Table 1
Overview of the Participatory Skills for Urban Governance (PS-U-GO) urban living lab (ULL) project.
| ULL | VISION | PRINCIPLES AND VALUES | SPATIAL SETTING | FORMAT | PARTICIPANTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Naples (LP2) | Reclaim and democratise access to the sea as a public common; promote spatial justice, intergenerational responsibility and civic stewardship | Inclusivity, spatial justice, intergenerational responsibility and civic stewardship | Nomadic model engaging multiple sites | Participatory and non-formal engagement through open calls, workshops and community events | Youth from local communities, students, civic groups, researchers, Department of Architecture and municipal representatives |
| Palermo (MaLL) | Activate creative energies for a sustainable Madonie habitat through place-based learning, cultural innovation and ecological resilience | Place-based learning, cultural innovation and ecological resilience | Rural setting in the Madonie area; repurposed school with creative spaces serving 26 municipalities | Residency-based workshops and collaborative events connecting local and regional actors | Students, artists, local residents, cultural associations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), Fine Arts Academy (University of Palermo) and local authorities |
| Cottbus (CoCo) | Empower students to co-create inclusive urban environments through interdisciplinary and intergenerational collaboration | Interdisciplinary collaboration, experimentation and institutional learning | Central urban location offering high visibility and civic accessibility | Semester-based studio integrated into the university curriculum; adaptive stakeholder engagement co-defined by students | Students, academic staff, city agencies, cultural workers, NGOs and local associations |
| Nicosia (ULLοι Aglantzia) | Foster youth-led civic engagement and participatory design for inclusive public spaces, linking education with local governance | Youth leadership, participatory design, social inclusion and civic collaboration | Energy-efficient facility in a dense neighbourhood near Nicosia’s city centre | Fixed-site ULL connecting university, local schools and municipality through cross-sectoral workshops and co-creation sessions | Architecture students, high-school pupils, Youth Board of Cyprus, Youth Council, NGOs, Municipality of Nicosia and neighbourhood residents |
Figure 1
The Participatory Skills for Urban Governance Methodology (PS-U-GO).
Figure 2
The four-step participatory learning cycle of the operational phase.
Figure 3
The four-step participatory learning cycle of the operational phase.
Figure 4
Screenshot from the Miro Board showing stakeholder participation and real-life setting.
Table 2
Comparative stakeholder engagement and spatial settings.
| URBAN LIVING LAB (ULL) | TYPE | ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY | KEY STAKEHOLDERS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naples (LP2) | Nomadic model engaging multiple sites | Open calls, participatory, non-formal methods used | Lido Pola—Bene Comune, Peppino Impastato Youth Centre, Department of Architecture, and National Research Council—Institute for Research on Innovation and Services for Development (CNR-IRISS) |
| Palermo (MaLL) | Situated, fixed location with diverse regional cultural and civic partners | Open calls; residency-based workshops promoting networking and collaboration; non-formal education tools | Fine Arts Academy (University of Palermo), artists, makers, chefs, youth and cultural associations, local non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and local residents |
| Cottbus (CoCo) | Situated, fixed central location | Semester-based rotation; stakeholder engagement co-defined by students at semester start; flexible and adaptive. | University departments and governance, city management agency, cultural workers, local associations, and NGOs |
| Nicosia (ULLοι Aglantzia) | Situated, fixed neighbourhood location | Cross-sectoral and intergenerational partnerships between university, local high schools and open call for youth inhabitants | Department of Architecture (UCY), Cyprus Youth Board, Cyprus Youth Council, local high schools, NGOs Municipality of Nicosia, and local residents |
Table 3
Theme choice.
| URBAN LIVING LAB (ULL) | TIMELINE OF ACTIVITIES | PARTICIPATORY TOOLS USED | THEMES IDENTIFIED |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naples (LP2) | Three months | Structured six-step methodology (brainstorming, value clustering, objective mapping, stakeholder analysis), tree of objectives, fishbone diagram, and Miro platform for visualisation and archiving | Spatial justice, democratisation of public resources and governance of urban commons |
| Palermo (MaLL) | Three days of intensive workshops | Site visits, introductory lectures, brainstorming, role-playing group ideation exercises and peer critique using storyboards | Cultural heritage, ecological transitions and rural community sustainability in the Madonie region |
| Cottbus (CoCo) | Themes emerged organically through a semester | Micro-events (film nights, repair cafés, drawing workshops, participatory games) and permanent ‘Wunschbox’ feedback tool | Mobility, accessibility, urban co-creation and intergenerational interaction |
| Nicosia (ULLοι Aglantzia) | Two structured workshops aligned with higher education institution and high-schools curricula | Workshops, neighborhood walks, post-it brainstorming, idea-clustering, creative video presentations, public voting, interpretive mapping and Miro platform for documentation | Culture, music and events; greenery and environment; public space and street art; infrastructure and mobility; social cohesion and local economy |
Table 4
Exploration.
| URBAN LIVING LAB (ULL) | PARTICIPATORY TOOLS USED | KEY OUTCOMES | PARTICIPANTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naples (LP2) | EpiCollect 5, mobile workshop, collaborative mapping, masterclass, creative experts, workshop for co-design | Consolidation of relationships within the Participatory Skills for Sustainable Urban Governance Erasmus+ (PS-U-GO) project’s core working group, increased awareness of issues related to access to the sea in Naples, enhanced skills and knowledge regarding participatory tools and methods | PS-U-GO ULL Naples core working group, academia, civil society, government and public sector, industry and business |
| Palermo (MaLL) | Field visits, desk research, early prototyping, interdisciplinary workshops in equipped MaLL labs and guided facilitation by the Palermo Urban Solutions Hub (PUSH) | Refined thematic ideas, material and spatial prototypes, and enhanced interdisciplinary collaboration on rural sustainability | University students, teachers, local inhabitants, designers, researchers, Madonie Natural Park representatives and PUSH facilitators |
| Cottbus (CoCo) | Student-led public events (repair café, film screenings, art/drawing sessions, planning workshops), and ‘Wunschbox’ feedback tool | Over 70 community suggestions, increased student capacity in event facilitation and civic engagement, iterative thematic development, enhanced understanding of urban commons, mobility, and participatory planning | University students, local residents, older adults and thematic experts |
| Nicosia (ULLοι Aglantzia) | Collaborative workshops, mini-lectures, urban masterclasses, on-site analysis, model-making with materials and LEGO®, visual storytelling, and social media-style video pitches | Conceptual designs, physical models, public consultations, video pitches articulating spatial and social proposals, and collaborative scenario development | University and high-school students, ambassadors, residents, municipal officials, local experts (non-governmental organisations, artists, landscape architects) |