Tackling complex challenges such as climate change, scarcity of resources and social inequality requires transformative approaches to urban development and the building up of capacities. In this guide for transformative governance we have shown that ULLs create an environment in which urban stakeholders can work with researchers, experts, civil society groups and private companies to develop and test sustainable solutions in a controlled, real-world setting. In ULLs, the transformation process is not understood as linear, controlled change, but as learning through trial and error, in which innovations are jointly developed and continuously optimised. ULLs support cities in directly aligning solutions with their specific challenges, thus creating the basis for a context-sensitive and experimental governance structure.
In order for the ULLs to function as specific spaces for transformation with the help of experiments, their control with the help of context-related governance is an essential criterion for success. Only in this way can ULLs generate innovations for the ‘regime’ in the context of communities in their function as a ‘niche’, which are then incorporated into the routines of the city administration. Context governance (social architectures, temporal architectures) provides the municipal project managers and consulting researchers with the transformative governance instruments that can be used to successfully control transformation processes. Context-based governance approaches enable decision-making processes to be designed flexibly, allowing for continuous adaptation to dynamic local needs and challenges. This is particularly important given that cities are confronted with a multitude of often conflicting interests and conditions. Context governance therefore promotes a form of governance that is supported by cooperative mechanisms and differs from traditional, hierarchical governance models.
The instruments of transformative governance presented here – transformation room, architectures and monitoring – are interlinked at different levels. The transformation room provides an environment for collaborative experimentation and knowledge transfer and creates adaptive and cooperative framework conditions. In addition to this, joint steering by municipal project managers and advisory researchers is based on continuous evaluation and adaptation: only meta-reflection by both actors enables a transformative use of the two governance instruments. Monitoring ensures the necessary reflection and adaptation to reflect on and optimise the long-term effects of the transformation processes. Monitoring is not only understood as an evaluation tool, but as an essential tool to support learning processes and to continuously adapt to changing conditions. In process monitoring, the focus is on short- to medium-term evaluation of the transformation. Process monitoring supports the cooperation between the municipal project managers and the consulting researchers in their interventions. As an instrument, it helps the municipal project managers to support the stakeholders' self-reflection and thus to dare to take new steps in the experiments. Impact monitoring focuses on the long-term effects of the transformation processes and enables a systematic reflection and evaluation of the overarching effects. Indicators relating to economic, ecological and social goals enable a systematic observation of the effects of these projects. This is how it is determined whether and how the sustainable transformation goals can be achieved in the long term. Indicators and target matrices make it possible to systematically monitor and analyse progress in relation to the UTC goals, enabling cities to make strategic adjustments and continuously improve their transformation capacity.
Furthermore, there is a need to redefine traditional roles within urban administration and research in order to successfully implement sustainable transformation processes and projects. The roles of researchers and municipal officials are expanding here to include ‘co-learners’ who develop and adapt transformative strategies in constant interaction with other actors. Transformative researchers are experts in methodology and help municipal project leaders to establish new cooperation and knowledge networks. Their primary added value lies in a) providing an external perspective, b) conceiving and implementing architectures and c) moderating the overall process and encouraging transformations from within the system. In this role, they are process consultants and not teachers, since teachers always remain rooted in their role as experts and thus always ensure adaptation rather than change. The role of municipal officials is changing from that of pure administrators to that of strategic coordinators and bridge-builders who enable cross-sectoral cooperation and promote an integrative perspective. This role requires a high degree of flexibility and the ability to challenge established patterns of thought and action. The success of transformative partnerships between cities and research institutions depends on a combination of shared vision, political and institutional support, sustained commitment, transdisciplinary collaboration and adaptability. A clear and unified vision creates shared alignment on objectives and outcomes across all participants, fostering a sense of direction and accomplishment. Political and institutional support provides legitimacy and resources, reduces fragmentation, and supports the longevity of initiatives. Long-term commitment is critical to addressing complex urban challenges, requiring consistency over time in staff, resources, and strategies. Transdisciplinary approaches, which bring together expertise from different disciplines, shift the emphasis from siloed research to practical, actionable solutions and ensure that partnerships are better able to respond to changing urban landscapes. Finally, feedback loops and reflexive practices keep partnerships dynamic and adaptable, enabling mutual learning and the recalibration of strategies in response to emerging challenges.