Short answer

Integrate a co-creation and real-world testing approach, akin to living labs, into your design process to ensure solutions are adopted and contribute to sustainability goals.

Field: Innovation & Design
Source: Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (2017)
Method: Literature review, quick scan of innovation projects, and in-depth case studies.
Evidence: Strong effect

Urban living labs foster co-innovation among diverse stakeholders in real-world settings, significantly speeding up the adoption of metropolitan solutions for enhanced liveability and sustainability. This innovation & design research insight is drawn from a 2017 study published in Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS). Using Literature review, quick scan of innovation projects, and in-depth case studies., researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Integrate a co-creation and real-world testing approach, akin to living labs, into your design process to ensure solutions are adopted and contribute to sustainability goals.

Study

Innovation & DesignHigh ImpactStrong effect

Urban Living Labs Accelerate Sustainable Metropolitan Solutions

Urban living labs foster co-innovation among diverse stakeholders in real-world settings, significantly speeding up the adoption of metropolitan solutions for enhanced liveability and sustainability.

Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) · 2017

Key Findings

01Urban living labs facilitate real-life research with multiple stakeholders in a co-innovating, inclusive setting.
02They are crucial for creating metropolitan solutions that are adopted smoothly and swiftly.
03They contribute to more liveable, sustainable, resilient, and just urban environments.
04Specific conditions are necessary for the successful emergence, implementation, and replication of innovations in urban contexts through living labs.

Application

Design takeaway

Integrate a co-creation and real-world testing approach, akin to living labs, into your design process to ensure solutions are adopted and contribute to sustainability goals.

How to apply

When developing urban solutions, establish partnerships with local communities, businesses, and government bodies to co-design and pilot initiatives in situ.

Project actions

01Consider how your design project can involve real users and stakeholders in a practical setting.
02Identify the specific conditions that would help your design solution succeed in its intended environment.

Method & Evidence

AimTo develop a systematic methodology for achieving the goals of urban living labs in practice, focusing on how they contribute to sustainability and how to establish successful ones.

MethodLiterature review, quick scan of innovation projects, and in-depth case studies.

ProcedureResearchers reviewed literature on living labs and urban living labs, scanned 90 local innovation projects in the Amsterdam region to identify defining characteristics, and conducted case studies of innovation processes within Amsterdam's living labs to understand practical workings and identify conditions for successful innovation.

ContextUrban innovation and metropolitan development

Variables

IVThe presence and structure of an urban living lab.

DVSpeed of adoption of metropolitan solutions, impact on liveability, sustainability, resilience, and justice.

CVStakeholder engagement, co-innovation processes, real-life research settings.

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

+Combines theoretical review with practical case studies.
+Addresses the crucial aspect of adoption and impact in real-world urban settings.

Limitations

The specific conditions for success identified might be context-dependent and not universally applicable without further research.

Reliability & validity

The use of multiple case studies and a literature review enhances the validity of the findings. Reliability would depend on the consistency of the identified conditions across different living labs.

Think critically

To what extent can the principles of urban living labs be applied to non-urban or smaller-scale design projects, and what adaptations would be necessary?

Design Principles

"Co-create and test solutions in real-world, multi-stakeholder environments to accelerate adoption and impact."

This approach is crucial for designers and researchers aiming to create impactful urban solutions. By integrating multiple stakeholders from the outset, it ensures that innovations are relevant, practical, and more likely to be adopted, leading to tangible improvements in urban environments.

What This Means for Your Design

Urban living labs are like real-life testing grounds in cities where different people work together to create new ideas that make cities better, more sustainable, and easier to live in, and they help these ideas get used faster.

How to use in your project

1.Reference this research when discussing the importance of user involvement, co-creation, and real-world testing in your design process, particularly for urban or community-focused projects.

Add to My Project

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

This research on urban living labs highlights the value of co-innovation in real-world settings. By involving multiple stakeholders, such as residents, businesses, and local authorities, in the design and testing phases, it is possible to accelerate the adoption of solutions that address complex metropolitan challenges, leading to more sustainable and liveable urban environments.

Source

Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS)

Urban Living Labs: A living lab way of working

journal · 2017

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about urban living labs accelerate sustainable metropolitan solutions?: Integrate a co-creation and real-world testing approach, akin to living labs, into your design process to ensure solutions are adopted and contribute to sustainability goals. Evidence: Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (2017).
Why does "Urban Living Labs Accelerate Sustainable Metropolitan Solutions" matter for design?: This approach is crucial for designers and researchers aiming to create impactful urban solutions. By integrating multiple stakeholders from the outset, it ensures that innovations are relevant, practical, and more likely to be adopted, leading to tangible improvements in urban environments.
How can designers apply this research?: Integrate a co-creation and real-world testing approach, akin to living labs, into your design process to ensure solutions are adopted and contribute to sustainability goals.
What were the main findings?: Urban living labs facilitate real-life research with multiple stakeholders in a co-innovating, inclusive setting.. They are crucial for creating metropolitan solutions that are adopted smoothly and swiftly.. They contribute to more liveable, sustainable, resilient, and just urban environments.. Specific conditions are necessary for the successful emergence, implementation, and replication of innovations in urban contexts through living labs.
What research method was used?: Literature review, quick scan of innovation projects, and in-depth case studies..
How strong is the evidence?: Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2017 journal from Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS).
What should I do differently in my next project?: When developing urban solutions, establish partnerships with local communities, businesses, and government bodies to co-design and pilot initiatives in situ.
What are the limitations?: The study focuses on the Amsterdam region, and findings may need adaptation for different urban contexts. The 'quick scan' of 90 projects might not capture the full depth of all innovation processes.