The JustDe research project examines the ways in which new spatial planning governance networks and traditional government practices are juxtaposed in a city-regional context. We study how new planning practices are interpreted by different actors, and what kind of implications these interpretations have for the justification of societal decision making and the idea of the “political” in spatial planning. The empirical focus is on the relatively recent state initiatives in Finland, Sweden and Norway, in which strategic agreements concerning spatial development and major infrastructure and innovation investments are in a pivotal role. The JustDe project is funded by the Academy of Finland 2018-2022.