the role of urban living labs for gothenburg¹s sustainable development final_dacomm160830(1)
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!Challenge!Lab!!CHALMERS!UNIVERSITY!OF!TECHNOLOGY!Gothenburg,!Sweden!2016!
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!!The Role of Urban Living Labs for Gothenburg’s sustainable development A case study of Jubileumsparken Master’s thesis of the Challenge Lab 2016 Caroline Seleryd Malte Glatthaar
The Role of Urban Living Labs for Gothenburg’s Sustainable Development !
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The Role of Urban Living Labs for Gothenburg’s Sustainable Development A case Study of Jubileumsparken��Caroline Seleryd, Malte Glatthaar
© CAROLINE. SELERYD, 2016. © MALTE. GLATTHAAR, 2016.
Master Thesis no �Challenge Lab Chalmers University of Technology��SE-412 96 Göteborg��Sweden��Telephone + 46 (0)31-772 1000
Seleryd & Glatthaar, Chalmers University of Technology Göteborg
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Abstract The master thesis “The Role of Urban Living Labs for Gothenburg’s Sustainable
Development” explores the contemporary concepts Placemaking and Urban Living
Lab for urban development, by analysing the case of Jubileumsparken, an area within
one of Scandinavia’s largest urban development projects situated in the centre of
Gothenburg. The theoretical discussion concludes that the concept of Urban Living Lab
has greater potential to contribute to sustainable urban development while focusing on
involving citizens and other strategic important stakeholders in the process of
developing the city as the concept of Placemaking. This argument is build on the strong
partnership called PPPP, between the private and public sector as well as people
(citizens), a characteristic crucial for the effectiveness of Urban Living Labs.
Furthermore, the focus on learning processes based on monitoring and evaluation
strategies for sustainable and social transformations of Urban Living Labs underlines the
concept’s importance in today’s urban environment, which requires more resilience
towards climate change, faces social inequality, contributes to the majority of emissions
and is thus is a major focus within the sustainability debate.
The Transition Management Cycle, a governance tool of Transition Management, is
applied as an analytical framework in order to assess Jubileumsparken as an Urban
Living Lab. The results indicate that the approach followed by the management of
Jubileumsparken lack monitoring and evaluation strategies which are crucial for
learning from experiments, prototyping and other activities in Jubileumsparken. The
thesis concludes with recommendations for the municipality of Gothenburg and the
public institution Älvstranden Utveckling AB, which is responsible for developing and
managing Jubileumsparken.
Keywords: Urban Living Lab - Placemaking - Transition Management - Social
Sustainability - Multi-Level-Perspective
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Acknowledgements
This master thesis is the result of an intensive but very fruitful semester at the Challenge
Lab 2016 at Chalmers University of Technology. Moreover, it is the final project of our
master programs in Environmental Science and Sustainability, Economics and
Management.
We would like to express our fullest gratitude to our supervisor David Andersson, who has
guided us through our research project. We greatly appreciate the many hours that
you have spent tutoring us in our project. We would also like to thank our examiner John
Holmberg, as well as Örjan Söderberg, Daniella Mendoza and Johan Larsson from the
Challenge Lab team for all the valuable advices. The Challenge Lab has provided us
with the opportunity to explore our own values towards sustainable development and
helped us broaden our perspective of our future ambitions. Moreover we would like to
thank all participants of the Challenge Lab 2016 for creating an inspiriting, motivating
and empowering environment through this this project.
And finally we would like to show our gratitude to those working at Älvstranden
Utveckling AB, Fastighetskontoret, Stadslandet, Business Region Gothenburg and those
researchers that have made this research possible through their support.
Seleryd & Glatthaar, Chalmers University of Technology Göteborg
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Executive Summary The research for this master thesis analyses Gothenburg’s sustainable urban
development and governance approaches in order to assess the city’s strategy for
sustainable development. The overall aim of this research is to identify concepts that
enable the facilitation of urban sustainability transitions and thus contribute to the
transformation of the current system for sustainable urban development in Gothenburg.
The city of Gothenburg recognizes the need for new forms of urban development that
fulfil both, more citizen involvement in decision-making processes and finding strategies
that are in line with the ambitious vision of the municipality for sustainable
development. Gothenburg’s strategy for urban development is based on various
concepts as stated in the RiverCity Vision 2012; “to develop Gothenburg as a hub of
creativity and innovation and as a Testbed and Living Lab building on a pool of talents
and firms, […]” (RiverCity Vision, 2012).
However, when interviewing practitioners form several departments in Gothenburg, the
different concepts, such as Testbed, Living Lab or Placemaking were used
interchangeably. When asked for more in-depth information which would differentiate
the different concepts, answers to the question were often ambiguous. In order to
analyse Gothenburg’s approach to sustainable urban development the three
concepts, Testbed, Placemaking and urban living lab, all concepts that are currently
employed by the city, were discussed based on literature. Furthermore, the research
provides a case study of an area that is within one of Scandinavia’s largest urban
development projects, the RiverCity development in Gothenburg.
The case study focuses on the governance strategies employed by the municipality
owned company Älvstranden Utveckling AB, for developing Jubileumsparken.
The theoretical analysis of the different concepts concludes that the urban living lab
concept has the greatest potential for sustainable urban development by being able
to address all dimensions of sustainability, environmental, societal economic. If
employed according to literature, the urban living lab concept upholds a strong
potential to involve citizens and co-create urban development together with a nexus of
stakeholders including the private and public sector.
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The concept for urban development applied at Jubileumsparken has been called a
Living Lab, Testbed and Placemaking. However, due to the afore mentioned qualities
of the urban living lab concept, Jubileumsparken was analysed as an Urban Living Lab
by answering the following questions;
1.! How can the concept of urban living lab contribute to sustainability transitions in
Gothenburg?
2.! What theoretical frameworks can be applied for analysing urban living labs?
3.! What challenges and benefits are perceived by stakeholders in the process?
The theoretical framework identified for analysing Jubileumsparken was derived form
Transition Management, as this branch of theory is concerned with understanding and
facilitating social transitions towards a sustainable future.
Transition Management Cycle, based on Loorbach (2010)
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The Transition Management Cycle, was applied to analyse and assess Jubileumsparken
as an Urban Living Lab. The cycle identifies four different governance activities relevant
for social transitions, called the (i) Strategic, (ii) Tactical, (iii) Operational and (iv)
Reflexive phase, as represented above in the figure.
Empirical data was collected through fourteen semi-structured interviews with
stakeholders involved at Jubileumsparken. Interview questions were structured and
formulated according to the four phases of the Transition Management Cycle. The goal
was to gain an understanding on their insights on perceived challenges and benefits of
the current process at Jubileumsparken. The findings indicate that Jubileumsparken has
potential to be developed into an Urban Living Lab, based on the current types of
business experiments and prototypes, which have been established in this urban area.
However, the management team of the park is lacking monitoring and evaluation
procedures, which are important for learning and knowledge creation for urban
development. The thesis concludes with recommendations for the Jubileumsparken
management team at Älvstranden Utveckling AB.
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Table of Contents ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS!....................................................................................................................................!3!EXECUTIVE SUMMARY!......................................................................................................................................!4!TABLE OF CONTENTS!.........................................................................................................................................!7!LIST OF FIGURES!.................................................................................................................................................!8!LIST OF TABLES!...................................................................................................................................................!8!1. INTRODUCTION!.............................................................................................................................................!9!
1.1 BACKGROUND!....................................................................................................................................................!9!1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT!.........................................................................................................................................!11!1.3 THE CHALLENGE LAB!.........................................................................................................................................!12!1.4 RESEARCH PURPOSE & RESEARCH QUESTION!....................................................................................................!14!1.5 SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS!...................................................................................................................................!14!1.6 TARGET AUDIENCE!.............................................................................................................................................!15!
2. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK!.......................................................................................................................!16!2.1 SUSTAINABILITY IN URBAN DEVELOPMENT!...........................................................................................................!16!2.2 NEW APPROACHES FOR URBAN DEVELOPMENT!.................................................................................................!21!2.3 PLACEMAKING!..................................................................................................................................................!23!2.4 URBAN LIVING LABS – DEFINITION AND CHARACTERISTICS!.................................................................................!24!
3. ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK!........................................................................................................................!31!3.1 TRANSITION MANAGEMENT!................................................................................................................................!31!3.2 UNDERSTANDING TRANSITIONS USING THE MULTI-LEVEL PERSPECTIVE!.................................................................!32!3.3 TRANSITION ARENA!............................................................................................................................................!34!3.4 TRANSITION CYCLE!............................................................................................................................................!35!
4. METHODOLOGY!..........................................................................................................................................!39!5.1 CASE STUDY JUBILEUMSPARKEN!.........................................................................................................................!44!
5.2 Analysis of Jubileumsparken!............................................................................................................!46!5.2.1 Strategic Activities!.............................................................................................................................................!46!5.2.2 Tactical Activities!...............................................................................................................................................!53!5.2.3 Operational Activities!.......................................................................................................................................!57!5.2.4 Reflexive Activities!.............................................................................................................................................!62!5.3 Key Findings!.........................................................................................................................................!64!
6. DISCUSSION!.................................................................................................................................................!66!6.1 System Analysis Using the Multi-Level Perspective!....................................................................!66!6.2 Discussion of the Case Study: Jubileumsparken!........................................................................!70!
8. CONCLUSION!..............................................................................................................................................!75!9. RECOMMENDATIONS!.................................................................................................................................!77!
9.1 FUTURE STUDIES!..................................................................................................................................................!80!REFERENCES!.....................................................................................................................................................!81!
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APPENDIX I: INTERVIEW QUESTIONS!...............................................................................................................!1!APPENDIX II: TABLES AND FIGURES!.................................................................................................................!2!
FRAMEWORK FOR URBAN LIVING LAB DESIGN: AS DESCRIBED BY GUST (2015)!.........................................................!2!PHASES OF DEVELOPMENT!..........................................................................................................................................!3!
APPENDIX III: THE CHALLENGE LAB: PROJECT PHASE I!................................................................................!5!
List of figures FIGURE!1:!THE!TRIPLE!HELIX!...............................................................................................................................................!12!FIGURE!2:!INNOVATION!MECHANISM!IN!LIVING!LABS,!BASED!ON!LEMINEN!(2013)!.......................................................................!27!FIGURE!3:!TRANSITION!MANAGEMENT!CYCLE,!BASED!ON!LOORBACH!(2010!...............................................................................!36!FIGURE!4:!LOCATION!OF!JUBILEUMSPARKEN!(ÄLVSTRANDEN,!2016)!..........................................................................................!44!FIGURE 5: OPEN CALL BRIEFING!....................................................................................................................................!56!FIGURE!6:KAJ!ODLING!SITE!AT!JUBILEUMSPARKEN!..................................................................................................................!58!FIGURE!7:!ALLMÄNNA!BASTUN!...........................................................................................................................................!60!FIGURE!8:!ILLUSTRATION!OF!FINDINGS!..................................................................................................................................!70!FIGURE!9:!RECOMMENDATIONS!..........................................................................................................................................!77! List of tables TABLE!1:!CONTEMPORARY!URBAN!DEVELOPMENT!CONCEPT!......................................................................................................!22!TABLE!2:!ROLES!OF!LIVING!LABS,!BASED!ON!CAPDEVILLA!(2014)!..............................................................................................!27!TABLE!3:!ANALYTICAL!FRAMEWORK!.....................................................................................................................................!38!TABLE!4:!INTERVIEW!PARTNER!............................................................................................................................................!42!TABLE 6 STAKEHOLDER GROUPS ENGAGED IN THE PARK!................................................................................................!53!
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1. Introduction
1.1 Background The urban environment has become home to the majority of human life; more than half
of the world’s population (53%) is now living in urbanized areas (UN, 2009). Cities today
are facing major global challenges such as population growth, increased urbanisation
and climate change (Opitz et al., 2016). At the same time, urban areas also represent a
highly intensified agglomeration of industry, infrastructure and residential buildings,
which produce an estimated 70 % of global energy related CO2 emissions (IAE, 2009).
Cities are “[…] entering an epoch of protracted crisis. All urban settlements face a
practical crisis of sustainability, just as human beings face a comprehensive crisis of
social life on this planet” (James, 2015, p. 3).
The importance for sustainability transitions in urban development has thus become
increasingly apparent. The United Nations have responded to these concerns by
including sustainable city life as one of the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development. The proposed target is to “build cities and human settlements inclusive,
safe, resilient and sustainable” (UN, 2016). According to the UN (2016), a sustainable city
is “an urban area that enables its inhabitants to enjoy a good economic and social life
without using the earth's resources in an unsustainable way” (UN, 2016). These issues are
by no means exclusively related to less industrialized countries or fast developing
nations, such as The People’s Republic of China. European cities are also under
immense pressure to provide for economic prosperity and social cohesion, while
developing environmentally sustainable (Breitfuss-Loidl et al., 2016).
Sustainable development is a wide and complex concept that can be approached in
multiple ways. The challenge is to find ways to reach the ambitious visions for
sustainable development in an unthreatening and socially just manner, while also
reducing the barriers for social, economic and environmental sustainable innovations to
be integrated as part of the transition. The urban sustainability challenges require new
forms of collaboration, more awareness for the issues from all actors in cities and an
arena for learning, exploring and testing new ideas and innovations. According to
Radywyl and Biggs (2013), public city space provides an entry-point for sustainable
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urban transformation, as “it represents an environment that links people, practices,
institutions and supports the transfer of knowledge and ideas transfer from individual to
municipal level” (Radywyl & Biggs, 2013 p. 169).
The Urban Living Lab concept may just provide a concept for facilitating sustainable
urban transformation, by designing, testing and learning of social and technical
innovations in real-time (Breitfuss-Loidl et al., 2016). This thesis explores the Urban Living
Lab concept for urban sustainability transitions by investigating this concept in the
regional context of Gothenburg, Sweden.
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1.2 Problem Statement Like in other European harbour cities, the port of Gothenburg has been relocated
outside the city centre, leaving behind a vast uninhabited space in the heart of
Gothenburg. The municipality owns this land and has started to develop some parts into
residential areas. The so called RiverCity development is one of Scandinavia’s largest
urban development projects.
In the past the city has been publically criticized for its urban development approach.
The criticism has been targeted towards a lack of citizen involvement in the decision-
making processes in urban development. In order to build trust and create mutual
understanding between Gothenburg’s residents and the municipality, the city has
conducted dialogues with over 3000 adults and an estimated 300 children, to create a
common vision for the development of the RiverCity development.
Main challenges for Gothenburg identified in the RiverCity vision include, “[…]
globalisation, increasing social exclusion and the effects of climate change” (RiverCity
Vision, 2012 p.9). Furthermore, the vision intends to develop the RiverCity as “an
attractive and sustainable regional centre” (RiverCity Vision, 2012 p.10). Issues such as
social exclusion and segregation in the region as well as the need for re-examining the
current economic models while exploring new strategies for economic development
are recognized and addressed in this co-created vision for urban development
(RiverCity Vision, 2012). The RiverCity vision has been translated into action by
employing contemporary approaches for urban development by the city of
Gothenburg. Älvstranden Utveckling AB, a municipal owned company in Gothenburg,
has implemented the concept of Placemaking, Testbed and Living Lab as a
development strategy. However, these new forms of governance and facilitation in
urban development is new territory for most practitioners in the municipality. The
different concepts have been used synonymously in discussions with actors in the field.
Furthermore, the company Älvstranden Utveckling AB perceives a lack for assessment
methods for the different concepts and their impact.
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1.3 The Challenge Lab
The subsequent chapter will provide a brief summary on how this master thesis research
project came into existence. For a more in-depth description see Appendix IV.
This master thesis was conducted in the Challenge Lab 2016 at Chalmers University of
Technology Gothenburg. The Challenge Lab is a platform where master students from
different disciplines and countries collaborate with local industry, government and
academia, in order to develop strategies for sustainability transitions in the region of
Gothenburg. The students work within the triple helix independently, (see figure 1). The
Challenge Lab is based on the assumption that students are perceived as
unthreatening and neutral from local stakeholders, as they do not represent the interest
of private or municipal organizations. Therefore, the role of students is key in identifying
crucial and pressing sustainability challenges in the region.
!Figure!1:!The!triple!helix
Throughout the first project phase, students were trained in self-leadership, dialogue,
system thinking and other tools that increase the comprehension for the complexity of
those systems and furthermore enable students to identify where and how to intervene
in currently unsustainable systems, in order to develop strategies for sustainability
transitions.
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The overall methodology applied at the Challenge Lab is Backcasting. Backcasting is a
tool for strategic planning for sustainable development (Holmberg & Robèrt (2000).
By following the four steps of the Backcasting process, the students place themselves
first in the future and envision a sustainable future by developing sustainability criteria
based on literature, group discussions and presentations. Following the second step of
the backcasting methodology, the students step into dialogues with important
stakeholders of the Gothenburg region, from academia, the private and public sector.
The dialogues are based on different topics, such as urban development, material
flows, energy, waste and building materials. The stakeholder dialogues allow students to
identify leverage points in the systems, which represent pressing sustainability
challenges. This process also enables students to identify the level of interest from
different actors involved in these systems, which is a crucial driver for change. Bringing
experts from different sectors together and providing a neutral platform for discussion
enabled a more in-depth analysis of the challenges that were identified, as well as for
the points of intervention in the respective systems.
The motivation for this research project is based on the first project phase of the
Challenge Lab, the identification of urgent challenges with perceived high interest in
the region of Gothenburg and the students’ own interest aligned with their educational
background. Stakeholders working on the RiverCity project in Gothenburg attended
the dialogues and addressed their difficulties in planning and governing for sustainable
development of one of Scandinavia’s largest urban development projects.
Jubileumsparken as part of the RiverCity project was identified as an area with great
potential for a central hub for innovation in Gothenburg.
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1.4 Research Purpose & Research Question The purpose of this thesis is to contribute to the transformation of the current system for
sustainable urban development in Gothenburg and to integrate new perspectives and
ideas, in order to transfer the knowledge created to other projects in the region.
Our research questions are; (i) how can the concept of Urban Living Lab contribute to
sustainability transitions in Gothenburg? (ii) What theoretical frameworks can be
applied for analysing Urban Living Labs? (iii) What challenges and benefits are
perceived by stakeholders in the process?
1.5 Scope and Limitations
In order to understand how the concept of Urban Living Lab can contribute to
sustainability transitions in Gothenburg, this thesis focuses on Transition Management
theories. Transition Management has been applied to several other studies on Urban
Living Lab, thus it was considered a useful framework for this study.
Since the concept of Urban Living Lab is set in a real-life environment this thesis will use a
case study approach, in order to provide empirical evidence of how the concept
operates practically. The study aims to understand sustainability transitions in the
Gothenburg region, therefore the scope of thesis will focus on the case study of
Jubileumsparken. Jubileumsparken is located in the city centre of Gothenburg and
within one of Scandinavia’s largest urban development project, the RiverCity
development. Empirical data was obtained from researchers, practitioners at various
municipality departments and stakeholders involved in the development process of
Jubileumsparken. Therefore, the empirical scope of this thesis is limited to the
knowledge provided by actors from the Gothenburg region.
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1.6 Target Audience
The target audience for this thesis are municipalities that have the courage to develop
and explore new ways for sustainable urban development and those actors working in
the public sector that have recognized that the business as usual approach will not
succeed in transforming the urban landscape into a sustainable future. Furthermore, this
research is aimed at private companies involved or operating within urban living labs,
researchers in the fields of sustainable development, innovations and transitions in the
urban sphere, policy makers and other potential users of temporary urban
development.
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2. Theoretical Framework
The purpose of the theoretical framework is to provide in-depth knowledge on
contemporary urban development concepts that are currently employed as
governance tools by the city of Gothenburg, which provide alternatives for the business
as usual case of urban development. These three concept aim for more social,
environmental and economic sustainability. The first chapter is an introduction to the
sustainability debate in the context of urban development. The chapter has a strong
focus on the social domain of the sustainability dimensions. The discussion concludes
with a positive approach towards governing sustainable development. The second
chapter introduces three different concepts for urban development employed by the
city of Gothenburg, Placemaking, Testbed and Urban Living Lab. This chapter
concludes that the concept of Urban Living Lab offers the most potential for
sustainability transitions out of these three concpets.
2.1 Sustainability in Urban Development After the 21st session of the Conference of Parties COP21 on the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) in 2015, the content and form of
the agreement was published in December 2015. It states that
“[…] aggregate emission pathways consistent with holding the increase in the global
average temperature to well below 2 °C above pre- industrial levels and pursuing
efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 °C above pre- industrial levels […]”
(UN, 2015).
The above mentioned goal requires a major shift in the way we as a global community
live life today. For decades now, and at least since the book by Meadows et al. (1972),
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The Limits to Growth, the finite availability of non-renewable resources is widely
understood. Experts in economics have been trying for years now to alternate the
mechanisms of the global economy, in order to reduce or even eradicate externalities1.
Unfortunately, with little or no success, if global emission levels are the main criterion for
judgement, which still continue to rise (IPCC, 2014). A study on the Swedish economy,
policy and lifestyle impacts, which reviewed data from 1960-2011, indicates “[…] that
the implemented policies have failed to reduce resources and energy to desired levels”
(Heshmati, 2015).
The sustainability crisis becomes especially apparent in the urban space. For the first
time ever in human history more than half of the world’s population lives in urban
areas.2 This number is expected to grow to 70% by 2050 (Dahkal, 2010). In highly
developed countries, such as Sweden, 86% of the population already lives in cities
(World Bank, 2016). Urban areas consume as much as 80% of global energy (James,
2015). On a local level, cities mitigation strategies often revolve around technical issues
that promise mitigation strategies through technical innovations. A strong focus on
technical innovations, which will replace and thus mitigate the impact of unsustainable
technology seems to be a popular strategy for sustainable development among city
officials.
When reviewing the presentation of the city of Gothenburg’s sustainability strategies,
the region where this research project is conducted, the focus lies on high-tech
solutions. Examples for Gothenburg’s sustainable development strategies include
projects such as, SmartCity, ElectriCity or Green Gothenburg, which includes issues such
as waste, transport, energy and urban development projects (City of Gothenburg,
2016), all of which have a strong focus on high-tech innovations. The citizen as a user of
the new technology and as a dweller in the urban space is left unconsidered as a mere
user and consumer in the sustainability strategy Green Gothenburg. The key actors for
sustainable development are presented as what James (2015), calls the knowledge
1 Externalities; externalized environmental effects of goods, services, processes or systems (Lettenmeier et al, 2009). 2 According to the UN, 53% of the world’s population lives in cities. (UN, 2009)!
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industry. Another example is the promotion film for the RiverCity, which showcases the
planned development, but focuses only on computer animations of buildings, rather
than the urban dwellers who will live in this area (Älvstranden Utveckling AB, 2016).
According to James (2015), the strong emphasis on the smart city concepts is inflated
and tends to prioritize the “[…] so-called knowledge industries as a separate and
dominating domain of social life” (James, 2015. p. 43). The author continues, “the
current fetish for smart cities is oriented around economic return and knowledge for
profit’s sake” (James, 2015. p. 44). The one-sided focus on experts and technological
development appears more comfortable to the general public, as one’s own
behaviour is left untouched in the sustainability debate. Furthermore, the smart city
approach with a strong focus on expert knowledge and technological innovation for
sustainable development holds potential to lower the perceived responsibility of citizens
towards the sustainability issue. This becomes also apparent when the focus on policy
design for sustainability is mainly based on technological innovations.
The concept circular economy (as opposed to a linear economy) or cradle-to-cradle
have become buzz words in the field of sustainability. The idea is to design or substitute
materials with other materials that can be reused and repurposed infinitely, meaning
the system would (in theory) eradicate waste. The concept promises a decoupling of
raw materials from economic growth (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2014). While these
intentions are highly noble, there is no real-life example of a circular economy that
actually achieves to eradicate waste and energy use. Nonetheless, the circular
economy and the cradle-to-cradle concept have been embraced by politics and
industry (De Man and Brezet, 2016). According to De Man and Brezet (2016), this is a
misleading message in the sustainability discourse, as it simplifies the debate and
reduces the complexity of sustainable development to a mere technological issue of
resource consistency and efficiency3. Instead de Man and Friege (2016), postulate to
equally consider all three strategies for sustainable development; efficiency,
3 Resource consistency; “feeding back materials in a way that is optimally consistent with natural substance flows” (de Man & Friege, 2016. p. 94). Resource efficiency; increasing product output by using less resources.
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consistency and sufficiency4. The idea of sufficiency is in stark contrast to the neoliberal
economic assumption of the homo economicus. The idea of homo economicus,
reduces humans to rational decision makers, who constantly seek to maximize their self
interest. The same presumption is made for agents in the green economy5. The
neoliberal assumption serves here again as a prerequisite of the green economy, where
environmental consequences are decoupled form economic activity through eco-
efficiency and technical innovation (Deflorian, 2015). A sustainability strategy based on
sufficiency will require a strong focus on human behaviour and consumption patterns,
as compared to production efficiency and consistency. Sufficiency as a concept is
straightforward; there can be enough of an activity (Princen, 2005). According to
Princen (2015), sufficiency is common sense when for instance a farmer aims for as
much yield as the market demands, without pushing land and workers too much, in
order to avoid risking soil quality and workers’ reliability.
The notion of sufficiency in economics is used for instance as a strategy in the de-
growth debate for a de-commercialization of our lives and as a political tool aiming to
foster personal resources, such as time, health, education, knowledge, as well as the
freedom to choose one’s own path (Deflorian, 2015). Furthermore, sufficiency is a
critique of increasing the gross domestic product (GDP) as the main social and political
goal (Deflorian, 2015). Therefore, sufficiency strategies for economic policy and
governance require a focus on the behaviour of people, within markets, rather than
focusing on technology and its advancement. The behavioural approach of the
sufficiency domain offers a direction in the sustainability debate towards the social
dimension, the least developed and understood dimension of sustainability (Patridge,
2005).
Considering the factors outlined above, technical centred policies for sustainable
urban development might undermine the complexity of the sustainability discourse.
Moreover, in some regions, such as Sweden, policies addressing sustainable 4 Sufficiency; “reducing the need for products and services” (de Man & Friege, 2016. p. 94). 5 Green Economy as a concept aims to reduce resource input by increasing resource efficiency of industrial production (Deflorian, 2015).
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development have missed their targets for decades. Therefore, given the complexity
and urgency for sustainable urban development, it seems beneficial to create more
pluralism in the sustainability debate by equally considering all dimensions of
sustainability.
2.1.2 Towards a Positive Approach for Sustainability
A one dimensional and fragmented policy landscape might lead to rigidity and
contradiction in the system and a slowing down of processes for development. Also
urgently needed social and technical sustainability innovations will be affected by a
fragmented policy landscape, especially in their implementation and testing phase.
The question arises how to approach sustainability and how to enable plurality and a
more equal integration of the sustainability dimensions in policy.
Within this debate, James (2015) suggests positive sustainability as a new approach
towards sustainability. James (2015), bases his argument on the fact that “[…] the
dominant focus of the last three decades on mutually assured negative sustainability
has not saved us from the current manifold crisis, then something more radical is
needed” (James, 2015. p. 23). Negative sustainability is related to the endurance and
prolonging of negative effects and reducing the impact of change. In contrast, positive
sustainability resembles “[…] practices and meanings of human engagement that
make for lifeworlds that project the ongoing probability of natural and social flourishing,
vibrancy, resilience and adaptation” (James, 2015. p.23). The focus on ‘lifeworlds’
describes the local environment with its relations to the global context. This positive
framework for sustainability provides a strong focus for the social domain of
sustainability, without the prerequisite of economic sustainability as the prevailing
domain. Furthermore, as the positive sustainability framework is ‘human’ centred and
not ‘things’ centred, positive sustainability is about negotiating on how we want to live.
Therefore, the concept offers room for discussion on “how issues of social equity and
communality, ecological sustainability, grass- roots economic viability and respect for
different ways of life to be negotiated in the practice of sustainable development”
(James, 2015. 20). This negotiation process requires a supporting governance approach
and moreover, a physical space in the city for it to evolve.
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2.2 New Approaches for Urban Development
The city of Gothenburg recognizes the need for new approaches for urban
development and embeds new concept based on experimentation an innovation in its
long term vision. The RiverCity vision includes statements such as, “develop Gothenburg
as a hub of creativity and innovation and as a test-bed and living lab building on a
pool of talents and firms, […]” (RiverCity Vision, 2012). The concepts Testbed and Living
Lab stem from the idea of innovation experiments for development. Other municipal
departments state to use Strategic Placemaking, a process aiming at improving public
space by involving citizens in building local identity (Älvstranden, 2016).
However, during interviews with stakeholders form the region of Gothenburg, including
practitioners working for the municipality or operating living labs, ambiguity about the
different concepts became apparent. Therefore, the following chapters provide an
overview of the three temporary concepts that the city of Gothenburg employs for its
urban development; Placemaking, Testbed and Urban Living Lab. Even though all three
concepts are kept broad in literature as well as in their real-life implementation in terms
of application, profound differences between these concepts can be determined. The
following table provides an overview of the main differences between the three
concepts.
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Table!1:!Contemporary!urban!development!concept!
CONCEPT URBAN LIVING LAB PLACEMAKING TESTBED
Definition “Urban Living Labs test new technologies, solutions and policies in real-world conditions in highly visible ways, which can prompt radical social and technical transformation” (Voytenko et al. 2016).
"The strategic component of processes of space- and place-related identity building and the use of culturally coded attributes of location in town development processes" (Bürkner, 2005).
“A testbed is a controlled experimentation platform, where applications can be deployed and tested in an environment that resembles real-world conditions. The approximation of, but insulation from, the real world allows the issues of safety, security, reproducibility ect. To be managed during an experiment.[…]” (Krafzig. et al. 2005).
Who Stakeholders (PPPP: public-private-people-partnerships)
Local community, citizens, municipalities
Researches (users are not necessary involved)
How Test, develop, co-create new activities, processes, business and technologies. In order to can gain access to ideas, experiences, and knowledge that users possess based on their daily needs
Building on the bottom-up principle of involving citizens in decision making processes. By seeking to enhance the local environment as a resource for revitalization. (Dean & McClelland, 2013)
By identifying new business opportunity or problems, and provide insights of new products, services or technological innovations
What A real life urban laboratory Identity building of a local area
A platform for testing scientific theories, tools or technologies (Sanchez et. al, 2014)
Where The concept is broad and can be; a park, a street, a building etc.
In local communities In a controlled, laboratory environment (Slama D. et al. 2015)
When In multi-contextual spheres where knowledge co-produce and transferred to other areas and collaborations (Stelzer et al., 2015)
Improve or revitalize socially and economically deteriorated areas (Dempsey & Burton, 2012)
Manly focused on technical industries such as; manufacturing, energy, healthcare, financial services and transportation.
As indicated in table 1, Testbeds do not necessarily involve citizens in their processes.
Furthermore, Testbeds are isolated form real-world conditions, with a focal point on
technologies and economic drivers. These aspects disqualify this concept for the
purpose of this research, as it limits the plurality of the process and the quality of
negotiations over inventions.
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2.3 Placemaking Placemaking emerged in the 1960s to address social sustainability in urban areas, by
emphasizing a bottom-up approach to urban development and focussing on the
existing environment. Ertan and Eğercioğlu (2015), describe Placemaking as; “[…] a
process that transforms space into place forming a kind of belonging for its residents
and visitors.” Placemaking initiatives have increased throughout the last years as a way
for local residents to shape the city together. It has also gained attention from
municipalities as a planning strategy to address challenges of social suitability. The
initiatives can be relatively small. For example, a group of neighbours deciding to take
responsibility for the public playground. Others can be larger, such as a community
building project aimed to make residents create their own environment (Dempsey &
Burton, 2012). The projects can be either temporary or long-term, which implies a
gradual transformation to a more permanent activity.
Several authors agree that bottom-up Placemaking is a positive way to activate and
create a sustainable urban space (Karacor, 2014; Balassiano & Maldonado, 2014).
According to Dempsey and Burton (2012), social interactions in public spaces can
contribute to the quality of life for individuals as well as society. Shared space can also
contribute to a sense of belonging, by establishing a link between people and places.
They, thus argue that it is vital to create physical places that facilitate citizens’
engagement and community interaction.
Placemaking has been used as a method to help improve socially and economically
deteriorated areas (Karacor, 2014; Balassiano & Maldonado, 2014). The method can
help understand what people want and need in public spaces. The concept rejects
top-down planning, instead local authorities and residents should shape
neighbourhoods together (Balassiano & Maldonado, 2014). Karacor et al. (2014) states
that Placemaking cannot be organised with specific rules that can be transferred to
other projects, since it focuses on the local characteristic of the area. Instead
Placemaking should provide a guidance for other area studies. Strategies for
Placemaking can include surveys of the urban environment and mapping out
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communities and resources (Karacor, 2014). Attention is put on the characteristics of
the local environment such as: diversity, history, culture and local businesses that can
help contribute to neighbourhood revitalization and economic development (Karacor,
2014).
Criticism of Placemaking has also been raised by several authors (Dempsey & Burton,
2012; Karacor, 2014). When the local governments step back and give citizens
responsibility of an area, little attention is put on who becomes involved in the
Placemaking activities and for what reason. Which might result in that well-resourced
groups can come and dominate the area (Karacor, 2014).
Placemaking has both positive and negative aspects which need to be taking into
account when developing an area using the concept. Placemaking has the potential
to increase quality of life in socially and economically deteriorated areas (Dempsey &
Burton, 2012). However, Placemaking can also lead to an increase of property values
and force out low-income groups and contribute to segregation of communities
(Karacor, 2014). This is one of the main reasons why bottom-up Placemaking is not
recommended as a key planning strategy for sustainable urban development.
2.4 Urban Living Labs – Definition and Characteristics Urban Living Labs is a relatively new concept that has evolved from the Living Lab idea,
which is based on user-centred service and product innovation in a real-life context
(Brask, 2015). The European Network for Living Labs counts 170 active living labs in its
networks today. The organization defines the concept as “[…] user-cantered, open
innovation ecosystems based on a systematic user co-creation approach integrating
research and innovation processes in real life communities and settings […]” (ENoLL,
2916).
The Living Lab concept has developed into a cross-disciplinary research network
concept (Voytenko et al, 2015), based on public-private-people partnerships
(hereinafter PPPP) (Voytenko et al, 2015, Nevens, 2015; Reimer et al, 2012), and thus the
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trans-disciplinary nature of Urban Living Labs bears great potential for transition
management. Transition Management is currently employed as guiding framework for
Urban Living Labs (Schliwa, 2013; Stelzer, 2015). In those cases, where transition
management is applied to the Urban Living Lab concept, Urban Living Labs become
practical arenas within the transition management cycle, for experimenting, testing
and evaluation of innovations, a concept that will be discussed in chapter 3. The PPPP
might refer to the collaboration between local governments, businesses, researchers
and citizens (Schilwa, 2013). Urban Living Labs are employed in the urban space, based
on openness and accessibility in order to enable learning and testing from social and
technical innovations. The Urban Living Lab concept aims to provide a solution to the
issue of creating and measuring societal impact of research, by creating actionable
knowledge, through testing of “new technologies, solutions and policies in real world
conditions in highly visible ways, which can prompt radical social and technical
transformation” (Voytenko et al., 2015 p.7). The Urban Living Lab concept has also been
further developed by Nevens et al. (2013), into urban transition labs, or by Stelzer et al.
(2015), into real-world laboratories, all of which emphasize on different elements of the
Urban Living Lab idea.
According to Nevens et al. (2013), an urban transition lab is: “[…] a hybrid, flexible and
transdisciplinary platform that provides space and time for learning, reflection and
development of alternative solutions […]” (Nevens et al., 2013. p. 115)
While urban transition labs use transition management as methodological approach
(Nevens et al. 2013), real-world laboratories are less constraint in their approach.
However, Stelzer el al. (2015), suggest to apply what they define as nine core criteria, for
the conceptualizing real-world laboratories. Some of the core criteria for real-world
laboratories include: “knowledge shall be co-produced, real-world interventions guided
by scientist […]” and “[…] developing transferable solutions for other contexts,
transdisciplinary cooperation between science and society (economy, politics,
administration, and civil society stakeholders)” (Stelzer et al., 2015. p.3&4). These spin-
offs of the Urban Living Lab concept indicate that the concept itself is rather broad and
therefore allows for variations of the users themselves.
In order to define the basic elements of Urban Living Labs, five characteristics as
suggested by McCormick (2015), are used for this research, which include both
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integrative and transformative aspects of the concept; (i) Engagement, (ii) Exploration,
(iii) Experiments, (iv) Evaluation and (v) Entrepreneurs.
Engagement. The PPPP is one of the core concepts for cross-sectorial learning of the
Urban Living Lab. Thus engagement, refers to the collaborative structure of Urban Living
Labs. The overall function or purpose of an Urban Living Lab might be reflected in its
managerial structure. One of the four meanings of Urban Living Labs, as described by
Dutilleul et al. (2010), are “[…] organizations facilitating the network, developing and
maintaining its technological infrastructure and offering relevant services […]” (Dutilleul
et al., 2010. p. 64). Here, the managerial setup, including facilitation and organization,
will determine whether an Urban Living Lab is managed top-down, with an
authoritarian, hierarchical innovation approach, or bottom-up in which “[…] grassroots
ideas and needs are collectively developed, created, prototyped, and validated for
mutual and shared objectives […]” (Leminen, 2013. p. 7).
Engagement requires coordination of stakeholder and reflections on internal structures.
Leminen (2013) suggests what he calls a matrix of innovation mechanisms in living lab
networks. Applied to Urban Living Labs, this matrix (see figure 2) enables the
identification of stakeholder groups that act as driving forces within the Urban Living
Lab. The matrix distinguishes between top-down and bottom-up, where top-down
approaches refer to a managerial process of innovation development and bottom-up
approaches refer to principles of facilitating innovations (Leminen, 2013). The concepts
of exhalation- and inhalation-dominated innovation approaches expose the intention
of the driving stakeholder group of the Urban Living Lab network towards their own
goals. On the one hand, an inhalation-dominated approach indicates that the driving
stakeholder groups focuses “[…] on bringing together distributed knowledge and
expertise to attain its own goal” (Capdevila, 2014). On the other hand, an exhalation-
dominated approach focuses on efforts to reach the goals of other stakeholders in the
living lab (Capdevila, 2014).
According to Capdevila’s matrix the role of the four different actor groups of the Urban
Living Lab can be described as shown in table 2.
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Table!2:!Roles!of!Living!Labs,!based!on!Capdevilla!(2014)!
Provider-driven Innovation activities aim to provide a solution for participants and have an
educational purpose
Utilizer-driven Activities focus on fulfilling the need of communities, such as social
development
Enabler-driven Activities focus on improving a product or service of a third party
User-driven Activities focus on fulfilling the need of individual users or communities
Figure!2:!Innovation!Mechanism!in!Living!Labs,!based!on!Leminen!(2013)!
Given the different roles of stakeholder groups, as well as the different coordination
approaches of Urban Living Labs, the PPPP will differ in its structure and quality, based
on its dependency on managerial skills and stakeholder involvement.
Exploration. The exploratory nature of Urban Living Labs addresses the uncertainty that
is inherent with environmental problems (Holmberg & Robert, 2000) and climate
change (James, 2015). New solutions in forms of innovations and ideas must be
explored to disrupt the current unsustainable urban systems to bring about change
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within these systems. Many unsustainable urban systems, such as waste-, energy- or
water management are in a lock-ins, where the system reinforces itself (Devolder &
Block, 2015). The ridged and complex system-structures, comprised of regulations,
technology, culture, public procurement and so forth, stabilize the currently
unsustainable urban systems. Therefore, new methods must be applied that enable for
strategic exploration of new solutions.
Building on the notion of collaboration, backcasting is a tool that can be utilized for
collaborative envisioning of future scenarios for Urban Living Labs and to explore new
strategies for strategic sustainable development (Holmberg, 1998) within Urban Living
Labs. The backcasting method consist of four steps and allows the user to detach
herself from the current unsustainable path of a system and to (i) define criteria for
sustainability, (ii) analyse the current situation, (iii) envision a future state, based on the
pre-defined sustainability criteria, and (iv) define strategies for sustainability (Holmberg,
1998).
Figure!3:!Backcasting!–!strategic!planning!for!sustainable!development!(Holmberg,!1998)!
Experiments. Testing, prototyping and experimenting are core activities that take place
in the Urban Living Lab in real time. The uncertainty of environmental issues of for
instance climate change, requires new innovations in all sustainability relevant areas.
However, there is also much uncertainty related to the introduction of innovations, due
to rebound effects and unforeseeable risks that could cause irreversible outcomes. The
real-life environment of Urban Living Labs allows testing people’s behaviour and
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provides potential to evaluate possible rebound effects. Furthermore, the random and
uncontrollable sampling of users that visit the Urban Living Lab might pose a challenge
to the Urban Living Lab project management. However, the setting of Urban Living Labs
in public space provides a more truthful depiction of reality.
The concept of prototyping as a participatory open innovation and design strategy for
urban development has become more vibrant in recent years, for instance the San
Francisco Urban Prototyping Festival, organized by MORELAB. The urban prototyping
festival focuses on prototypes based on a combination of art and engineering. The aim
is to develop and showcase prototypes that address local issues (MORELAB, 2016).
Prototyping enables the production of early samples of new innovations, such as
products, business plans or policies and reduces the associated risks of the innovation,
as the process of prototyping occurs within the fixed and controlled Urban Living Lab
environment. Furthermore, the reduced risks of prototyping allow for a high level of
possible failure, which contributes to knowledge creation. Urban Living Labs provide
physical platforms for innovation testing and experimentation of alternative solutions.
Evaluation. Collective learning and knowledge creation is another key element of
Urban Living Labs. The collaborative process of experimenting and testing requires
monitoring and evaluation methods in order to assess the impact of experiments and
the ULL itself. Urban Living Labs often seek to expand their networks in order to gain
access to scientific evaluation methods (Voytenko et al., 2016). By expanding the PPPP
network through engaging with researchers and universities, monitoring methods can
be co-developed. The evaluation process will have a significant impact on the
development of the Urban Living Lab (Shliwa, 2013). However, the level of quality will
ultimately depend on how the evaluation is conducted.
Entrepreneurs. Engaging with entrepreneurs is crucial for testing new business models
and innovations, which have the potential to set new trends or disrupt the business-as-
usual approach. However, new business models that are less oriented on financial
profits, but rather on social and environmental benefits, might be more vulnerable to
competition on the market. Micro and small enterprises might be constrained in
innovation development and testing, due to limited resources or a lack of
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competencies (Ståhlbröst, 2013). The support and network structure of Urban Living Labs
can provide a relatively safe environment for testing new business ideas and
innovations (Ståhlbröst, 2013). Furthermore, the Urban Living Lab structure can act as a
mechanism for valuable feedback on business innovations, given the fact that scientists
and a diverse range of experts are involved in Urban Living Labs. Moreover,
entrepreneurs involved in ULLs are agents that provide an opportunity to scale up
successful experiments and transfer them outside the Urban Living Lab arena, a process
that is imperative for the impact of the Urban Living Lab.
The GUST project (Governance for Urban Sustainability Transitions), which aims to “[…]
examine, inform and advance the governance of sustainability transitions through
urban living labs” (GUST, 2016), describes a framework for Urban Living Lab design,
which is based on a set of questions that refer to: (i) The context and background of a
project, (ii) goals and vision, (iii) people and motivation, (iv) management and
decisions and (v) interaction process and methods (McCormick et al., 2016).
See Appendix II for a detailed table including the respective questions for each area.
The framework developed by GUST (2016), can function as a guiding tool for the Urban
Living Lab planning process.
The Urban Living Lab concept offers a mechanism for interacting and empowering
citizens in the process of urban development, through its PPPP network. Furthermore,
the concept aims to address pressing sustainability challenges through testing,
experimenting and prototyping. Urban Living Labs can be utilized for innovation
implementation in a confined area of cities, which reduces the risk of negative effects
of innovations, while at the same time allowing for unconventional ideas to be tested.
The concept also offers a safe environment for entrepreneurs for testing new business
models. The combination of citizen empowerment and engagement with cross-sectoral
expert collaboration for sustainable transition make Urban Living Labs a promising
concept for sustainable urban transitions (Geels, 2004). Based on these findings the
Urban Living Lab concept is applied as guiding concept for this thesis.
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3. Analytical Framework This chapter will introduce Transition Management, which is used as the analytical
framework for this thesis. Transition Management is about understanding and facilitating
social transitions towards a sustainable future (Loorbach & Rotmans, 2006).
Transition Management has been applied in other research studies of Urban Living Labs
(Schliwa, 2013) and was thus considered as a useful framework for this research.
In the following, Transition Management will be explored in accordance to the
research. Moreover, ways in which transitions can penetrate different societal levels will
be discussed. Finally, the implementation tools Transition Management Arena and
Transition Management Cycle and their facilitation aspects will be assessed in the
context of sustainable urban development.
3.1 Transition Management
Transition Management can be utilized in order to understand societal transformations
towards a more sustainable future. Loorbach and Rotmans (2006) explains
transitions as fundamental changes in the structure of society, culture and practices.
Historically, there have been several transitions in economy, agriculture, health care
and social structure (Geels, 2004; Devolder & Block, 2015). These transitions were often
sparked through a crisis that caused societal tensions, which in return initiated the
transition. This again leads to a fundamental transformation in society where new ideas,
technologies and infrastructure is developed (Loorbach & Rotmans, 2006). It is
understood that in Transition Management, societal systems go through long periods of
relative stability that are followed by short periods of radical change. During these
phases, existing structures, values and institutions are replaced by new ones (Loorbach,
et al 2008). Transition Management can thus provide an insight on the necessary levels
of change needed to reach a sustainable future.
Transition Management is a practical governance approach that aims to better
understand persistent problems and identify opportunities that have the potential to
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influence change in the long term (Loorbach, 2007; Geels, 2002). Transition
Management is based on the idea that transitions can never be fully controlled, instead
transitions need to be steered and facilitated. Transition Management was developed
by Frank W. Geels, a Professor of System Innovation and Sustainability at Manchester
University. Thereafter, Derk Loorbach and Jan Rotmans at the Dutch Research Institute
for Transitions (DRIFT), further developed the concept by focusing more specifically on
societal transitions. Transition Management is based on the Multi-Level Perspective,
which helps to analyse transitions from a system perspective in order to understand
interactions between different societal levels that are necessary for transitions to
emerge. The Multi-Level Perspective which will be further described in the following
chapter.
3.2 Understanding Transitions Using the Multi-Level Perspective To understand transitions, the Multi-Level Perspective offers a useful framework to study
changes and interactions at different societal levels. The framework helps to
understand in which context new developments emerge and how to best support
these initiatives (Elzen et al., 2002). The Multi-Level Perspective is concerned with the
relationships between macro level structures and micro level actors by distinguishing
between three separate societal levels; (i) Niche, (ii) Regime and (iii) Landscape. Opitz
et al. (2016), point out that the interaction between the levels are necessary for
transitions in society to emerge. To understand the relationships, Geels (2005) describes
the Multi-Level Perspective as a hierarchy, see figure 4.
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Figure 4: The multilevel perspective based on Geels (2004)
The Landscape represents the macro level, which is the top level of the hierarchy, as
illustrated in Figure 4. It can be described as the wider context of systems of
governance, politics, beliefs and values, for example factors such as; oil prices,
economic growth, wars, immigration or environmental problems. Individuals cannot
influence the landscape directly, instead the Landscape influences the existing regimes
and Niches (Geels, 2004).
The Regimes represent the meso6 level, and can be viewed as complex and rigid
system. The Regimes are built on rules and routines that help groups to understand how
society functions. A transition of the Regime means a fundamental change of its
culture, structure, and beliefs (Loorbach, 2007). Once a Regimes is well established, it is
the dominant practice in society. However, society can experience locked-in effects,
where actors and institutions are incapable of acting outside the practice of the
current Regimes (Geels, 2010). This might prevent necessary changes for a sustainable 6!The meso level is the connection between micro and macro level structures, such as shared beliefs of societal practices (Geels, 2004).
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future to occur. On the other hand, dominating trends on the Regimes level have the
potential to influence the broader environment of the landscape.
The Niche is illustrated in Figure 4 as the foundation level of the hierarchy and is based
on actions and projects initiated by individuals at the micro level. Niches consist of
networks, people and organizations. These relationships are not fixed by culture or
societal structures. Niche practices have not yet been institutionalized (Geels, 2007).
Activities that are carried out at the Niches level can be placed at the beginning of the
innovation process. Activities and ideas turn into innovations when the ideas are
matured and established in society (Opitz eta. 2016). In order for transitions to happen
on the level of both Regime and Landscape, the changes need to begin at the Niche
level. The Niche level thus upholds the potential to cause radical changes. However, an
enabling environment is necessary for a Niche to grow. One way for governments to
create a protective environment for innovations is to establish a Transition Arena, which
will be further explained in the following chapter.
3.3 Transition Arena
Transition Management helps to facilitate and support changes between the three
societal levels. It focuses on the process of how to create a protective environment for
radical ideas to emerge (Loorbach, 2010). Transition Management was first developed
to manage transitions in more functional systems such as the energy or transportation
(Devolder & Block, 2015). Therefore, most research on Transition Management is based
on such cases, however Transition Management has now begun to explore how urban
space can help to influence sustainability transitions (Loorbach, 2010).
Urban areas are confronted with complex and persistent problems, such as social
integration. According to Rotmans et al. (2001) these problems arise from a lack of
communication between multiple actors that have different interests and resources,
but are dependent on each other. The problems persist because actors continue to
think and act in ways that are deeply rooted in the existing structures of society and
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thus have difficulties seeing new perspectives. The aim of Transition Management is to
deal with these issues by engaging diverse groups of people that can learn from each
other and together shape the social environment and the culture around it.
Rotmans and Loorbach (2009) created the concept Transition Arena, in order for
frontrunners from different groups to meet and learn. The aim is to establish partnerships
and together create visions for sustainable development. Loorbach (2010), defines a
Transition Arena as “(…) a small network of frontrunners with different backgrounds,
within which various perceptions of a specific persistent problem and possible directions
for solutions can be deliberately confronted with each other and subsequently
integrated” (p.173). The aim is to create space for frontrunners from both Niche and
Regime actors with different backgrounds, such as government, businesses, NGOs, and
research institutions (Van Buuren & Loorbach, 2009). Loorbach (2010), describes that
within this arena, there are different perceptions of the problems and their possible
solutions. These ideas should be confronted and integrated with each other in order to
challenge the existing way of thinking. The actors need to have an open mindset for
new ideas and change.
3.4 Transition Cycle
Within Transition Management, an instrument that can help actors to deal with complex
societal issues and implement strategies to steer and facilitate sustainability transitions is
the Transition Management Cycle developed by Loorbach (2007, 2010). The Transition
Management Cycle will serve as the analytical framework for the case study analysis in
order to better understand how to manage urban transitions towards sustainability.!
The model promotes a cyclical learning process, where actors first learn about
fundamental structures and institutions of society, then develop a future desired vision,
and finally implement practices that support sustainable development (Loorbach,
2010). In this model, learning is steered towards adopting changes in order to break
through dominating structures, cultures and practices. The aim is to radically transition
the current Regime. The cycle includes four different types of governance activities that
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are relevant for societal transitions: (i) Strategic, (ii) Tactical, (iii) Operational, and (iv)
Reflexive.
Strategic: The first phase of the cycle is dedicated to system analysis in order to gain a
good understanding of the current situation. Loorbach (2010) states that the strategic
phase; “deals primarily with the “culture” of a societal (sub) system as a whole: debates
on norms and values, identity, ethics, sustainability, and functional and relative
importance for society.” In the strategic phase the aim is also to establish a core group
of actors responsible for the process. The actors involved should together understand
and discuss the current issues that needs to be dealt with, thereafter the aim is to
formulate a joint vision for the desired future (Loorbach, 2010).
Figure!3:!Transition!Management!Cycle,!based!on!Loorbach!(2010!
Tactical: In the second phase the aim is to develop a coalition and establish a transition
agenda based on the long term vision. The tactical phase activities aims to establishing
connections with dominate Regime actors and structures. An example here is to find
partnerships with actors from businesses, government and research institute dealing
with financial and institutional regulation and frameworks (Loorbach, 2010). The author
furthermore states that the arena should build collaborations with care, since regime
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actors may prevent radical initiatives to emerge. Regime actors might also not be
unaware of the possibility Niche actors can bring into the area. The next step in the
tactical phase is to establish short and long term goals that work towards fulfilling the
desired vision.
Operational: In the third phase, experiments and actions are carried out by individuals
and entrepreneurs that challenge the current culture. The idea is to test the prototypes
against Regime and Landscape pressures to see whether experiments fail or to assess
opportunities for further developments. Another main aspect in the third phase is to
mobilize actors and develop a larger network of actors outside the Transition arena in
order to transfer the skills and knowledge that has emerged from the experiments and
activities within the arena to other areas in the region.
Reflexive: The final phase is dedicated to the monitoring and evaluation of the
prototypes. An essential component here is to learn from the experiments, and making
adjustments to the vision accordingly (Loorbach, 2010). The aim is to re-evaluate long-
term goals and short term-actions and adapting them to the new circumstances.
The Transition Management Cycle is a strategic framework to help guide and
accelerate societal transitions. Loorbach (2010) emphasizes that the model is “[…]
based on the understanding of transitions in complex societal systems, central tenets of
the transition management approach are, for example, the need for a long-term
perspective to guide short-term development, the acknowledgment of uncertainties
and surprise, the importance of networks and self-steering, and the necessity of
creating space for innovation” (p.177).
The Transitions Management Cycle was used as the analytical framework for the case
study analysis. The cycle provides an instrument to better understand how to effectivity
implement strategies for sustainability transitions. The Transition Management Cycle
consist of four governance phases relevant for societal transitions; Strategic, Tactical,
Operational and Reflexive. Within each phase there are a number of key activities
recommended to apply in the development process. The analysis has therefore
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focused on these activities. Each activity has been analysed through the five
characteristics of Urban Living Labs as suggested by McCormick (2015), Engagement,
Exploration, Experiments, Evaluation and Entrepreneurs, in order to understand how
Jubileumsparken can successfully operate as an Urban Living Lab. The analytical
framework was applied to structure the case study and analyse the empirical findings.
Table 2 provides an overview of the analytical framework. The table was developed
using the Transition Management Cycle’s four phases; (i) Strategic, (ii) Tactical, (iii)
Operational and (iv) Reflexive, which are represented in column one. The key activities
of column two are based on Loorbach’s (2010) description of each phase of the cycle.
The questions in column three derive from the GUST (2015) framework for Urban Living
Lab design, which is used to analyse each activity within the Transition Management
Cycle. The case study analysis is structured according to the analytical framework.
Table!3:!Analytical!Framework!
PHASE
KEY ACTIVITIES
QUESTIONS
1. Strategic
System analysis What are the current trends?
Problem definition What are the main challenges?
Actor analysis Who are important actors within the project and why?
Vision development Is there a common goal or vision?
2. Tactical
Establish transition agenda How will the park continue to develop?
Coalition development Which groups of other stakeholders are important to engage in the
project?
3. Operational
Transition experiments What kind of experiments are carried out in the area?
Scaling up Can activities and projects be scaled up and transferred to other
project sites?
4. Reflexive
Monitoring How are the projects monitored and facilitated?
Evaluation Are there any measures/indicators to evaluate the progress of the
projects?
Learning How does the knowledge which was generated transfer within and
outside the project?
Making adjustments to the
vision
How is new knowledge incorporated in the vision?
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4. Methodology
Figure!6:!Case!Study!Research,!based!on!Yin!(2009)
This thesis follows the case study research approach, as described by Yin (2009).
According to Yin (2014), “a case study is an empirical inquiry that investigates a
contemporary phenomenon (Urban Living Lab) in depth and within its real-world
context (Jubileumsparken), especially when the boundary between phenomenon and
context may not be clearly evident” (p. 16). The goal of applying this research method
is to gain knowledge on the contemporary concept Urban Living Lab in tis real-life
context in Jubileumsparken. Moreover, case study research is especially useful when
how or why research questions are formulated in order to gain understanding of a
contemporary set of events (Yin, 2014). Therefore, the research methodology is based
on the case study research approach, as the main research question tries to answer,
how the concept of Urban Living Lab can contribute to sustainability transitions in
Gothenburg.
The case study research method as illustrated in Figure 6, represents this research
process. According to Yin (2014), case study research is a liner but iterative process. This
Identifying next steps What are the next steps?
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means, the process is straight forward and follows clearly defined steps, such as
designing, preparing collecting and so forth. However, by following each step
throughout the process, new findings in each step might influence previous steps and
vice versa.
The case study research process:
Step 1: Planning
Comparable to other research approaches, the first step of research planning is
determined for defining research questions and narrowing down the topic (Yin, 2014).
Throughout this process, the decision was made to utilize the case study approach for
this research, in order to gain understanding of the contemporary phenomenon Urban
Living Lab and its impact on sustainable development in a real-world context.
Step 2: Designing
According to Yin (2014), within the research design process the unit of analysis and a
likely case to be studied is defined. Furthermore, theory, propositions and related issues
are developed that guide through the anticipated case study (Yin, 2014). Throughout
this process the case of Jubileumsparken was identified. Literature review provided
insights on theoretical concepts, during this process the Transition Management Cycle
was identified as a useful analytical framework for structuring empirical data collection
and analysis. In the final step of the design process, the type of case study is chosen.
Accroding to Yin (2014), two main branches of case study design exist; single- and
multiple-case designs (Yin, 2014).
This research is based on a single-case design. The rationale for choosing a single-case
design is based on the uniqueness of the development approach of Jubileumsparken
in the region of Gothenburg.
Step 3: Preparing
The step of preparation is concerned with reflecting on one’s own skills, such as active
listening or being able of asking good questions and interpreting them fairly (Yin, 2014).
The tools and methods provided in the Challenge Lab process, such as dialogue
facilitation and self-leadership workshops, have supported the preparation for the case
study. Furthermore, in preparation for the case study, clear schedules for planning of
research activities were made.
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Step 4: Collecting
When conducting research on the object of study, using different methods for
collecting data is often used to increase data validity. Triangulation is a research
method that aims for greater data validation through cross verification of different
types of data. For this research, triangulation of three different methods of data
collection were implemented for greater validation of findings, namely; (i) literature
review, (ii) expert interviews and (iii) a participant observation.
Literature review was used throughout the entire research process, starting with a
preliminary study, in order to identify theoretical concepts that could support the data
collection, such as the Transition Management Cycle. The different types of literature
sources include; academic journals, books, reports, websites, theses and articles.
Expert interviews have a targeted focus on the case study. Conducting interviews with
different stakeholder groups is insightful and provides explanations as well as personal
views, such as perceptions, attitudes and meaning (Yin, 2014).
For analysing Jubileumsparken, a total number of 14 semi-structured interviews were
performed. The aim of the interviews was to gain a better understanding of how the
park is being developed and whether the park fulfils the requirements described in
theory of the Urban Living Lab concept. Furthermore, the purpose of the interviews was
also to understand how the park can contribute to a sustainable societal transition in
Gothenburg. The interviews were conducted with stakeholder from the public sector
involved in the parks development, researchers within urban planning, innovation and
architecture, as well as private actors conducting experiments in the park. The
objective was to gain insights from all three cornerstones of the Triple Helix (see chapter
1.3). The broad range of stakeholders interviewed provided a Multi Level Perspective
(see chapter 3.2) of the park's development. The following table provides an overview
of interview partners. Interview questions can be found in Appendix I.
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Table!4:!Interview!Partner!
Interview Object Role
Pål Castell Chalmers University of Technology (department of architecture Maria Ådahl & Eva Pavic Johanneberg Science Park
Shea Hagy Chalmers University of Technology (department of civil and environmental engineering
Åsa Swan Älvstranden Utveckling AB (head of urban planning)
Amelie Sandow Gothenburg City (park and nature department)
Lars Jonsson City of Gothenburg (culture department)
Matilda Lindvall Business Region Gothenburg
Jonas Lindh & William Bailey Kajodling (urban farm)
Per Myren Changemaker AB (change agency – collaborations and processes)
Pernilla Lindgren Vägen Ut (social enterprise)
Martin Berg Fastighetskontoret (real estate department Gothenburg)
Malin Andersson Gothenburg City (environmental department
Ulrika Palmblad Älvstranden Utveckling AB (urban development company)
Karl Palmås Chalmers University of Technology (department of technology management/economics)
Communication
Mikael Mangold Chalmers University of Technology (department of civil and environmental engineering)
Jonathan Geib Chalmers University of Technology (department of architecture
Katrin Bohn University of Brighton (department of urban architecture)
Peter Rundkvist Business Region Gothenburg (development manger)
Staffan Bolminger Urban Innovation AB (consultant)
Cecilia Dalman Eek City of Gothenburg (park and nature department)
Kristoffer Nilsson Älvstranden Utveckling AB (urban planner)
Jessica Segerlund Älvstranden Utveckling AB (urban planner)
Participant observation
Participant observation provides the researcher with the opportunity to step into the
role of stakeholders involved by participating in activities being studied, which can be
insightful into interpersonal behaviour (Yin, 2014). The participation as observer during a
briefing session for urban developers at Jubileumsparken allowed to investigate the
working process of the park’s management team in more detail and resulted in gaining
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a better understanding on the views of a wider range of stakeholders involved (see
table 3, communication for stakeholders present during the briefing session, names are
highlighted in green).
Step 5: Analysing
Using theoretical concepts and propositions for analysing data collected for the case
study is one way of interpreting and structuring the data. According to Yin (2014), these
theoretical propositions, will have shaped the data collection plan, which has yielded
analytical priorities. Especially the concepts of Urban Living Lab and the Transition
Management Cycle as described in literature, had influenced the approach of
collecting empirical data (see chapter 3.4 for the utilization of the analytical
framework).
Step 6: Sharing
Case study research is an iterative process. Therefore, new insights and findings in the
research process were regularly shared with the peer group at the Challenge Lab for
feedback. Furthermore, throughout the research process, results were presented to
stakeholders to keep them informed about latest developments.
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5.1 Case Study Jubileumsparken
Figure!4:!Location!of!Jubileumsparken!(Älvstranden,!2016)!
In this chapter the case study of Jubileumsparken will be analysed from its potential to
contribute to sustainability transitions in Gothenburg. First, a background of
Jubileumsparken will be presented, then the park processes and activities will be
analysed and embedded within the Transition Management Cycle.
Jubileumsparken is located in Frihamnen which used to be one of Sweden’s major inner
city ports, Frihamnen has therefore played a central role in Gothenburg’s identity as a
harbour city. The port opened up in the beginning of the 20th century and has since
been an important location for trade and shipping (City of Gothenburg, 2016). Over the
years, the harbour continued to develop and in the late 1950s, Frihamnen became
Sweden's main port for ocean traffic and international trade. However, the expansion
ended in the mid-1970s when the shipyards experienced an economic crisis and was
forced to close down (City of Gothenburg, 2016). Frihamnen never recovered and the
area has since been empty and unused.
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However, due to Gothenburg’s growing population and urban expansion, the city
decided in 2010 to make use of the empty space in Frihamnen. The city therefore
launched The Rivercity Vision, a project aiming at rehabilitation the districts located
next to the Gothenburg’s river. The vision is one of the most ambitious urban
development projects in Sweden, which aims to make Gothenburg denser and
connect the northern and southern parts of the city. Frihamnen will be one of the first
districts to be transformed. The ambition is to develop the area with an urban design
that emphasises its industrial past and furthermore make the space available and
accessible for Gothenburg’s citizens. To meet these two aims, the city initiated an
innovative approach to urban transformation. Firstly the city established the
municipality-owned company Älvstranden Utveckling AB, with the mission is to fulfil The
RiverCity Vision by:
“Develop Gothenburg as a hub of creativity and innovation and as a test-bed and
living lab building on a pool of talents and firms, new functionalities, services,
governance modes and communication systems connecting people and knowledge.”
(Älvstranden, 2011)
Secondly, the city decided to dedicate an area in Frihamnen for co-creating an area
together with the citizens by testing and experimenting new ideas. The reason for
creating the area departs from a collection of ideas from citizens who participated in
the public dialogues for Gothenburg’s 400-year jubilee to be held in 2021. Here, the
people were able to express their desire for a central, modern park close to the water.
The area was named Jubileumsparken, a modern park, aimed to develop into a
diverse meeting space for everyone. Älvstranden Utveckling AB was commissioned to
develop Jubileumsparken, and took the strategic decision to develop the area step-by-
step, and activate the spaces with temporary activities and prototypes. Another
strategic decision was to allow citizens to be a part of the development process, create
an identity of the place and a sense of entitlement of the area. Älvstranden Utveckling
AB (2016) explains the process as new approach to urban development by planning
and building simultaneously. The aim is to explore how the park can develop
potentially. The process to construct the area step-by step has four main phases which
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is illustrated in Appendix II. Today the park is labelled Jubileumsparken 0.5 and is in its
initial phase.
Jubileumsparken was selected as a case study because of its new and experimental
approach of urban development. The parks vision is to create an arena for
experimenting and testing new ideas, by using alternative urban concepts such as;
Urban Living Labs to developing the space. Therefore, Jubileumsparken provide an
interesting case study for this master thesis. The following chapter will analyse the parks
development and activities through the analytical framework.
5.2 Analysis of Jubileumsparken In the following chapter the process of developing and managing Jubileumsparken will
be analysed according to the Transition Management Cycle’s four phases.
5.2.1 Strategic Activities In the first phase of the Transition Management Cycle the aim is to understand the
current system, establish and organize the core management team as well as to
develop a long-term sustainability vision.
System: What are the current trends?
New alternative bottom-up planning methods are beginning to
emerge in urban communities according to researchers in the
field (Palmås, 2016; Castell, 2016). Gothenburg City is
experiencing a shift away from traditional long-term planning to
more temporary urban concepts. The city is exploring new ways
of urban development through concepts such as Placemaking,
where the municipality together with the citizens shape and
design neighborhoods. Another method the City is implementing
is the concept of Urban Living Labs where the municipality try out temporary structures
“There is a shift
away from the
traditional long-
term planning into
temporary, tactical
urbanism”
(Palmås, 2016)
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to identify barriers and opportunities for sustainability in the area. Castell (2016),
researcher at Chalmers University of Technology, describes the shift as:
“a global transition in urban planning that has resulted in more stakeholder dialogues
and collaborative planning. Engaging citizens in the space-making process is not
business as usual.”
Castell (2016) describes the transition of urban planning as the old “machine” versus the
new “organism”. Where the machine represent ‘old’ way of urban development where
planners work in structured, rigid systems with clear rules and responsibilities. Whereas
the organism symbolises a new and more flexible way of working, where the future
cannot be predicted or controlled, instead it encourages new alternative methods of
working.
Palmås (2016) states that in the past, municipalities and corporations could plan for the
future and the predictions would be fairly correct. This is not exactly possible today,
because of increased uncertainties such as climate change or urbanisation. Therefore
there is a demand for new tactical ways of dealing with the social, environmental and
economic issues in the urban environment. Temporary urban development concepts
have thus become increasingly popular. Castell (2016) mentions that new young
planners are more open to work with complexity and change, by which they can
support the transition. However, Palmås (2016) points out that long-term planning is still
necessary to some extent because it provides guidelines on how to move forward.
The transition in urban planning is also evident in Gothenburg. A representative from the
environmental department involved in the development of Jubileumsparken states that
this type of collaborative processes is new to the region.
“This is one of my first projects where I have been involved from the beginning. Our
expertise has been identified as important. We have established a process where
actors can learn from each other, gaining a better understanding of the whole process
of planning the city.” (Andersson, 2016)
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Älvstranden Utveckling AB (2016) claims three main temporary planning strategies are
applied to the planning of Jubileumsparken: (i) Testbed, (ii) Placemaking, (iii) Urban
Living Lab. There however seems to be a lack of understanding of what these concepts
actually mean. These temporary concepts are fairly new and even experts have
difficulties understanding the differences. During the interviews several participants
raised the questioned; what is the difference between Living-Lab, Placemaking and
Testbeds? (Hagy, 2016)
Palmås (2016) points out that Jubileumsparken has applied a combination of these
concepts. However, he continues to explain that the methods are different with
different aims and outcomes. For example, Urban Living Lab comes from the ideas of
how to facilitate innovation, sustainable development and transition whereas
Placemaking is based on co-creating a local identity (Palmås, 2016).
According to Älvstranden Utveckling AB (2016) the aim for the park is to harness
creativity with trial and error, where mistakes are acceptable and a learning
experience. The method is used to better understand how the city should develop
more sustainable, innovative and democratic. Älvstranden Utveckling AB (2016)
describe the park as; “the process of building Älvstranden, and should be continuously
testing and innovation... and providing a living lab for the process”
However, Palmås (2016) questions whether Jubileumsparken can be considered an
Urban Living Lab, he states that the space must “have some lab apparatuses around
it”. Since the concept of an Urban Living Lab, is an open laboratory which test new
activates and ideas, however, according to Palmås (2016) the park has not
implemented the necessary monitoring measurements needed for it to be considered
an Urban Living Lab. The management team, on the other hand, view the whole
Frihamnen area as an Urban Living Lab due to the temporary housing which will be
developed along the pier. The people living in houses will test and evaluate innovative
new materials and designs. The aim for the testing is to find more sustainable methods
of construction of houses in Gothenburg.
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Problem: What are the main challenges?
During the analysis three main problems were identified as the key challenges for the
area: (i) gentrification, (ii) social sustainability, (iii) rigid regulations.
Gentrification7 was addressed by several interviewees
(Hagy, 2016; Castell 2016). Surrounding developments in
Frihamnen have been accused to cause gentrification, thus
concerns whether Jubileumsparken might be excluding to
marginalized social groups were raised on several
occasions. The tension peaked in the summer of 2015, when the words “Stop
gentrification” were sprayed on a wall in the park. However, the management team
responded and invited the public for a dialogue to discuss the issue. The team also
emphasizes that in order to prevent gentrification, Älvstranden Utveckling AB aims to
create a multi-cultural, diverse neighbourhood with mixed housing surrounding the park.
The mixed housing apartments will consist of a combination of private owned
apartments, rental houses (with a rent limit), student houses and temporary refugee
homes. This will help to prevent gentrification in the area according to the developers.
The second issue raised by the majority of the interviewees
was social sustainability, which was identified as the main
challenge for the city of Gothenburg (Andersson, 2016;
Åhdal & Pavic, 2016; Svebo Lindgren, 2016). The two main
social issues are the increasing social segregation of low-
income groups living in the outskirts of the city, along with
integrating of the new refugees into society.
7!Gentrification is a term where the arrival of wealthier people in an existing urban district lead to increase property values and force out low-income groups, which contribute to the segregation of communities (Karacor, 2014).!!
“Residents have raised
concerns about
gentrification”
(Ivarsson, 2016)
“The biggest challenge
for Gothenburg is
definitely social
sustainability”
(Andersson, 2016)
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Myren (2016) points out that there is no clear strategy to approach these issues. He
compares social issues with technical problems to highlight the difficulty. Technical
issues are mainly about finding and implementing a more efficient technology.
Whereas, social sustainability is not as easy to address, since there can be several ways
to approach it, and each method might result in multiple outcomes. Therefore, social
sustainability is about daring to implement a solution and challenge its consequences.
To tackle the social issues and prevent segregation in the city, several of the
participants agree that the urban living lab concept is a good instrument to use in
public spaces (Castell, 2016; Palmås, 2016). One interviewee suggests that it is a new
way to address segregation from the citizen’s perspective instead of the usual top-
down approach where the authorities decide how to develop the area. Palmås (2016)
states that the co-creational and innovative process of Urban Living Labs is a
democratic way of developing areas.
“Democracy is usually about voting and having your voice heard, which is important.
But I think here it’s also partly about mobilizing the creativity of the masses. I think those
two thinks are coming together here” (Palmås, 2016).
The third problem highlighted in the interviews are rigid
regulations that might hinder the creative freedom to
experiment and prototype. Practitioners from several
municipality departments in Gothenburg, as well as living
lab managers have raised concerns about the prevailing
regulatory system in Sweden.
“Small-scale temporary business in urban public spaces is a growing sector in Sweden.
But what is hindering these entrepreneurs is a lot of regulations” (Castell, 2016).
The issue of rigid and inflexible regulations in regard to sustainability and prototyping
was raised several times throughout interviews. While practitioners of living labs perceive
the inflexibility of regulations as barriers (Hagy, 2016; Pavic & Ådahl, 2016). However, the
head of urban development at Älvstranden Utveckling AB does not perceive the
“The laws are inflexible
and make social
sustainability transitions
difficult”
(Andersson, 2016)
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current regulations as an obstacle for prototyping at Jubileumsparken (Swan, 2016).
However, an area constructed for testing and prototyping demand flexibility and
allowance (Hagy, 2016). Flexibility is also a key aspect in order to challenge the current
system and find ways of working outside business as usual. Castell (2016) mentions that,
“one regulation works as a solution to solve one issue but all regulations together create
conflict”. Therefore, development projects need to prioritize which aspects are most
important to achieve. Catell (2016) highlights that, “we will never be free from conflicts
in the city space. We cannot avoid conflicts.” The project team emphasizes that every
area has their own special need and we have to learn to work with constant changes,
and a way to approach it in one place might not work in another area.
Actor: Who is the owner/manager of the project?
Älvstranden Utveckling AB is the managing organisation of Jubileumsparken, although
the core project team consists of several different departments. A multi-disciplinary
project team was established to create an ‘owner’ is separate from the political arena,
to assure a more collaborative process between the different departments in creating
the park. The ‘owner’ or project owner team is responsible for the development process
of the park. Three main roles were distributed within the core project team. Two of the
project leaders, Kristoffer Nilsson and Jessica Segerlund, upholds the same role but are
employed by different departments; Stadsbyggnadskontoret and Älvstranden
Utveckling AB. They were both given the same function and mission to manage the
planning and development of the park. The third project leader, Amelie Sandow, is
employed by Gothenburg city’s Environmental department, and responsible for
observing and facilitating the process.
Vision: Is there a common goal or vision?
The idea to create Jubileumsparken is a result of the public
demands for Gothenburg’s 400-year jubilee in 2021. The aim
according to Älvstranden Utveckling AB was through
dialogues involve many different actors at an early stage of
the development process. The vision of Jubileumsparken is to create a “diverse park
“Our vision is our
motivation”
(Jonsson, 2016)
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that embraces the water and connects the entire city”. In order to fulfil the aim the
management team establish a hypothesis;
“To step by step develop the area, to test a strategic important place in the beginning
of the process and to create a function that could act and react on discussions and
dialogs within the river city.”
This was done by engaging the public through workshops, open calls, prototypes,
activities, discussions and dialogues.
However, several interviewees pointed out the complexity of these methods, especially
dialogues, due to the fact that it can be difficult to include a diverse variety of different
groups in the process. Jonsson (2016) states that since openness is essential to the vision
for the park, the dialogues should consist of people from different backgrounds, social
groups, ethnicity, age etc. A representative from the Park and Nature Department
mentions that; “Often the people who participates in dialogs are the loud ones, but the
ones we really need to reach are not there, as they are the ones feeling left out”.
Jonsson (2016) emphasises the importance of setting guiding principles for the
dialogues at an early stage in order to make sure that members of different social
groups ranging from young, old, women, men and various cultures are present in the
discussion.
“The mission should be to understand why you have dialogues. Is it because you want
to make changes or just to have dialogues and then you do whatever you want to in
the end….why did they have the dialogue in the first place and what consequences
will the dialogue have. “(Jonsson, 2016)
The dialogues aims to create a more open and democratic planning process.
However, Palmås (2016) questions if public dialogues are mainly for show. He discusses
whether the authorities actually take residents suggestions into consideration in public
dialogues or if it in the end is the politician’s aims that matters for the final decision.
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5.2.2 Tactical Activities In the second phase of the Transition Management Cycle the aim is to establish
coalitions and a transition agenda with long and short-term goals (Loorbach, 2010).
Network: Which groups of other stakeholders are important to engage in the project?
The city intended from the beginning to involve stakeholders identified from a diverse
range of backgrounds in developing the park. These actors could enable the city to
build a network outside its conventional collaborations, which built new relationships
and created a more diverse atmosphere. Table 3 illustrate the identified stakeholder
groups important for the development of the park.
Table 5 Stakeholder groups engaged in the park
Actor Role in the park
Public (public institutions, policy makers and local governments)
Stadsbyggnadskontoret/ Park och Natur förvaltningen
The two city departments which are together responsible for the parks development.
Ringön: project team Help create both physical and social connection to nearby areas
Fastighetskontoret Has connected niche actors with the management team and helped entrepreneurs to establish their business in the park
People (citizens and users) Public park council (not
yet established)
The project team plans to establish a consul of people and organisations that aims to participate in the development of the park
Youths The project team invited different youth groups to discuss their needs and visions. This resulted in a number of initiatives that aim to strengthen the youth culture in the area
Private (large, small and medium sized companies) Kaj odling A start-up in the park working with urban agriculture
Passalen
A non-profit organization that manages and assists activities in the park. Passalen has employed youth during the summer to work as lifeguards and sailing instructors
Raumlabor Berlin Berlin based designers who built a number of the prototypes in the park
The management team decided at an early stage to put extra attention on
developing social and relational projects in Jubileumsparken. But one expert is
questioning, “How do you then engage the community around and take ownership
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and pride in these spaces […] you have to engage the community around and let
them be part of the co-creation” (Hagy, 2016).
The project management also recognises the difficulty of finding ways to engage the
public in the park. Therefore, the project management aims at establishing a park
committee that will help create a communal ownership of the space.
Another issue two practitioners working with Living Labs highlight in the interviews is the
challenge of creating coalitions. Pavic (2016) from Johanneberg Science Park discusses
the importance of creating shared visions and trust between partners when working in
new network collaborations. Establishing good relations and a teamwork atmosphere is
essential for a successful project (Pavic, 2016). This has also been evident in the case of
Jubileumsparken according to Palmblad (2016). The management at Älvstranden
Utveckling AB has faced difficulties in working with different municipality departments,
since each department has different ideas of the parks future development. Palmblad
(2016) mentions that stepping away from the business as usual takes a lot of courage,
and it is especially challenging in public organisations. Therefore, the management
team perceives itself as responsible to protect the innovative process from other public
authorities that are not comfortable working with new ideas and routines; “It takes a lot
of courage, otherwise it would not have happened if we didn’t have the guts to do it.
Because not everyone think it’s a good idea” (Palmblad, 2016).
Transition Agenda: How will the park continue to develop? In the transition agenda the project team’s aim is to outline a transition path to be
taken the next coming years. The goal for the park is to allow people to gradually take
over the space and make it their own by providing opportunities for people to test new
activities and features. Multi-functionality and diversity of activities was described as
vital aspects for the development of the park. Therefore, prototyping and place-
making can be seen as a great tool to create a diverse environment. The project team
adopted a strategy called Zeitlücke (timegap), which can be defined as a step-by-step
planning process, as opposed to more conventional strategies where an initial vision is
created, whereupon a set strategy is implemented and finally a result is reached.
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Zeitlücke is indeed focused on continuous learning, reflection and adjustment of the
strategy according to experiences along the way. According to the management
team it is a more open way to create the park, where failure is allowed (Segerlund,
2016).
The agenda that was established for 2021 consist of five key projects:
1.! Urban Basics: Building basic infrastructure for people to be able to visit the park
such as the bus lines, signs and roads.
2.! Bathing culture: Creating the public bath.
3.! Greening of the park: Introducing urban agriculture and establishing vegetable
boxes for citizens to grown their own food.
4.! Playground: Building a playground in collaboration with children and street
artists.
5.! Yes-we-say-yes: Providing opportunities and land for to various citizen initiatives.
According to the project team, Yes-we-say-yes is an important factor in testing the
place through prototypes and activities and must be one of the park’s most important
driving forces. The project team also mentions how the dialogues has shown “that
everyone has ideas and people wanting to do something and we want to help
facilitate it” (Segerlund, 2016).
The primary goal for Jubileumsparken is openness, however, the management team
points out the difficulty of stepping back and letting the park develop for itself. Yet
emphasises that development process must be facilitated, the management team is
therefore considering a “Do it yourself space‘. The city would then provide tools, space
and direction for groups and individuals to be part of building the public space and
running it. However, Palmblad (2016) states that this process must be facilitated to
avoid the risks of too powerful actors take advantage of the space. This could for
example be well-resourced private companies or individuals that have the ability to
pay for activities which otherwise would free. Since openness is an essential value to the
vision of the park, equal opportunities should be provided for socioeconomically
challenged actors.
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Figure 5: Open call briefing
The management team also utilizes open calls to invite the public and companies to
join and influence the building processes. The idea is to walk into an existing place and
make it evolve, instead of planning a complete design from the beginning. Every
physical creation/prototype was decided trough open methods. It could be different
forms of joint creation or discussions before, thought and/or after the project. One
example of an open call was when the management invited the public to participate
in a building workshop for the duration of one week. In the open call 24 people from
different backgrounds ranging from students, designers, artists, carpenters and town
planners, participated to discuss the development of the site. The workshop provided
the management with a better understanding of the area’s relationship with the
neighbourhoods and the whole city.
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5.2.3 Operational Activities Experiments: What kind of experiments are carried out in the area?
Experiments are a core concept of Transition Management and
Urban Living Labs. In order to challenge the regime level of the
Multi-Level-Perspective, entrepreneurs and other actors need to
test and prototype new ideas and innovations in the transition
arena. Thereby, actors benefit from the space, as well as the
existing networks and resources available in the transition arena.
The park management team is rather open minded to project
proposals from citizens, as long as applicants can present logical arguments as to why
their projects would contribute to the overall vision. “Basically everyone can apply,
friends that want to try out their ideas, or small companies” (Swan, 2016). Her colleague
adds, “we consider all applications for projects that come in, but it must fit the vision”
(Palmbald, 2016).
Examples of Projects
Kaj Odling. Urban gardening has existed in the area before
Jubileumsparken was implemented. The park management
team continued to develop the existing urban gardening
projects and invited schools to use the area for educational
purposes. Since 2016, the urban farming start-up Kaj Odling
has moved to Jubileumsparken in 2016. The young company
is in its second year, and was able to win three new
customers this year. Kaj Odling grows vegetables, such as
rocket, kale, radishes and different types of lettuce. Their
produce is sold to high class restaurants in Gothenburg. The
two entrepreneurs rent the space in Jubileumsparken, plant boxes and soil for a low
price from the bureau of real estate in Gothenburg. Regarding their mission, one of the
entrepreneurs states, “we know that we cannot change the world, but we can set a
“We know that we
cannot change the
world, but we can set
a good example, to
show people that it’s
possible to make a
living of growing stuff
in the city”
(Lindh, 2016)
“We consider all
applications for
projects that come
in, but it must fit the vision”
(Swan, 2016)
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good example, to show people that it’s possible to make a living of growing stuff in the
city” (Lindh, 2016).
Figure!6:Kaj!Odling!site!at!Jubileumsparken
According to the entrepreneurs, being provided with the space
was the foundation that enabled them to implement their
business idea (Lindh, 2016). The city has approached the two
urban farmers and offered them space in Jubileumsparken. The
support has helped them to experiment and lowered their risk of
failing, due to the low investment that was necessary to start the
enterprise. They add, “this is also a huge experiment for us”
(Lindh, 2016).
The two business owners have a strong sense of being ambassadors for their type of
company. Beyond the business aspects, it is also a project to showcase that urban
farming can be economically viable. Kaj Odling is expected to grow one customer per
week during the summer month (Lindh, 2016).
“If we can make a
good example,
hopefully others
will follow.
Because the
demand is so
huge”
(Lindh, 2016)
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Kaj Odling receives visitors on a regular basis. Usually visitors are interested in the
concept and in gaining more insights on urban farming. Lindh (2016) points out that it
would be a great opportunity to integrate commercial urban farms in public spaces, as
employees of such companies would be present at site almost everyday and could
teach and inform visitors about urban farming and gardening in a practical setting
based on expert knowledge. Their ambition is to set a real-life example of a commercial
urban farm in Gothenburg. “If we can make a good example, hopefully others will
follow. Because the demand is so huge” (Lindh, 2016).
So far, collaboration with the Jubileumsparken team has been limited to occasional
visits by the management of the park for check-up visits. However, the park
management team has already informed the two entrepreneurs that their business, if
successful, can become a permanent part of Jubileumsparken. Moreover, the two
urban farmers have contacted researchers at Chalmers University of Technology for a
collaboration project. The idea is to design an automatic rainwater collection and
irrigation gadget. According to the two farmers, the city has supported them in terms of
provision of affordable land, boxes and soil, as well as the management of
Jubileumsparken, which was especially supportive in solving every day issues, such as
water supply and finding a solution for electricity.
Allmänna Bastun. In 2014, a public sauna was built as a prototype in Jubileumsparken.
The sauna is operated by the city of Gothenburg. Citizens wishing to visit the sauna can
sign up using an online tool. The sauna is free of charge and accessible by wheelchair.
Like other activities and projects in the park, the focus on accessibility for marginalized
groups of society. The geographic location of Jubileumsparken, in the center of
Gothenburg can be of importance for fighting segregation, as it connects the
economic vibrant city centre and low income parts of the city. Even though the
operation of the sauna is costly for the city, the park management team has denied
any inquires form companies wanting to rent the place.
The majority of the building materials are recovered from demolished buildings in and
around Gothenburg, such as the metal frames used as facade, the windows, the
interior panelling or the materials used for the changing rooms. The shower rooms were
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built using several hundred recycled glass bottles. Furthermore, the attached swimming
pool is the first public outdoor swimming pool that is free of chlorine (Palmblad, 2016).
Figure!7:!Allmänna!Bastun
Even though the sauna was initially planned as a temporary
prototype, the city has in 2016 strengthened the structure of the
sauna to make the building last at least another 15 years, due to
the great popularity among citizens (Palmblad, 2016). Apart
from the number of bookings, no framework exists to measure
the performance of the prototype. “Who decides whether
something that is temporary is deemed a success or not.
Whether it should stay or taken away. How do you access that?
There are no clear ways of doing that” (Palmas, 2016).
“Who decides
whether something
that is temporary is
deemed a success
or not.”
(Palmas, 2016)
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SEISMIC. Societal Engagement in Science, Mutual Learning in
Cities – SEISMIC is an European Union project that includes
actors from 10 different countries, aiming to bridge the gap
between science and the society, by setting up national
networks to create structural dialogue and mutual learning
with urban actors, such as citizens, NGO’s, businesses, youth
and media (European Union, 2016). According to Palmas
(2016), it is essentially about social innovations in cities”. The
SEISMIC networks are based on the topic of urban challenges
and innovations. On March 15, 2016 the SEISMIC project met in
Jubileumsparken to discuss temporary housing opportunities for
refugees and how to welcome newly arrived immigrants.
“We figured it was nice to have a discussion on welcoming refugees and facilitate this
in a place that was itself in a temporary placemaking environment” (Palmas, 2016).
The temporary housing projects in Jubileumsparken were discussed and used for
inspiration for other SEISMIC projects. Project co-workers of Jubileumsparken, which are
part of the SEISMIC project acted as links between the Jubileumsparken and the
SEISMIC meeting (Palmas, 2016).
Other projects at Jubileumsparken. The all can sail project offers free sailing lessons for
everyone that wants to learn how to sail. The project caters especially to those who
could due to physical conditions not sail without supervision. Furthermore, an annual
roller derby for women has been established, in reaction to a lack of female sport
events in Gothenburg.
In 2016, local schools will have educational training in urban gardening at
Jubileumsparken. Furthermore, an experimental workshop was realized with 10 000
children participating (Ulrika, 2016).
Scaling up: Are activities and projects scaling up or transferred outside the project scope? Successful experiments require a support structure that enables to transfer those
experiments outside the Urban Living Lab. At Jubileumsparken, the financial fund yes-
“We figured it was
nice to have a
discussion on
welcoming refugees
and facilitate this in
a place that was
itself in a temporary
placemaking
environment”
(Palmas, 2016)
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we-say-yes provides financial capital for project initiation. However, a mechanism that
would lift projects from the micro level of the Urban Living Lab to a meso level (between
micro- and macro level) is currently missing. Furthermore, a network structure that
provides stakeholders with contacts and support within and outside the Urban Living
Lab is important for entrepreneurs to take the next step (Hagy, 2016). The entrepreneurs
at Kaj Odling were not informed by the park management team about the time horizon
of how long their business can remain at Jubileumsparken. Moreover, no alternative
space for their business operation has been offered to them (Lindh, 2016).
An employee at Vägen Ut, a social business form Gothenburg that bases its business
model on providing work for former prisoners replied when asked about the
requirements for the business to collaborate and establish a project at
Jubileumsparken; “[…] a support-structure in some form, like “Coompanion,” (a
cooperative based on training) which helps small start-ups with their business model
and establishment analysis” (Lindgren, 2016). The financial fund yes-we-say-yes is a first
step for initiating projects. However, a support structure including a network for
stakeholders that are currently involved in projects or a concept for further funding for
successful projects is not in the process of planning at Älvstranden Utveckling AB.
5.2.4 Reflexive Activities
Reflexive activities include monitoring methods and evaluation strategies for learning
processes (Loorbach, 2010).
Monitoring: How are projects monitored and facilitated? Monitoring methods for prototypes and projects are crucial for evaluation. The
Jubileumsparken vision states “[…] that in the process of building Älvstranden it should
continuously be testing innovation. Always think what was good and how can we make
it better” (Swan, 2016). Älvstranden Utveckling AB as no monitoring system in place.
Prototypes are evaluated based on factors such as visitor numbers (Palmblad, 2016).
Furthermore, monitoring of prototypes and experiments is important for their assessment.
However, thus far no clear guidelines for monitoring processes exist at Jubileumsparken.
As a stakeholder of Jubileumsparken points out, “who decides whether something that
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is temporary is deemed a success or not. Whether it should stay or be taken away. How
do you access that? There are no clear ways of doing that” (Palmas, 2016). The lack of
monitoring methods is also recognized by the project management at Älvstranden
Utveckling AB. With regards to this issue Palmblad states, “[…] we don’t always get the
understanding from the users. It would be a dream if we could have someone that
could listen and document everything, but we don’t have it” (Palmblad, 2016). In
reference to the equipment and resources for monitoring and evaluation experiments
at Jubileumsparken Palmas stated, “[…], they have a space but they don’t have the
instruments for running proper experiments” (Palmas, 2016).
Learning and participatory evaluation: How is the generated knowledge
transferred inside and outside the park?
The concept of laboratory is to extract knowledge,
which gives the learning element of the Urban Living
Lab process an important emphasis (Palams, 2016).
The prototypes and experiments are part of the
participatory learning process at Jubileumsparken, as
stated by the head of urban development at
Älvstranden Utveckling AB, “since it says the place
should be developed by using dialogue, the
temporary things that are built are also used to have dialogue” (Swan, 2016).
Furthermore, Älvstranden Utveckling AB has published a booklet in 2016 that contains
information on the park’s development, projects and prototypes. However, there are
no plans to incorporate the knowledge generated at Jubileumsparken into adjustments
for the vision (Palmblad, 2016). The development team at Jubileumsparken perceives a
contradiction between learning processes and involvement. One challenge identified
in regards to this issue is the role of Älvstranden Utveckling AB itself. If the processes are
steered in a top-down manner creativity and motivation for involvement will decrease
among citizens (Swan, 2016). Swan further argues that stepping back as powerful
stakeholder is important, in order for people to get involved and become creative. A
project manager form HSB Living Lab has similar thoughts on this issue; “[…] we have to
“How do you make sure that
the stuff that you learn in
Jubileumsparken can be
used somewhere else? We
don’t know that yet”
(Palmas, 2016).
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hold ourselves back because we want the residents to come there and co-create
together” (Hagy, 2016). Another issue identified for the learning process at Jubileumsparken is the lack of
methods and overall strategies that are currently implemented, “how do you make sure
that the stuff that you learn in Jubileumsparken can be used somewhere else? We
don’t know that yet” (Palmas, 2016).
5.3 Key Findings
Strategic:
1.! Gothenburg City is experiencing a shift away from traditional long-term planning
to more temporary urban concepts which focuses on collaboration and co-
creation in the development of areas. Älvstranden Utveckling AB has recognized
this and has implemented aspects of the concepts Placemaking, Testbed, and
Urban Living Lab in the development of Jubileumsparken
2.! There is a lack of understanding and differentiation between the urban planning
concepts Placemaking, Testbed, and Urban Living Lab
3.! The municipality must allow for more flexibility in regulations and taxations when
planning areas and establishing businesses, in order to achieve more
effectiveness and promotion of sustainability transitions within Urban Living Labs.
4.! Social sustainability is identified as the main challenge for Gothenburg City
among the interviewees. There is a lack of trust between authority and residents
in socio-economic constrained areas in the City
5.! Urban Living Lab is recognized as a democratic and collaborative tool for
tackling social sustainability issues in the urban space. Co-creating a space can
help build local identity of an area and strengthen the local community.
6.! Economic targets is often prioritised over community building goals such as
communication through dialogues or workshops
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7.! An interdisciplinary management team can provide for a broader perspective of
identifying challenges and implementing solutions in urban communities. A
diverse team is necessary when working with new concepts outside business as
usual.
Tactical:
1.! Applying a co-creational approach towards urban development can contribute
to democracy in urban development, since offers citizens the possibility to be a
part of developing an area. For example, during the Open Calls and Building-
workshops at Jubileumsparken, residents had the opportunity to be a part of
building prototypes and help shape the design and future state of the park
2.! It is necessary to make sure the area is not dominated by a specific groups by
creating a space with a broad variety of activities and options for young, old,
various cultures and interests
3.! Work outside business as usual is challenging, especially in a public organisation.
It takes courage to test new ideas, therefore, mistakes and errors should be
viewed as learning experiences
Operational:
1.! The project incubator yes-we-say-yes provides a start capital for projects.
Furthermore, all projects must be contributing the the park’s vision
2.! Activities at Jubileumsparken have a strong focus on leisure activities, such as
women roller derby or sailing for everyone
3.! There is currently no network established for niche actors, such as entrepreneurs
and project developers in Jubileumsparken
4.! Support structure that aims at scaling up start-up projects is lacking
Reflexive:
1.! Prototypes and experiments at Jubileumsparken are used as a tool for involving
citizens in the development process of the RIverCity.
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2.! The management team at Älvstranden Utveckling AB recognizes a lack of
monitoring methods for experiments and prototypes.
3.! There is no clear strategy to diffuse the knowledge created at Jubileumsparken
within and outside the park.
6. Discussion
This chapter will discuss the findings for the case study of Jubileumsparken, based on
the theoretical framework and the interviews with stakeholders. The first part of the
discussion provides an exploration through urban development in Gothenburg using
the Multi-Level Perspective. In the second part, the case of Jubileumsparken will be
discussed according to the Transition Management Cycle.
6.1 System Analysis Using the Multi-Level Perspective
The Multi Level Perspective will serve for the first part of the discussion as a tool to
structure the system of urban development within the local context of Gothenburg. The
three levels of the Multi Level Perspective; Landscape, Regime and Niche are used to
illustrate the urban development system, including barriers and drivers for sustainable
development.
6.1.1 The Landscape Level
Barriers for temporary urban development concepts
The international targets set during United Nation’s COP21 in Paris, are translated on a
regional municipality level among others into ambitious city visions, aiming for long-term
oriented sustainable development. The targets identified on a local level are based on
the issues identified in this context. The city of Gothenburg has identified “[…]
globalisation, increasing social exclusion and the effects of climate change” (RiverCity
Vision, 2012 p.9), as main challenges of the city. However, the approaches aimed to
solve these challenges appear one-dimensional and are either based on high-tech
solutions and expert knowledge or focus mainly on the social domain of sustainability.
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This becomes evident when reviewing the informational material on sustainable
development of the municipality of Gothenburg, such as greengothenburg.se or the
RiverCity promotional film. Barriers for sustainable urban development on a landscape
level are thus strongly related to the strategies that have been derived from
international and supranational agreements into the regional context. A one
dimensional strategy for sustainability, focused on environmental policy as described in
chapter 2.1, might miss its targets as Heshmati (2015) points out. Local authorities should
consider holistic approaches towards sustainable development that are able to
address all three dimensions of sustainability.
Drivers for temporary urban development concepts
Gothenburg City is experiencing a rapid rate of urbanisation with a growing population
and urban spread. The municipality has recognised the need for a new approach of
urban planning. The new landscape perception among practitioners in the field of
urban development has provided opportunities for innovative temporary urban
development concepts to grow. Planning has before been viewed in a linear fashion,
where companies and municipalities plan long term ahead, and where future growth
could be predicted. However, urbanization has contributed to a more complex social
environment, which thus requires new approaches to urban development. Society can
no longer be planned with controlled methods. The future must be viewed as uncertain
and planning should be versatile to change. The new transition in urban planning
highlights that the past top-down, command-and-control approach is not functioning
in the current urban sphere. Instead urban development should operate through a
decentralized agenda, and push down responsibilities to a local level, by engaging
citizens in the process. Sustainable development practices on a more regional scale
has received increasing attention the last years. The new landscape trend helps to push
forward ideas of how to best create cities that are sustainable.
6.1.2 The Regime Level Barriers for temporary urban development concepts
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The culture within business as usual creates barriers for sustainable urban development.
The research identified ridged routines within in the municipality departments as one
key barrier for sustainability transitions. These routines are well established within both
the city’s administrative structures as well as the internal organisational culture. These
routines thus become fundamental practices of how the municipality representatives
carry out their work, which makes the city blindsided for new ideas. Geels (2010)
describes the issue as locked-in effects (see chapter 3.2), where actors and institutions
are incapable of acting outside current practices. Working outside the dominant
structure might also be perceived as too risky and uncertain, which prevent new ideas
from emerging. The municipality departments in Gothenburg City such as
Fastighetskontoret, Kulturförvaltningen, Park- och Naturförvaltningen mainly operate in
structured focus areas and have different perspectives of how to create a city that
drive sustainability forward. The lack of effective collaboration creates barriers for new,
alternative urban concepts to emerge.
Drivers for temporary urban development concepts
Courage is necessary when work outside business as usual. Actors within the current
Regime (see chapter 3.2), that have the courage to go against the stream are
important drivers for sustainable urban development. These actors can help trigger
actions and confidence within ridged structures and inspire others. Furthermore, it is
equally important to accept setbacks and errors without being discouraged, since it
provides for learning experiences and new insights. Älvstranden Utveckling AB
highlights; “It’s hard to challenge the business as usual in a public organization… if we
didn’t have the guts to do it, if would never have happened” (Palmblad, 2016). This
illustrates the importance of these change agents that can challenge current systems.
The empirical findings also point out the importance of a multidisciplinary team to drive
sustainability questions forward. Since it provides for different perceptions of persistent
problems, where ideas can be confronted and integrated with each other as well as
challenge existing ways of thinking (Loorbach, 2010).
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6.1.3 The Niche Level
Barriers for temporary urban development concepts A ridged regulatory system of different municipality departments, such as the
environmental, real-estate or construction departments might hinder innovations,
experiments and prototypes from developing. The empirical findings indicate that
practitioners form the municipality as well as practitioners working with living labs in
Gothenburg perceive the local regulatory system as obstacle in their work. Another
barrier identified for new governance approaches for urban development is a system
that only allows for business as usual methods.
Drivers for temporary urban development concepts
Public space can provide an arena for sustainability transition on the niche level, as
public spaces provide multiple benefits of sustainability, for instance support social
goals by promoting social inclusion, economic security by creating green jobs and
environmental aims by supporting biodiversity (Cowley, 2015). The city of Gothenburg
recognizes the importance of public space for sustainable development by applying
new forms of governance approaches for urban development, such as the Urban
Living Lab concept or placemaking.
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6.2 Discussion of the Case Study: Jubileumsparken
The Transition Management Cycle has been used to analyse Jubileumsparken as an
Urban Living Lab and its potential to contribute to sustainability transition in the city. In
the analysis each step within the four governance phases have been assessed and
compared with the characteristics of Urban Living Labs as suggested by McCormick
(2015), (i) Engagement, (ii) Exploration, (iii) Experiments, (iv) Evaluation and (v)
Entrepreneurs. Figure 8 provides a visual illustration of the assessment of
Jubileumsparken according to the activities within the Transition Management Cycle.
The illustration is presented as a colour scale of a traffic light system using green, red
and yellow for a clear and visual understanding of the results. Green represents areas
where the management team has implemented necessary strategies for transition.
Yellow represents steps where the management team has recognised an issue but is
lacking in strategy implementation, and red represents unawareness of the issues
required.
Figure!8:!Illustration!of!findings
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Strategic Phase System: What are the current trends?
Cities must plan for smart urban growth that has boundaries and sustainability
measures. The city of Gothenburg’s sustainability strategies has before mainly been
focused on high-tech solutions, and has lacked citizen’s participation. However, the city
has recognized the need for bottom-up measures in order to better understand how a
sustainable city can developed. Jubileumsparken illustrates one example where the
transition is visible. Älvstranden Utveckling AB partly adopted the Urban Living Lab
approach because of the need to explore new ideas in urban planning. The
municipality also wanted to explore citizen’s participation in urban planning, since
surrounding development projects have been criticized for lacking citizen’s
involvement. Limited involvement of residents caused issues of gentrification and social
exclusion in this area. The City therefore adopted the Urban Living Lab concept in
Jubileumsparken in order to try out and explore new ideas and forms of innovations in
urban development.
Problem: What challenges is the area facing?
During the process of developing Jubileumsparken, the management team was
confronted by the rigid and complex structures within the municipality. The city’s
organisational structure is unsustainable since it does not allow for flexibility, which is
necessary in the current environment. These lock-in effects reinforces themselves within
the current system. Devolder & Block (2015) point out that in order to contradict this,
new methods must be applied that enable exploration of new solutions. The
management team at Älvstranden Utveckling AB is trying to work outside business as
usual and challenging the current system, however, the company states that the
internal organisational culture is ridged and difficult to change.
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Vision: Is there a common goal or vision?
The aim of Transition Management is to influence societal changes in the long term
through a shared vision towards sustainable development (Loorbach, 2007). The goal of
RiverCity Vision Gothenburg’s is to co-create Jubileumsparken together with citizens in
order to better understand how to develop Gothenburg sustainably. The vision is well
incorporated within the organisation and each activity and process relates back to the
vision. However, the empirical findings recognised that promises made during the
public dialogues have not been completely incorporated in the vision. Älvstranden
Utveckling AB states their two main goals are (i)to fulfil the vision and (ii) to build
apartments. Yet, the economic targets, to build apartments have been prioritized. At
first the park was designed to include large green areas, but, after discussions with
property developers the number of houses increased and instead replaced common
spaces.
Tactical Phase
Which groups of other stakeholders are important to engage in the project?
The Urban Living Lab is based on public-private-people partnerships, which enables a
transdisciplinary collaboration among people taking part of the area. Loorbach (2010)
highlights the importance of having different perceptions of existing problems and
possible solutions when working outside business as usual, since it provides for a broader
perspective of how to facilitate change. Since one of the key aspects of Urban Living
Labs is collaboration between actors from all sectors of society, it provide for a more
democratic way of urban development compared to other more top-town methods.
However, the management team found it difficult to include a diverse network of
people in the development process. One reason might be that citizens have a lack of
trust towards authorities in urban development. Communication and dialogues are
ways for the city to re-build trust, however, the city then needs to fulfil promises made
during dialogues. The city also needs to provide feedback relatively quickly in order
show that they have listened to residents’ concerns.
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How will the park continue to develop?
The management team has provided an arena with a certain freedom to experiment.
However, the team stressed the importance of establishing boundaries and limitations
within the area, to make sure that the space is not dominated by one group. Karacor
(2014) also raises this concern in regards to Placemaking. When the management team
steps back and gives the citizens responsibility of the area, little attention is put on who
becomes involved in these activities. This, in effect, might force away marginalised
groups. However, the management team should also not fully control the park, since it
might result in a loss of creative space for citizens and entrepreneurs. Therefore, the
step-by-step approach is important to evaluate the progress and to understand what
has and has not been successful.
Operational Phase What kind of experiments are carried out in the area? According to Loorbach (2010), the operational phase of the Transition Management
Cycle is driven by individuals, entrepreneurial skills and promising innovations. This stage
of the Transition Management Cycle is about experimenting, which is also a key
characteristic of the Urban Living Lab concept. The Urban Living Lab concept is suitable
for a holistic sustainability approach as it offers opportunity for co-creation, citizen
involvement and a physical arena for experimentation of new innovations.
Thus far there is only one active experiment operating, Kaj Odling, which has the
potential to address several dimensions of sustainability at Jubileumsparken. The urban
farm has the potential to contribute to a transformation of the current food system and
to serve as a showcase for new forms of jobs in the city of Gothenburg. Kaj Odling
upholds the potential to increase visibility for the issue of food production among
citizens. However, this impact has not been verified, due to the lack of monitoring and
evaluation strategies at Jubileumsparken.
In conclusion, many activities that were identified at Jubileumsparken, such as women
roller derby or ‘all can sail’ are mainly focused on the social domain of sustainability
and do not follow a holistic approach for sustainability.
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Scaling up: Is activities and projects scaling up or transferred outside the project scope? Involving entrepreneurs is another crucial aspects of the Urban Living Lab concept.
According to Ståhlbröst (2013), especially micro and medium sized companies can
benefit from the Urban Living Lab structure. As the only business located at
Jubileumsparken, the support form the municipality by providing the land and materials
has enabled the two entrepreneurs to scale up their business. However, Kaj Odling
remains an exception as the support structure for experiments and prototypes at
Jubileumsparken is mainly built on the financial support provided by the project
incubator yes-we-say-yes. Yes-we-say-yes will enable to kick-start projects, but further
financial support will be needed. A network structure for entrepreneurs and
experimenters that provides contacts to stakeholders within and outside the Urban
Living Lab is lacking at Jubileumsparken. However, the internal network structure of the
public sector is perceived as unique for these types of projects among stakeholders of
this sector The type of collaboration between different departments is perceived as an
experiment in itself.
The support structure at Jubileumsparken might increase the interest of actors to
engage in projects. However, a support structure beyond the first financial injection will
be needed to scale up prototypes and to facilitate the innovation management
among actors involved.
Reflexive Phase Monitoring: How are projects monitored and facilitated? According to Loorbach (2010), monitoring of the Transition Arena can be undertaken in
various ways, such as observing behaviour and networking activities. Furthermore, the
Transition Agenda must be monitored including agendas, goals, projects and
instruments that were initially agreed upon (see chapter 3.3). According to the
management at Älvstranden Utveckling AB, prototypes are used as a dialogue tool.
However, no scientific assessment methods for prototypes are applied at
Jubileumsparken. Universities and research institutes could play a key role in the process
of monitoring Jubileumsparken. However, there are no existing collaboration with
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stakeholders exist that could undertake this task. The project management team at
Älvstranden Utveckling AB perceive a lack of monitoring and evaluation methods for
prototypes. However, no plans to allocate resources to this task have been made.
Learning and participatory evaluation: How is the generated knowledge transferred within and outside the park?
The cyclic learning process of the Transition Management Cycle aims to adopt change
in order to break through the dominating structures, cultures and practises (Loorbach,
2010). The project management team of Jubileumsparken does not perceive a need to
adopt the current vision of the park, as the vision is based on the RiverCity Vision from
2012, which was co-created with approximately 3000 adults. This indicates a weak
utilization of the knowledge generated in Jubileumsparken at Älvstranden Utveckling
AB. Furthermore, the lack of adjusting the vision and the missing support structures for
scaling up experiments might be reflected in the lack of monitoring and evaluation
methods implemented at Jubileumsparken.
8. Conclusion
The new urban development approaches that are currently emerging in Gothenburg
need to provide for a holistic approach towards sustainability, which is able to
addresses the three main dimensions of sustainability; environmental, social, and
economic. The research identified Urban Living Lab as a new and innovative concept,
which has potential for more integration of sustainability dimensions. Furthermore, if
implemented successfully, the Urban Living Lab concept has strong potential to involve
citizens and co-create urban areas together with stakeholders from both the private
and public sector. The process of planning, establishing and operating Urban Living
Labs requires an effective facilitation instrument. The Transition Management Cycle was
identified as a useful tool for managing Urban Living Labs, as the process of the cycle
offers opportunities for improvement of the Urban Living Lab and the urban area in
which it is embedded for both, environmental and social sustainability. The Transition
Management Cycle can help steer the process of urban development towards
sustainability transitions. The empirical findings from the case study concluded that
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•! Jubileumsparken can to some extent be considered an Urban Living Lab
according to the characteristics of McCormick. The city and Älvstranden
Utveckling AB engage with entrepreneurs and the public to develop
Jubileumsparken. However, a key partner of Urban Living Labs; universities
and research institutes, have not been approached yet. New concepts, such
as commercial urban farming are being explored and experiments have
been initiated. Evaluation and monitoring methods are lacking at
Jubileumsparken.
•! Jubileumsparken provides an ideal space for creating an Urban Living Lab in
Gothenburg, due to its geographical location and its accessibility.
•! In order for Jubileumsparken to effectively function as an Urban Living Lab
the management team needs to implement evaluation and monitoring
measurements within the operation of the park.
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9. Recommendations This chapter will provide recommendations established during the research of this
master thesis project. The recommendations are based on a combination of the
theoretical framework and the empirical findings from the interviews as well as the
onsite observations conducted at Jubileumsparken. The findings will be useful for future
operations at Jubileumsparken as well as for other Urban Living Lab developments in
the Gothenburg region.
Figure!9:!Recommendations!
1.System2.Problem
3.Actor
4, Vision
5. Network
6. Transition Agenda
7. Experiments
8. Scaling up
9. Monitoring
10. Learning
11. Adjustment to the vision
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1.! System: Apply the Backcasting methodology within the Transition Management
Cycle as a tool for strategic planning. By first envisioning a desired future and
then analysing the current system. Backcasting might be more applicable in the
in planning for an Urban Living Lab, as it has the potential to prevent biases and
increase legitimacy of the project developers, since it enables shared vision
creation that addresses all dimensions of sustainability, environmental, societal,
and economic.
2.! Problem: Invite and continually conduct public dialogues to discuss issues and
concerns that residents might have. The project team must also make sure to
fulfil the promises made during the dialogues, by providing quick feedback and
results that stem from public input.
3.! Actors: Establish an interdisciplinary management team that can provide new
perspectives for sustainability transitions. It should be communicated to actors
involved that an open mind is crucial for this type of project. Moreover, actors
should be made aware that it is expected form them to work outside the
business as usual approach.
4.! Vision: Make sure that all stakeholders involved in the project share and work
towards the same vision. The Backcasting method is suitable for this process. It is
also important for actors to feel that their input contributes towards the vision.
Dialogue facilitation tools, such as deep democracy, which aims to make
everyone’s voice heard, can support a shared feeling of inclusiveness.
5.! Network: Engage actors outside the network. New relationships can provide a
diverse atmosphere, and make it easier to open up for new ways of working.
6.! Transition Agenda: Provide guidelines, rules and a common vision that set the
requirements for projects themes and their admired outcome.
7.! Experiments: Experiments should be focused on innovations that challenge the
current systems. Moreover, experiments should aim to address all dimensions of
sustainability.
8.! Scaling up: Offer a support structure for entrepreneurs and experimenters, based
on the PPPP network, which offers mentorship, consultancy and education.
9.! Monitoring: Develop ethical monitoring systems. Monitoring of peoples’
behaviour in public space poses a challenge in ethical as well as legal terms. A
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focus on collaboration with academia may provide innovative solutions.
Furthermore, the work from actors in academia often contributes to the common
good, which can increase legitimacy for the monitoring methods.
10.!Learning: Find new and innovative ways to diffuse the knowledge generated
from experiments and innovations in the Urban Living Lab. Knowledge transfer is
crucial for scaling-up projects and for an adoption of innovative ideas outside
the Urban Living Lab. Communication strategies should be based on a two-way
communication flow, where actors from inside and outside the Urban Living Lab
have the opportunity to share their input on a common communication
platform.
11.!Adjustment to the vision: Acknowledge that the vision for the Urban Living Lab
should allow for adjustments based on findings and evaluations of innovations,
experiments and prototypes. The TM cycle resembles a cyclic learning progress
therefore the vision should always be reviewed. The adjustment to the vision is a
process of reflection and indicates the progress made in the Urban Living Lab.
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9.1 Future Studies
In this thesis several gaps in the process of monitoring and evaluation of experiments
and prototypes of Urban Living Labs were identified. Future studies on Urban Living Labs
could focus on the implementation of monitoring methods for experiments in Urban
Living Labs and analyse the ethical, as well as legal drivers and barriers of these
methods. Furthermore, future studies could investigate the Transition Management
Cycle, which bears potential for further development and an integration of other
methods and tools in cycle’s process that contribute to a more effective facilitation of
Urban Living Labs.
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Appendix I: Interview Questions Expert interviews:
1.! What do you perceive as currently the biggest sustainability challenge in
Gothenburg?
2.! What is your definition of an urban living lab?
3.! What is unique or different about this approach compared to other methods for
sustainability transition?
4.! Where can urban living labs contribute to social sustainability transitions?
5.! What do you perceive as possible challenges for urban living labs?
6.! What needs to be in place to develop a strategy for relocating and reproducing
successful prototypes and experiments?
7.! What is important (needs to be in place) to transfer and foster the knowledge
generated in the urban living lab?
8.! What success factors from prototypes and experiments of urban living labs could
be used to indicate a positive impact for social sustainability transitions?
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Appendix II: Tables and Figures
Framework for Urban Living Lab design: as described by GUST (2015) !
Topic Question Context and background information What kind of development is planned and
happening in the area?� What are the strengths and advantages of the area?� What kind of challenges is the area facing? What has been done previously in the area?
Goals and visions Is there a common goal or vision? How is the common goal formulated or visualized?�What are citizens (and other key stakeholders) expected to gain from the development of the area? What is the scope and timeframe of the project?�Are there any measures/indicators to evaluate the progress of the project and how well its goals are being met?
People and motivation Which groups of residents and other stakeholders are important to be engaged in the project?�Are there passive groups or organizations that need to be engaged? How will participants be involved over the short-term and long-term?�Why would people actively participate in the project?
Management and decision Who is the ‘owner’ or ‘manager’ of the project? Who are the driving individuals?�Who defines the methods and types of participation?�Which issues related to the project can the residents influence and in which ways? How is feedback collected and utilized for collective learning and reflection in the project?
Interaction process and method What is the time plan for participation processes?�Which methods can be used for which groups of residents and stakeholders?�What kind of information do participants need throughout the project?�How is the project integrated into the everyday lives of residents and stakeholders?
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Phases of development
Today During the years 2013-2016 the park has
developed by prototypes, which has been
divided into 5 key projects; Urban Basics (basic
infrastructure for the area), Cultivation Culture
(urban farming), Bathing Culture (a collage of
bathing possibilities for various users), Playground
the future (water art dedicated for children) and
Yes, we say yes! (support projects for citizens and
organizations) (Älvstranden Utveckling, 2016).
Three consulting groups has been selected
through an open call to be part of designing the
park. The work will start during 2016 and be ready
to 2021. The proposals of how to design the area
will be presented during 2016, and then the
public will have the opportunity to submit comments on the proposals.
Phase 2018
By 2018 there will be extensive construction sites
just next to the park due to the developments of
Frihamnen. But at this point the temporary housing
will be completed on Kvillepiren and the green
part of Jubileumsparken will be tested with a
temporary park on the tip of the prier. The
temporary park will for example include public
spaces, jetties, a common room and a nature
playground. Open calls will continually be the
main driver for the development.
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Phase 2021 In 2021, the 400-year anniversary of Gothenburg
City the main of the park is established. The
renovation of the quays and the majority of the
buildings surrounding the park will be completed
In 2035 After 2021 the park will continue to evolve and
expand out onto Kvillepiren. The park will include
more nature and green elements (Älvstranden
Utveckling, 2016).
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Appendix III: The Challenge Lab: Project Phase I
The challenge of reaching a sustainable urban future is multidimensional and complex.
Therefore, new approaches and actors that analyse the system as a whole are required
to bring about the opportunity of leapfrogging sustainable urban transitions.
The Challenge Lab at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg strives to be a
major transformative and integrative force for sustainable development. Initiated in
2014, the Challenge Lab takes place for the third time in 2016 as a master thesis project.
It enables students to develop their role as change agents by challenging dominate
societal systems and trends. The students can operate unthreatening and neutral
towards local stakeholders, since they do not represent a certain interest, and can
therefore play an important role as change agents.
The fourteen participants of 2016 come from eight different countries and represent
nine different master programs. The project is divided into two main parts, Phase 1,
where the research question is identified and Phase 2 where the research question is
answered. The process follow the backcasting methodology; by defining criteria for
sustainability, evaluating the present situation, envision future solutions and finally find
strategies towards sustainability (Holmberg, 1998). The central theories of Backcasting
will now be presented, and how it has been applied in the Challenge Lab process to
develop the research question.
Backcasting
Backcasting is a process that first describes a desired future state and then explores
possible strategies of how it could be achieved (Holmberg & Robert, 2000). The
approach illustrates ways of what should happen in order to realise the desired future.
Dreborg (1996) points out that Backcasting should focus on providing stakeholders with
an image of the future as a background for forming opinions and decisions, rather than
the present state and its potential development. Since a positive possible future can
act as a shared mental framework to guide decision-making. According to Holmberg
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and Robert (2000), backcasting is useful when dealing with complex question which
creates conflicts in short term decisions, however setting a long term vision gives the
group a common unifier. As the group then can find common views of how the future
state should look like, although there can be differences in how to get to that point.
Backcasting has for long been a central strategic approach to planning for sustainable
development. Dreborg (1996) states that Backcasting is particularly useful when;
-! “The problems to be studied are complex”
-! “When present trends are part of the problem”
-! “When there is a need for a major change, and small changes will not be
enough to transform the system”
-! “When the scope is wide enough and the time span is long enough to leave
room for deliberate choice”
-! “The problem to a great extent is a matter of externalities” (Dreborg, 1996)
Backcasting is a tool for change management and can be viewed as an overall
approach that include many different methods and concepts, depending on the
desired vision and the actors involved. Holmberg (1998) developed a systematic
backcasting framework for planning for sustainable development, consisting of four
steps.
Figure 2. Strategic planning for sustainability (Holmberg, 1998).
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Backcasting - Step 1: Defining criteria for sustainability
The first step is to develop criteria for the desired future vision. The aim of the criteria is to
give a framework for the planning process towards the vision. The vision should be a
guiding instrument for discussing sustainability within a group and the result should
provide an understanding of what the demand for sustainability will involve and what
influence it will have. The criteria must be general enough to on the one hand allow for
coordination of various sectors in society and business while on the other hand cover all
relevant criteria of sustainability. (Holmberg & Robert, 2000). This process demands both,
to take an inside-out and an outside-in perspective. Both perspectives are used as tools
to understand one's own values, strengths, visions and abilities to manage interactions
with stakeholders (inside-out), as well as tools to understand the requirements, global
sustainability will impose on socio-technical systems (outside-in) (Holmberg, 2014).
Backcasting - Step 2: Describing the current situation
In the second step the objective is to get an understanding of the current situation and
identify the transformative and integrative opportunities to intervene in the system. The
aim is also to identify gaps between the present and the future wanted state, as well as
to obtain early warning signals in order to make sure that all principles of sustainability
are covered. In order to understand how to think about complex system the following
concepts can be adopted.
An outside-in perspective through systems thinking
The outside-in perspective is important in order to understanding how the existing global
system is operating. In that way it becomes clear what the most urgent sustainability
issues are and where in the system the transition has the greatest potential to be
successful.
System thinking is a useful method and can help simplify the understanding of how to
think about complex system and sustainability transitions. System thinking can be
adopted through a multi-level perspective, which aims to better understand how
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societal requirements can change between different socio-technical levels with the
help of innovations. Geels (2004), describes a multi-level perspective of how to
introduce innovations in society. Transition management theory distinguish between
three separate levels where socio-technical change can happen in society; niche,
regime and landscape (Geels, 2004).
An inside-out perspective through dialogues
Dialogue is an important tool for collaboration, since it creates trust and encourage
conversation. Holmberg (2014) states that in the new knowledge-based society, the
ability to talk and think together is a well vital source of competitive advantage and
organizational effectiveness. Today’s organization constantly faces complex global
problems, thus there is a need to think together and develop collaborate actions. Isaac
(1993) highlights that most forms of organizational conversation around complex issues
develop into a debate, where one side wins and the other side loses, which might result
in a deeper friction between parties. Instead dialogs has the power to transform the
quality of the conversation and encourage collective thinking. Dialog is a way to
understand different perspectives of the problem. Listening together is another
important aspect, since it creates an environment of trust, which result in better
collaboration (Sandow & Allen, 2005).
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Backcasting - Step 3: Envision future solutions At the third step of backcasting, possible solutions to reach the future vision is
explored, by combing the sustainability criteria adapted in step 1 together with
the information of the current state from step 2 (Holmberg, 1998). Design thinking
can be used to explore different strategies towards future solutions (Söderberg,
2014).
Design thinking
Design thinking is a method to explore ideas and concepts without limiting or restricting
the process set by the present circumstances. Söderberg (2014) states that design
thinking should not be seen as linear, instead the approach should be viewed as
learning-by-doing. According to Söderberg (2014) the design process consists of three
main steps. Firstly, the pre-study, which helps the designer to gain a better
understanding of complex problems in the current system. The information gained
during the pre-study will be the platform for the whole design process. The second
stage is the development phase, where the fundament for the design is built, and lastly,
the verification phase, where the model or prototype is tested.
Step 4 – Find strategies towards sustainability:�Phase 2
At the final stage, strategies for the envisioned future are identified based on the
sustainability criteria. The fourth step analyses strategies which can fill in the gap
between the current situation and the desirable future.
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The Challenge Lab Process: Phase I
Backcasting Step 1:
Establishing an inside-out perspective on personal values and strengths
A self-leadership workshop was organized, with the goal to create trust between the
participants and a common understanding of individual values, strengths and visions
that would later be used to develop a common framework for sustainability.
The two-way communication style of the workshop, between the expert and the
students, demanded much involvement from each participant and required each
individual to reflect on personal skills, as well as personal weaknesses, strengths and
values. The rich personal insights that were created in the workshop, reflected the
strong diversity of the group, both cultural and professional. At the same time these
insights brought about much appreciation for the group’s diversity, as it reflects many
strengths and opportunities that rather homogeneous groups might be lacking.
Feedback sessions were held after each session to deepen the understanding for the
different views of one another. These insights were at a later stage incorporated into
the definition process of the sustainability criteria.
Establishing an outside-in perspective on sustainability
In order to create a common understanding of present global sustainability challenges
among the group, participants reviewed literature on sustainability topics on well-being,
economics, ecology and social sustainability. The group was divided according to the
four main topics to conduct desk research on the issues. At a later stage the group as a
whole presented and discussed the four topics, in order to develop guiding
sustainability criteria. The different educational and cultural backgrounds of
participants, provided diverse views and angles to the four topics of sustainability.
The process of defining the criteria for nature, economy and wellbeing was an iterative
process. Below is the final version and illustrate the student’s desired future vision.
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Nature Criteria Human activities affecting nature’s function and diversity are done in such a way that they:
•! do not increase the concentration of substances from the lithosphere in the ecosphere;
•! do not increase concentration of human made substances in the ecosphere; •! do not systematically deteriorate the resource base; such as fresh water, fertile
land, and biodiversity through manipulation, mismanagement, or over!exploitation.
Adopted and inspired by Holmberg (1998) and Holmberg & Robe ̀rt (2000), Post!15 Goals, Criteria by C!Lab (2015). Well-being Criteria First we present the basics for survival and continue with components supporting self-fulfillment and self-realization. The goal of the society and economy, lying on the nature as its fundament, is to serve the human wellbeing, where:
•! Everyone has the right to human basic needs; health, security, future security, food, water, sanitation, recreation, shelter, energy; �
•! Human life includes: subsistence, protection, affection, understanding, participation, idleness, creation, identity, freedom; �
•! Everyone should have access to the same opportunity and the freedom to build a meaningful life;
•! Everyone should have access to the same opportunity and freedom to explore and express your ”inner self” and to be your values without limiting others’ freedoms or harming others; �
•! social and economic inequalities are not justified unless they are to the greatest benefit to the least!advantaged members of society. �
Adopted and inspired by Rawls (1971), International Wellbeing Group (2013), Cruz et al (2009), Post!15 Goals, Criteria by C!Lab (2015). � Economic Criteria The economic system is an instrument that enables individuals to meet the other criteria (society, wellbeing, nature) efficiently and effectively, as such:
•! The function of the economic system is driven by the other criteria and not the other way around; �
•! It enables further use of resources and avoids dissipative use of materials; � •! It assures an equitable distribution of resources; � •! It has an inherent mechanism of maintaining and serving societal infrastructure
and institutions that permits human wellbeing to be met over time; �
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•! It has the ability to change and to adapt when facing shocks and disturbances.
Adopted and inspired by Sen (1999), Anand and Sen (2000), Simmie and Martin (2010), Post!15 Goals, Criteria by C!Lab (2015). � Societal Criteria The societal system is an instrument for individuals to live together within the other criteria with respect to the following conditions:
•! It enables the well!being, empowerment and productiveness of every individual while adhering to the ecological principles by:
o! equitable accessibility to education and healthcare; o! gender and social equity;� o! equal human rights;
•! Its governing mechanisms (and societal institutions) are built on transparency, accountability, mutual trust, adaptability and recognition of diversity.
Adopted and inspired by Raworth (2012), Pisano (2012), Post!15 Goals, Criteria by C!Lab (2015).
Backcasting Step 2:
To understand the current situation, the Challenge Lab team explored trends as well as
inner aims that motivate change. The group began to discuss global unsustainability
trends and then narrowed down the conversation to regional issues. The current trends
identified where grouped into four topic areas; mobility and urban development,
Sustainability-driven innovation for urban development, Integration and social
innovation, and urban agriculture. Local sustainability projects in the Gothenburg
region were explored and mapped out, and stakeholders involved were invited to the
Challenge lab to describe their projects and the challenges they face. During one
week the students organized four dialogue sessions with the stakeholders to understand
the main challenges for sustainability within the system, and identify where synergies
between the actors has the potential to emerge. The table below illustrate the
stakeholders involved and the related challenges the students wanted to address
during the sessions.
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DIALOG TOPICS STAKEHOLDERS CHALLENGES
Mobility and Urban development
· Trafikkontoret · DenCity · ElectriCity · Chalmers University · Boplats
- Behavior patterns of transportation - Accessibility and availability - Demand for new infrastructure - Zero emission and electro mobility
Sustainability driven innovation for urban
development
· Frihamnen Development · Innovation Roof · Chalmers Fastigheter · Climate KIC · Chalmers University · HSB & HSB Living Lab · Fastighetskontoret
- Implementation of new innovations in society
- Supply chain and product accountability - Community building in Gothenburg
Integration and Social Innovation
· SOCAP · CSS
- Social entrepreneurship - Social integration - Exchange knowledge - Resource mapping
Urban farming · Stadslandet
- Development of urban farming - Consumer demand - Preventing policies - Availability of land - Farming knowledge
The dialogs were set in a fishbowl setting, which is a form of dialog conversation useful
when discussing critical topics within a large group. It is called fishbowl because a
center circle of people have a conversation and those sitting around them observe
and take notes of what is being discussed. The aim of the dialog sessions was to create
an environment of trust between the different stakeholders that face similar
unsustainability issues. The purposes was also to help the actors understand different
perspectives of the problem as well as to encourage collaboration.
Backcasting Step 3:
To deeper explore the research topics in the third step of backcasting, the Challenge
Lab organized a workshop on design thinking. The idea of the workshop was to first
broaden up the main topics discussed in the dialogs, and then narrow down the
themes to each student’s interest area. The aim was to gain a multilevel perspective of
the topics and make sure to constantly stay within the questions and not try to identify
solutions. In order to not jump to conclusion and miss vital steps and insights through the
process.
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Firstly the students questioned; what are we interested in? And where is the energy for
transformative and integrative change? Eventually the team could identify four hot
topics;
•! Dense city
•! Transport strategy
•! Value chain of materials
•! City vision
Thereafter, to narrow down the topics, in teams the students explored each topic,
according to the following seven aspects;
1.! What are the stakeholder interests?
2.! Can all dimension of sustainability be factored in?
3.! Is there potential for transformative change?
4.! Is there potential for integrative change?
5.! What is the socio-technical aspects?
6.! Where on the scale (multilevel perspective) is there potential to intervene?
7.! Where on the value chain is there potential to intervene?
After each topic had been discussed, the student had to write down ideas and
thoughts they absorbed during the dialogs on post-its under each identified hot topic. It
then became clear which students had similar interests and could team up for the
research projects. When the teams had formed, each group then started to explore
where they could find enough leverage to intervene in the system.
For this thesis the identified hot topics we found most energy and interest in was
Sustainable innovation for urban development. The aim was to combine our own
interests together with a current local project in Gothenburg. Therefore, to connect the
ideas, contact was taken with actors in academia, public authorities, private and
public companies to explore the market needs. Eventually the research was narrowed
down to the urban development in Frihamnen. And after a meeting with the project
leader for the Jubileumsparken in Frihamnen it was found that the city is applying a new
and innovative approach designing the park, by using prototypes co-creation methods
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to develop the area. The city aims to create a living laboratory and a testbed with a
sustainability focus. Therefore, a research question was formulated to understand how
the new concept of developing Jubileumsparken can contribute to sustainability
transitions in Gothenburg.
Backcasting Step 4: Step 4 represents the process of answering the identified research question;
How can the concept of urban living lab contribute to sustainability transitions in
Gothenburg?