A Methodology for Assessing the Impact of Living Labs on Urban Design: The Case of the Furnish Project

Inés Aquilué,Angélica Caicedo,Laia Pagès,Miquel Estrada,Joan Moreno

doi:10.3390/su13084562

Inés Aquilué, Angélica Caicedo + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/su13084562

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Abstract

This paper presents a framework to support the assessment of urban design projects through Urban Living Labs (ULLs). The framework is based on the Tactical Urbanism (TU) practices and involves the use of Mobile Urban Elements (MUE) in uncertain and potentially confusing conditions (e.g., the COVID-19 context). The methodology includes the application of the Four-Phase Model (problem and ideation; development; implementation, testing and assessment; final proposal) and a quantitative and qualitative assessment. The proposed assessment criteria were developed through an evaluation according to three aspects: (1) feasibility impact; (2) social impact; and (3) spatial impact. The methodology was applied to Furnish, an urban design project based on a ULL and prototyping, which was recently developed in five European cities. The empirical results, obtained using the impact analysis, indicate that the prototypes developed in the project are transferable to other cities and generate social interaction in public spaces. The applied research showed that the Four-Phase Model may be used as a new and improved iterative design process: the LOOP Scheme. The application of this assessment methodology to ULLs may provide valuable information for the future planning of urban interventions in public spaces.

Highlights

This paper presents a specific model for the development of protypes within Urban Living Labs (ULLs) in uncertain conditions, and it displays a purpose-built impact assessment methodology that provides insights into the relevance of co-creation processes and users’ engagement in urban design prototyping to achieve safe, efficient, inclusive, and friendly public spaces
Interaction was facilitated by the project, and people generally liked the Mobile Urban Elements (MUE), which were generally appropriate for society
Using prototyping as a sort of essay in public space derived from tactical urbanism initiatives, urban designs can be improved more quickly, since they are an accepted part of the iterative process needed to link an urban element with its social environment

Summary

Introduction

The design of urban elements in public spaces has deeply evolved, and citizens have become active and empowered agents in transforming urban environments [1,2,3]. Many of the challenges cities face are unpredictable due to their evolving and complex nature, and events such as pandemics, natural disasters, and conflicts make urban systems even more unstable. In this context, tools such as prototyping, TU strategies, and experimental projects seem to be suitable for developing testing solutions to tackle these unexpected, common, challenges in urban environments [4].

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