COLLABORATIVE AND PEOPLE-CENTRED
Solving complex urban challenges requires close collaboration across scientific disciplines and both the public and private sector. What it is also true is that gaining the attention, interest and engagement of a diverse range of stakeholder groups – particularly youth – is not an easy task, especially when dealing with such a complex challenge as air pollution. In addition to that, bypassing or bridging the knowledge gap becomes particularly difficult when the topics dealt are as difficult to perceive as air pollution. iSCAPE, by making things at once: simple, playful, visible, personal and practical, has managed to bring complex air pollution related issues closer to the attention of a very wide citizen and stakeholder audience. This was demonstrated, for example, by the work of the Living Labs in Dublin and Bottrop. Dublin Living Lab aimed to create shared meanings and joint values by bringing together citizens, research institutions, businesses, and public authorities to solve environmental challenges. But at the core of the Living Lab’s collaboration strategy was empowering children and young people’s creativity to reimagine the challenge of air pollution from a different perspective. Their unique and priceless ideas have sparked researchers to reimagine how they approach problems, leading to new innovations across the field. This mindset played an essential role in co-creating innovative solutions to improve air quality in the city. For the years to come, Dublin Living Lab aims to become an integral part of the regional innovation ecosystem to develop a strong value proposition for its key stakeholders by leveraging its network and established working relationships with the Smart Dublin and Smart Docklands initiatives. Bottrop Living Lab’s strategy followed an open stakeholder engagement approach to become a space of opportunities for innovative ideas and a constant learning process. The Living Lab ensured that key city stakeholders from the city administration, research and citizens collaborated together for a common goal: greening the city through the “Wandering Trees” parade. For the years to come, Bottrop Living Lab aims to transfer their Living Lab knowledge to other cities. Exchanging knowledge and experiences between Living Labs from other cities, provides all teams with great benefits, including potential collaboration opportunities.
THE LIVING LAB GUIDEBOOK FOR CITIES
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