Speaker
Description
Problem Definition: The warming climate presents significant challenges to sustainable urban living, particularly regarding the use and comfort of public spaces. Urban areas face the heat island effect, intensifying thermal discomfort and driving up energy demand for cooling during heat waves. In this context, there is a critical need to explore how urban nature and open spaces can enhance well-being, provide thermal relief, and mitigate climate change effects. To design practical and locally acceptable solutions, it is essential to integrate the perspectives and needs of diverse stakeholders, including residents, local associations, and municipal authorities. This study investigates these dynamics through a living lab experiment conducted in the Jonction neighborhood of Geneva, Switzerland, aiming to identify pathways to improve well-being while fostering more resilient and inclusive public spaces.
Method: The research employs a living lab approach, which enables real-life experimentation and co-creation with a broad array of local stakeholders. The goal is to explore social practices in public spaces and develop participatory interventions to improve thermal comfort during periods of intense heat. In Jonction, efforts included conducting surveys to understand how residents use open spaces, mapping microclimates to identify thermal stress areas, and organizing community walks to explore local experiences and insights. These activities provided a comprehensive understanding of the neighborhood’s spatial characteristics, usage patterns, and the varying needs of different groups, contributing to a more targeted approach to intervention design. The living lab approach emphasizes the integration of diverse stakeholder perspectives, fostering collective ownership over the co-designed interventions.
Results: The living lab experiments in Jonction demonstrated strong interest and active engagement from local stakeholders in tackling the challenges of heat waves and outdoor thermal comfort. Community members, through their involvement, identified key areas within the neighborhood that were prone to thermal stress and worked collaboratively to propose solutions to improve well-being in public spaces. These findings suggest that, in addition to material developments, such as small-scale, tactical urbanism interventions, social practices based on new institutional arrangements, habits, and meanings can be effective in rapidly responding to the challenges posed by urban heat. The living lab process encouraged reflexivity among stakeholders, increasing awareness of the interconnectedness of co-creative processes and innovative solutions to urban thermal stress.
Significance to Enhancing Public Spaces: The living lab experiment in Jonction highlights the crucial role of urban nature and temporary interventions in enhancing well-being and improving public spaces within urban settings. By fostering active participation and co-creation, such initiatives align community needs with broader goals of increasing accessibility, thermal comfort, and climate resilience in public spaces. The project contributes to reimagining urban environments by encouraging changes in social practices, enhancing microclimates, and fostering inclusive urban design. The findings suggest that integrating social practices with environmental considerations in urban planning not only makes cities more resilient to the impacts of climate change but also promotes inclusivity, well-being, and a sense of community.
| Best Congress Paper Award | Yes |
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