Figure 1
Classification of real-world experiments within the dimensions of knowledge application and generation, and controllability of boundary conditions.
Note: Simplified representation based on Groß et al. (2015).
Figure 2
Actors in the Three-Circle Model.
Note: The core area includes the actors responsible for design and implementation. The inner circle consists of those actors who are at least partially involved in real-world laboratory (RWL) activities. In contrast, the actors in the outer circle are only marginally engaged. The environment contains actors who are not actively involved in the project. The model based on Seebacher et al. (2018).
CAIS = Center of Advanced Internet Studies (CAIS); DDI = Digital Democratic Innovations; SCIU = Smart City Innovation Unit; WW = Wärmewende Unit.
Table 1
Key dates and timeline of project activity.
| DATE | ACTIVITY | ACTORS |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Early encounters at conferences | Research programme, innovation unit |
| 14 March 2023 | Ideation sprint | Research programme, innovation unit |
| 19 September 2023 | Submission of a project proposal | Research programme, innovation unit, research institute, funding foundation |
| 1 April 2024 | Formal start: Taskforce Pop-up Citizen Co-Lab | Research programme, innovation unit |
| 7–8 September 2024 | RWE: Lindener Meile | Research programme, innovation unit, independent evaluation institute |
| 11 October 2024 | RWE: Science Festival Press Play | Research programme, innovation unit, independent evaluation institute |
| 10 December 2024 | Presentation at Stadtwerke | Research programme, energy transition unit |
| 29 January 2025 | Evaluation meeting | Research programme, independent evaluation institute |
| 19 March 2025 | Stadtlabor Wärmewende | Research programme, innovation unit, energy transition unit |
Table 2
Research questions, clustered during the development of the urban real-world experiment.
| CONTENT-RELATED QUESTIONS (URBAN LIVING LABS AND SMART CITIES) | PROCESS-RELATED QUESTIONS (‘HOW DOES A LIVING LAB FUNCTION?’) |
|---|---|
| Do urban living labs provide access to novel urban data streams? (‘How do data come to the city?’) | What roles do researchers adopt in a living lab setting (e.g. co-creation, consultation, embedded research)? |
| Can urban living labs enhance communication about and engagement for smart city initiatives? | How are citizens integrated into the working process? |
| Which smart city narratives are particularly well-suited for living lab environments? | What characterises living labs that engage with digital transformation? |
| Are there smart city topics where living labs may not be an appropriate tool? | What is a suitable life-cycle for a living lab? |
| Can urban living labs contribute to more informed and better legitimatised policy decisions? | What legal considerations must be accounted for in the design process of a real-world lab? |
| Do living labs in smart cities necessarily require a digital focus? | |
| Are urban living labs inherently political spaces? |