Stakeholder Engagement in Urban Living Labs
BACKGROUND/HISTORY AND CONTEXT OF THE WORKSHOP
Background of Context: Urban Living Labs are a new form of urban innovative platforms at local city levels. They are considered as promising opportunities to contribute to urban transitions by addressing key challenges on a regional level. They serve as sites, as unique platforms to design, test and actually learn from innovation in a real time. Although Urban Living Labs have emerged as a new approach to experimentation in real-life city settings, only limited information exists about the perspective on what level of stakeholders engagement work best in these innovations.
Stakeholders are considered as co-creators who do not only serve as informants but also have the power to shape outcomes by contributing with their knowledge and expertise. Despite its importance, stakeholder engagement often remains a practical challenge of this potential workshop as well, as only little research has been conducted on the actual stakeholder participation stages. .
MAIN AIM / OBJECTIVE
The aim of this workshop is to explore and analyse if Urban Living Labs effectively involve stakeholders, through engaging in participatory methodology that facilitates co-creation with stakeholders. Stakeholder participation will be examined and analysed in participating living labs by the living lab delegates during the workshop by investigating the phases of design, implementation and evaluation processes. The workshop is designed to emphasize the importance of stakeholder engagement and their ability to impact Urban Living Lab operations.
The assumption is that greater involvement will lead to more effective implementation of urban labs. However, on what level of stakeholder engagement work best still remains a challenge of this potential workshop as well. This potential workshop will focus on stakeholder engagement from different aspects as citizen, business and policy-maker angles.
EXPECTED OUTCOMES
As the moderator for the stakeholder engagement workshop the primary goal is to facilitate discussions on participating living labs to achieve early and effective stakeholder participation in the development of an urban living laboratory process.
The Report prepared after the workshop will present the outcomes of the Stakeholder Workshop and will be aimed to set out factual information relating to the establishment of an urban living laboratory, will reflect on urban development achievements and will conclude with recommendations arising from the work of the participants.
BRIEF OUTLINE / METHODOLOGY
The workshop will use mixed methods, a combination of both qualitative and quantitative methods. Multiple case study approach and analysis on currently existing or planned living labs participating in the workshop. Experts, key representatives engaged with the design, development, implementation and monitoring of participating living labs in order to generate broad understanding of stakeholder engagement and their views on how stakeholder engagement has influenced the planning and implementation of participating urban labs.
This participatory workshop will bring together urban living lab developers and stakeholders. The workshop participants will most likely come from a variety of different levels and positions including senior management, such as CEOs, CFOs, project leaders, researchers, project coordinators, as well as users within various living lab cases.