Speaker
Description
The paper presents methodology and preliminary results of a Urban Living Lab (ULL) in the area of Bagnoli-Coroglio, Naples, South of Italy. The Return Bagnoli-Coroglio ULL has been organized in the frame of the Extended Partnership PE3 RETURN project, within the activities of the Spoke TS1-Urban and Metropolitan Settlements, with the objective of involving stakeholders in a shared process able to support the transition of multi-risk urban context under a changing climate scenario towards more resilient and sustainable communities (see https://www.fondazionereturn.it/en/).
The term Urban Living Lab refers to various types of urban experimental projects and can be declined as a methodology, a system, an environment or a governance approach (Steen & Van Bueren, 2017). The topic has become central both on a scientific and practical side. The European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL) define Living Labs as “open, user-centred innovation ecosystems, based on a systematic user co-creation approach” (ENoLL, 2016).
The methodology implemented in the RETURN Bagnoli-Coroglio ULL is based on a circular incremental and recursive process and is structured in three phases: co-exploring, co-design and co-testing (REPAIR, 2017), developed over a three-year temporal range. The co-exploring phase is aimed at improving the knowledge of the studied site, understanding the socio-environmental characteristics, the communities’ needs and preferences. The co-design is aimed at defining a shared vision developing with all the actors involved in the process concepts, ideas, policies and design strategies and solutions. Finally, the co-test phase is aimed at evaluating the strategies and solutions elaborated in the co-design phases based on objectives, criteria and indicators. Co-design workshops will be organized in the months of March and April 2025, while co-exploring workshops have been held in February 2024.
The area of Bagnoli-Coroglio has been selected because of its highly critical conditions. It is an urban hotspot, due to the co-presence of multiple risks that interact in an aggregate, compound and cascading perspective. The result is a multi-risk environmental, natural and anthropic scenario. In the ULL each phase of the process is designed to involve multiple stakeholders in a vertical and horizontal perspective aimed at the technological transfer of knowledge and skills, supporting the design process in a complex framework that consider environmental, social and economic issues. Additionally, multiple city-scale exercises are combined based on the different stages of the project process, as well as tools and stakeholders, to improve risk management in the design of critical multi-risk urban contexts.
While showing preliminary result of the co-exploration and co-design phases, the paper will highlight methodological challenges linked to the design, organization and implementation of Return Bagnoli-Coroglio ULL with particular reference to the selection of the stakeholder as well as to the different level and ability of participation.
Acknowledgements: This study was carried out within the RETURN Extended Partnership and received funding from the European Union Next-GenerationEU (National Recovery and Resilience Plan – NRRP, Mission 4, Component 2, Investment 1.3 – D.D. 1243 2/8/2022, PE0000005.
References
ENoLL (2016), Introducing ENoLL and its Living Lab community. https://issuu.com/enoll/docs/enoll-print?e=23453591/33195876
REPAiR. (2017). PULLs Handbook REPAiR Deliverable 5.1 EU Commission Participant portal. Brussels. Grant Agreement No 688920. https://doi.org/10.4233/uuid:321f152a-0fe7-4125-bb98-c8c253e5b39f
Steen, K., & Van Bueren, E. (2017). The defining characteristics of urban living labs. Technology innovation management review, 7(7).
| Keywords | urban living labs; co-design; multi-risk |
|---|---|
| Best Congress Paper Award | No |
