Search Results (141)

Soil is fundamental to life on Earth through the provision of many ecosystem services. The current model of economic development exerts significant pressure on this resource, leading to degradation processes that are accelerated by the effects of climate change. This situation hinders the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and some parts of the world have started a process to reverse this trend, among them the European Union, which has chosen the living labs approach as a strategic solution. The growing interest in this subject within the EU has led to the establishment of a new framework to design and test sustainable policies to improve soil health and management at the continental scale. This review presents State-of-the-Art information on the use of the living labs approach to improve soil health. It also introduces the SOILL Support Structure for Soil Health Living Labs (SHLLs) and Lighthouses and the significant role of the SOILL-Startup project to help establish a network of 100 such structures across the EU. Following the PRISMA methodology, the review describes the main features of SHLLs (definition, types of stakeholders, field and scale of application), as well as their current geographical distribution. The work provides information that can be used by the scientific community, policy makers, and soil stakeholders who prioritise soil health, regardless of the context in which they operate. Full article

Open-plan offices have established themselves as economically efficient working environments and promote communication. Zoned lighting concepts have proven to be particularly energy-efficient and are determined by the respective occupancy profile. Due to their size, open-plan offices usually have very different levels of daylight availability depending on their position in the room, which affects the light doses per workstation. It is unclear what influence the distribution of users in the room has on the respective target values. This study therefore examines the effects of a variation in the spatial distribution of users in a real open-plan office regarding the three target values of communication distances, daily light doses, and artificial light energy requirements. Statistical methods are used to examine how a user distribution optimized for one target variable affects the other target variables. Since optimizing user distribution is an NP-hard combinatorial problem, heuristic methods are used. The results show that optimized user distribution improves only one target variable. There are no consistently strong correlations between the optimization of communication distances, energy savings, and achievable daily light doses. The work thus contributes to the holistic design of sustainable, user-centered working environments. This research is an example of a living lab case study with optimization-based modeling, emphasizing its exploratory nature rather than controlled experimental inference. Full article

Effective implementation of the new Greek governance system for Natura 2000 site protection and conservation relies on adopting innovative local participation methods. The remote and transboundary nature of Prespa Lakes presents unique challenges to environmental protection and efficient management of this protected area. Within the framework of the Horizon 2020 ARSINOE project, NECCA supervised three national workshops in the Greek part of the Prespa Lakes watershed, bringing together stakeholders from all relevant sectors that were selected based on their interest in and influence on the challenge of water management. These stakeholders mapped the complex interconnections between climate change; water management; and local issues like vegetation changes, population decline, and economic activities, revealing synergies as well as conflicts, eventually identifying innovation pathways for future climate resilience in Prespa and highlighting the importance of participatory governance for freshwater ecosystems. This paper explores the application of the System Innovation Approach and Living Labs methodology that produced mental maps, future visions, and identified innovations, thus fostering a comprehensive, multistakeholder approach to climate adaptation in water resources management. The future goal is to examine the transferability of experience and insights gained in Prespa to other Greek Protected Areas with similar ecosystem characteristics and challenges. Full article

Rapid urbanization and climate change pressure cities to integrate sustainability, digitalization, and circular economy principles. Yet most existing approaches treat these agendas separately, leaving gaps in how urban infrastructures, governance, and data systems can jointly support circular transformations. This paper addresses this challenge by proposing and validating a Sustainable, Smart, and Circular City (SSCC) architecture that operationalizes the waste–energy–information nexus. The architecture is structured into seven interconnected layers—Physical, Digital, Analytical, Participatory Governance, Data Strategy, Innovation Management, and Assessment—and is tested through two integrated experiments in the Fenicia Urban Living Lab, Bogotá: (i) an AI- and drone-based system for waste detection and community reporting and (ii) a solar-powered IoT urban garden for environmental monitoring. These experiments demonstrate how digital twins, participatory governance, and multi-actor collaboration can activate circular strategies while enabling evaluation against international standards (ISO 37106, U4SSC, LEED). The results confirm that the SSCC model can transform siloed services into integrated, circular functions that enhance quality of life, productivity, and ICT-based sustainability. The originality of this study lies in validating an SSCC architecture that incorporates the waste–energy–information nexus across seven layers and demonstrates, through Urban Living Lab experimentation, how such an architecture can guide the transition from Smart Sustainable Cities to Circular Cities. Full article

Students and educators spend considerable time in indoor learning spaces on university campuses, where indoor air quality (IAQ), of which particulate matter (PM) is an important component, is a critical concern that architecture students must address. However, IAQ is seldom monitored and very rarely, if at all, reported in these spaces. We used a novel living lab approach to provide third-year students of building services with a hands-on learning activity. During a two-week monitoring period, students designed, assembled, and operated low-cost PM sensors using Arduino platforms. The data analysis showed hotspots where the IAQ was consistently compromised and showed repetitive patterns in time. Workshop and laboratory areas repeatedly recorded the highest PM levels in 15 min sampling events distributed over daily two-hour segments, averaging 43.3 and 47.9 μg/m³ PM₁₀, respectively, with maxima of 118.6 and 119.9 μg/m³ PM₁₀. These measurements would have qualified as ‘moderate’ IAQ if sustained over a full day. A distinct weekly pattern was discovered, with Mondays being worse. The results demonstrated a new practical approach to monitoring the building’s IAQ at minimal cost while obtaining reproducible data. This tool provided educators with a valuable teaching tool that provided students with a deeper understanding of indoor air pollution. Full article

Sustainability research in Living Labs promises innovation through real-world experimentation. These settings require the integration of key design principles—such as participation, co-creation, and real-life application—into everyday research. Yet collaboration among diverse actors is often accompanied by persistent tensions and conflicts. This study examines a Living Lab project embedded in the net-zero transformation of a corporate city. It focuses on identifying and explaining key challenges in the daily collaboration between academic and non-academic actors, as well as the strategies used to cope with them. Following a qualitative approach, data were generated through twenty in-depth interviews and participant observations. We identify uncertainties, frustrations, overload, tensions, conflicts, and disengagement as recurring reactions in transdisciplinary collaboration. These are traced back to the following five underlying proto-challenges: (1) divergent interpretations of Living Lab concepts, (2) conflicting views on sustainability interventions, (3) difficulties in role positioning, (4) processes of instrumentalisation and over-identification, and (5) the embedded complexities of Living Lab governance. By linking these findings to Institutional Theory and Paradox Theory, we argue that the proto-challenges are not merely contingent barriers but constitutive tensions—implicitly inscribed into the normative design of Living Lab research and essential to engage with for advancing collaborative sustainability efforts. Full article

Urban Living Labs (ULLs) are pivotal for promoting socio-technical innovation in smart cities, yet their role in achieving sustainable urban development remains underexplored. This study addresses this gap by proposing a systematic literature review (SLR) to develop effective implementation strategies. Unlike previous studies focusing on individual aspects of these labs, our holistic approach emphasizes the orchestration of actors and innovative experiment design to co-create value with citizens. By addressing specific issues in current smart city practices—such as the misalignment between technology and community needs and among stakeholders, limited citizen engagement, and the lack of iterative testing environments—the study explores practical strategies for improvement. The proposed strategies illustrate how Urban Living Labs can serve as essential platforms for achieving sustainable and inclusive urban growth through effective socio-technical innovation integration. Full article

Living Labs are collaborative, real-world environments for co-creating sustainable innovations that rely on trust-based engagement with local communities. However, while many studies emphasise scaling up or out of such innovations, the potential for achieving qualitative transformations in relation to local values (“scaling deep”) remains underexplored. In response, we adopted a design ethnographic approach that blended immersive, reflexive ethnographic methods with the participatory co-design characteristics of Living Labs. This approach involved closely partnering with a local community champion through participant observation and co-creation workshops embedded in the community’s daily life. Our findings show that community champions acted as co-creators and mediators, building trust and aligning Living Lab activities with local values through a relational ethic of care. By immersing the research team in day-to-day community life via shared activities and open dialogue, champions enabled situated learning about local needs, thereby facilitating “scaling deep” through mutual trust and understanding. Overall, the study demonstrates that scaling deep in Living Labs hinges on embodied researcher–community partnerships in mutual care and shared responsibility. The study contributes to the Living Lab literature by illustrating how community champions can bridge understanding about sustainable transformations through relational engagement. Full article

Rapid digital transformation demands educational approaches that effectively equip students with competencies crucial for addressing real-world sustainability challenges. This study introduces and evaluates a Living Lab-based collaborative problem-solving educational model explicitly designed to enhance collaborative problem-solving (CPS), computational thinking (CT), and collaborative communication (CC) within elementary informatics education. Aligned with South Korea’s 2022 revised curriculum, this quasi-experimental research involved 196 elementary students, divided into experimental and control groups. Both groups participated in pre- and post-tests measuring CPS, CC, and CT competencies. The experimental group actively engaged in structured, community-based tasks integrating informatics concepts with authentic, real-world problems, whereas the control group experienced traditional instruction methods. Statistical analysis demonstrated significant improvements in the experimental group’s CPS and CT competencies (e.g., applying problem-solving strategies increased from 3.44 to 3.93, p < 0.001; ICT usage from 3.40 to 3.82, p = 0.002). However, advancements in CC were comparatively modest (creative communication increased from 3.31 to 3.81, p = 0.006), highlighting the necessity for explicit and structured communication interventions within collaborative frameworks. This study confirms the effectiveness of the Living Lab-based collaborative problem-solving educational model in cultivating comprehensive competencies essential for sustainable development, while underscoring the need for further integration of targeted communication strategies to maximize educational impact. Future implementations should prioritize structured communication training to fully leverage the model’s interdisciplinary potential. Full article

Campus living labs (CLLs) foster sustainability within higher education institutions (HEIs), yet their institutional embedding remains challenging. Relying on the idea of strategic niche management (SNM), this paper examines three processes key to protected space development: vision articulation, social network building, and learning. This research explores the factors that enable the development of protected spaces for successful CLLs. Using an embedded case study approach, seven sustainability initiatives were analysed at Utrecht University, the Netherlands. We found that the perceived success in CLLs is related to sustainability outcomes, scaling pathways, and process outcomes. In addition, different groups of factors driving the development of protected spaces were identified: broad factors that contribute to all or multiple key processes, specific factors that support only one process, and peripheral factors that were less frequently mentioned. ‘Organisational culture’ appeared to be an important broad factor contributing to all key processes. ‘Resources’ and ‘Coordination’ were also important, specifically for social network building, but also mentioned as currently being absent by many. Finally, this paper contributes by incorporating a new factor, ‘Orchestration’, a subtle yet strategic form of coordination. It offers insights for HEIs aiming to develop CLLs as part of their sustainability strategy. Full article

This study investigates the performance of different demand-controlled ventilation strategies for improving indoor air quality while optimizing energy efficiency. The experimental research was conducted at the Indoor Live Lab at the University of Coimbra using a smart window equipped with mechanical ventilation boxes, occupancy sensors, and a real-time CO₂ monitoring system. Several occupancy-based and CO2-based ventilation control strategies were implemented and tested to dynamically adjust ventilation rates according to real-time indoor conditions, including (1) occupancy period-based control, (2) occupancy level-based control, (3) ON-OFF CO₂-based control, (4) multi-level CO₂-based control, and (5) modulating CO₂-based control. The results indicate that intelligent control strategies can significantly reduce energy consumption while maintaining indoor air quality within acceptable limits. Among the CO₂-based controls, strategy 5 achieved optimal performance, reducing energy consumption by 60% compared to the simple ON-OFF strategy, while maintaining satisfactory indoor air quality. Regarding occupancy-based strategies, strategy 2 showed 58% energy savings compared to the simple occupancy period-based control, but with greater CO₂ concentration fluctuation. The results demonstrate that intelligent DCV systems can simultaneously reduce ventilation energy use by 60% and maintain compliant indoor air quality levels, with modulating CO₂-based control proving most effective. The findings highlight the potential of integrating sensor-based ventilation controls in office spaces to achieve energy savings, enhance occupant comfort, and contribute to the development of smarter, more sustainable buildings. Future research should explore the integration of predictive analytics and multi-pollutant sensing to further optimize demand-controlled ventilation performance. Full article

Citizen science (CS) is increasingly recognized as a complementary approach for addressing soil health challenges—including erosion, pollution, nutrient imbalances, and biodiversity loss—by harnessing public participation to broaden spatial and temporal data collection. This review synthesizes findings from the following: (i) a systematic analysis of peer-reviewed literature and grey sources, (ii) a database of 96 CS initiatives compiled by the European PREPSOIL project, and (iii) questionnaire surveys and workshops conducted in five Living Labs across Europe. Our analysis indicates that volunteer-driven monitoring can enhance the volume and granularity of soil data, providing critical insights into parameters such as organic carbon content, nutrient levels, and pollutant concentrations. However, persistent challenges remain, including inconsistencies in data validation, volunteer attrition, and concerns regarding digital literacy and data privacy. Despite these challenges, ongoing efforts to standardize protocols, integrate remote sensing and sensor-based validation methods, and employ feedback mechanisms improve data reliability and participant engagement. We conclude that sustained capacity-building, transparent data governance, and stakeholder collaboration, from local communities to governmental bodies, are essential for fully realizing the potential of citizen science in soil conservation. This work is framed within the context of the European Soil Mission, and CS is demonstrated to meaningfully support sustainable land management and evidence-based policymaking by aligning public-generated observations with established scientific frameworks. Full article

The indoor climate quality in classrooms at the University of Coimbra, Portugal, was investigated as part of the 3SqAir project, supported by the Interreg SUDOE program. This research focused on two equipped classrooms with different ventilation systems: natural and mechanical ventilation. Both classrooms were continuously monitored for IEQ parameters: thermal comfort, indoor air quality, noise, and lighting during heating and cooling seasons. Air temperature, relative humidity, CO₂ concentration, particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, volatile organic compounds, formaldehyde, sound pressure level, and illuminance were measured. Outdoor weather conditions were also recorded. The primary focus was on air temperature, CO₂ concentrations, and relative humidity, while air change rates (ACH) were estimated using the Tracer Gas Method. The results showed inadequate thermal conditions in both classrooms, particularly during the heating season. Most weekly mean CO₂ concentrations were within acceptable limits, while ACH were below standard recommendations in four CO₂ decay phases. Simulations of CO₂ decay revealed further air quality gaps in each room. Corrective measures within the 3SqAir project framework were suggested for approval and implementation while monitoring continues. This work represents the first phase in an evolving study towards developing sustainable strategies for improving indoor air quality in classrooms. Full article

This study focuses on living labs as ‘platforms for co-creation (i.e., platform-level living labs)’, in which multiple co-creation projects on diverse social issues are promoted through mutual interaction. The long-term operation of such a platform-level living lab is important for achieving social innovation and transformation through the living lab approach; however, methods and tools to support its sustainable management and operation have not been developed. Therefore, this study aims to identify key elements and develop a tool for the sustainable operation and management of platform-level living labs. It undertakes a qualitative analysis of data collected from in-depth interviews conducted with experts who have organised actual cases of long-term practising platform-level living labs in Japan. We also conduct a case-based application of the developed canvas tool and find that it enables us to consider various perspectives that are important when setting up and managing a platform-level living lab. This study also provides a ‘first step’ for further discussions on a methodology for the integrated use of multi-level canvases in the sustainable management of platform-level living labs. Full article

Australian cities face significant and growing challenges due to the combined impacts of population growth, climate change, unsustainable consumption, and digital disruption. While new services and technologies are being developed to support improved urban and environmental sustainability outcomes, significant barriers to change persist. To devise strategies addressing the resistance to change, we explore the Australian urban planning and development system to identify constraints and enablers of innovation, deconstructing commonly cited barriers such as ‘path dependency’, ‘technological lock-in’, and ‘short-termism’. We used a mixed-method approach consisting of a national cross-sectional survey and two urban development case studies. Based on its findings, this paper argues for an enhancement of the system-wide innovation capacity of Australian cities to address environmental, social, and economic pressures and achieve sustainability and resilience goals. Building and extending upon transitions theory, strategic action fields, and urban experimentation and innovation, this paper sets out a rationale for increased investment in Australia’s urban innovation ecosystem and provides five strategic actions to guide urban decision-makers, planners, and industry stakeholders. It highlights the necessity of fostering adaptive policy environments and creating dedicated zones in urban greenfield developments for sustainability innovation and experimentation to inspire and accelerate system-wide change. Full article