Education

• PhD: University of Helsinki, 2016
• MSc: University of Helsinki, 2011
• BSc: University of Helsinki, 2009

Annika Airas is an urban scholar whose work centres around planning, policy, and related urban redevelopment practices. Her teaching and research focuses on urban waterfront change, sustainability, and intercultural learning. Drawing on her Nordic background, Annika brings a comparative lens to her work in urban studies, and uses empirical examples from diverse historical, cultural, and linguistic contexts to study urban change. As part of her teaching at Urban Studies, she is developing experiential learning opportunities including field trips, workshops, and an international field school.

Her research has been published in journals such as Cities and the Canadian Journal of Urban Research, as well as in edited volumes such as Waterways and the Cultural Landscape and Urban Social Sustainability (Routledge).

Previously, Annika was a visiting scholar and a postdoctoral fellow at SFU Urban Studies and SFU Geography. She has also taught Geography and Urban Studies courses at SFU and UBC. As a visiting scholar at SFU she was also involved in the SSHRC-funded multidisciplinary ReClaiming the New Westminster Waterfront research project.