistence of unsustainable practices exposed by ongoing research.
Hannu Oskala explained how artificial intelligence and new technologies are used by Voi (the electric scooter rental company he works for), particularly to improve maintenance and logistics. Voi is also striving to meet sustainability targets by extending the lifecycle of its scooters.
When asked about currently overlooked mobility issues, panelists discussed the social and spatial impacts of new mobility solutions, such as food delivery platforms like Wolt. They emphasized the need to adapt urban infrastructure to emerging mobility patterns and the role of cities in either enabling or resisting urban transformation. Professor Laura Ruotsalainen also highlighted the importance of synchronizing transport options to ensure they are accessible to commuters. She advocated for better access to information to help citizens make sustainable mobility choices, for example through Mobility as a Service (MaaS).
The discussion also touched on privacy and security. Professor Laura Ruotsalainen raised concerns about the cybersecurity risks that come with digitizing infrastructure and transport. Professor Tuuli Toivonen emphasized the need to respect privacy when using GPS and mobile data for research. While she supports protecting personal data, she stressed the importance of balancing privacy with the social benefits that such data can unlock when made available for research.
Looking ahead to the future of cities, Carlos Lamuela Orta suggested that urban transformations will take longer than expected. He envisions future mobility relying more on rail transport (replacing buses) and increased use of micromobility solutions like e-scooters.
On the topic of public resistance to smart solutions, Professor Tuuli Toivonen observed that society is so accustomed to a car-centric lifestyle that e-scooters are often seen as an inconvenience, despite cars being far more detrimental to emissions and urban quality of life. Carlos Lamuela Orta pointed out that such resistance may be rooted in cultural factors. Hannu Oskala added that cities need to be more willing to take risks if they want to transform and innovate.
The panel concluded with audience questions that sparked a lively exchange on the future of MaaS and whether new smart mobility options are genuinely contributing to sustainable transportation or inadvertently promoting less healthy and less eco-friendly behaviors.