How can AI help placemakers move faster, engage communities more meaningfully, and bring spatial visions to life—without losing what is most central to placemaking: being human. This session combines two practitioner perspectives with hands-on experimentation—and a shared critical question: where does AI genuinely serve participation, and where does it fall short? Sampo Ruoppila (CoPlanAI) maps the emerging landscape of AI-assisted participatory placemaking: how real-time AI-generated visualizations improve development discussions, enable more inclusive co-creation, and deliver deeper results with fewer resources—illustrated with examples from European cities and beyond. Raphaela Mak (Metvibee) brings a complementary perspective from live projects using XR, AI-generated 3D models, and web-based co-creation platforms built with tools like Lovable—showing how these tools scale citizen engagement while keeping community voice central. The final 30 minutes are hands-on: choose one of the demonstrated tools and experience AI co-creation yourself. For CoPlanAI, bring a photo of a place you think deserves transformation—or pick one of Wrocław. For Metvibee, prepare a short description of a participatory project you’re working on. You'll leave with new tools in your toolkit—and a sharper sense of if, and where, AI fits in your practice.
Sampo Ruoppila is an urbanist, scholar, and knowledge broker specialised in urban policy and AI-assisted participatory planning. He is Partner at SpinUnit Lab (Helsinki) and Co-Founder of CoPlanAI, an AI-assisted participatory planning platform that has been used in more than 100... Read More →
Raphaela Freja Emma Mak (she/her) is a multidisciplinary artist and entrepreneur working across arts, culture, music, sports, urbanism, tech, and tourism.
