Photo: Alytus city municipality
5. Case Studies from TANGO-W Urban Living Labs
This chapter delves into detailed case studies from the TANGO-W ULLs focusing on specific examples from various cities across Europe. These case studies are essential for understanding the unique challenges and innovative solutions developed within each ULL. By examining these cases, we aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of how different urban environments have approached transformative capacity building.
While previous sections of this deliverable have adopted a horizontal approach by identifying best practices across multiple ULLs, Chapter 5 shifts focus to a vertical examination. This approach is justified for several reasons. First, each ULL operates within its unique socio-political and geographical context. A vertical analysis allows us to appreciate how local conditions influence the implementation and success of urban transformation strategies.
Second, by concentrating on individual cases, we can delve deeper into the specific methodologies and innovations employed by each ULL. This detailed insight can uncover nuanced lessons that might be overlooked in a broader analysis.
Furthermore, although each case is unique, comparing these vertical studies can reveal patterns and insights applicable across different contexts. It enables stakeholders to identify adaptable strategies and avoid potential pitfalls. Finally, understanding the intricacies of each ULL's approach provides valuable information for replication in similar urban settings elsewhere. It highlights both successful strategies and challenges encountered, offering a realistic perspective on urban transformative capacity building.
5.1. Weiz, Austria
Weiz is a small town in Austria that overcame an industrial crisis in the early 2000’s by turning to the development and promotion of ecological technologies and projects. To do this, the town set up its own research agency, funded exclusively by research projects, to provide the town with ideas for change. Decision-makers at the research agency act as project managers for research projects in the city, giving them a strong influence on city affairs, virtually independent of the mayor.
Hence what might seem a small and natural change; a mayor resignating, was here a rather significant impact, as he was very popular with the citizens and had steered the city's fortunes with an absolute majority for over 10 years. With elections due in the spring, an interim mayor was appointed for a few months, but his temporary and weak position meant that he was unable to develop a strategy for the city.
In the Urban Living Lab in Weiz, the original project idea to continue Weiz’s aim to act as a pioneer in energy efficiency, sustainability, and innovative food distribution was discontinued. And a decision was made to change the subject and instead work with young people. This led to a successful process in which about 8 new young people were recruited for the local youth council. In order to speak the youth's language, the representative of the youth participation programme of the province of Styria was included in the conceptual team. Due to the large age difference between the 13-year-olds and the 17-year-olds, their interests were very different and their interest in municipal issues and structures was also very different. As a result of the different feedback, the concept team (Innovationszentrum Weiz, City of Weiz and AIT) intensified their cooperation in the conception and moderation and composed the groups of young people more homogeneously. This ultimately led to an improvement in the cooperation within the concept team and to good results of the process.
We see Weiz as a good practice example of how goals and approaches can be quickly and flexibly adapted to changing contexts in order to enable context-appropriate transformation processes.
The weakness was that the local people in the design team had no previous knowledge of transformation processes, which made a slow and careful approach necessary in order not to lose anyone along the way, but rather to make the process a success for the young, new team. However, this in turn also highlights the importance of selecting ULL managers. In Weiz a controller with a decision-making function was given this role, and being embedded in the small team, she was able to take the unusual steps slowly but surely. The same problem of ULL managers not being selected by the cities on the basis of their transformative skills was also present in Alytus, albeit on the side of the research organisation. For this reason, the Tango-W project have paid special attention to the selection of ULL managers in deliverables 5.1 and 4.3; the selection of the PM is a strategic advantage or an almost irreparable mistake for a long time.
As explained, the Weiz ULL encountered several challenges that deviated from its initial goals. These issues were compounded by limited financial resources and exhaustion among citizens from previous participation processes and the decision to change scope highlights a key learning: flexibility and responsiveness to local conditions are crucial for maintaining momentum in transformative projects .
Photo: Jugendgemeinderat Weiz or Youth Community Council in Weiz
In summary, the Weiz ULL provides valuable insights for future replication efforts. Key takeaways include the necessity of maintaining flexibility in project plans and focusing on essential processes when resources are limited. Moreover, ensuring that scientific approaches are accessible and relevant to target groups is vital for fostering meaningful participation.
Conversely, the challenges faced by Weiz highlight what not to replicate : over-reliance on exhaustive participation processes without sufficient administrative support and clear leadership can hinder progress. Future ULLs should prioritize establishing robust governance structures and adaptable methodologies that can withstand political and social fluctuations.
5.2 Klagenfurt, Austria
The Urban Living Lab in Klagenfurt, Austria, is focusing on establishing a sustainable and innovative energy community within the city. As outlined in the project proposal, Klagenfurt's ULL aims to promote climate and environmental protection through the development of renewable energy solutions and sustainable urban practices. The initiative is centred around creating a Food and Energy Nexus, integrating photovoltaic systems with food production in glasshouses, thus providing a model for sustainable urban development.
In practice, Klagenfurt's ULL has encountered several challenges and opportunities that have shaped its trajectory. One of the primary goals was to establish a renewable energy community in the Harbach district, a newly developed area intended to be climate neutral. The Smart Climate Lab was established as a hub for knowledge building and stakeholder engagement, aiming to support local stakeholders in forming this energy community. However, the project faced barriers such as insufficient local examples of successful energy communities and communication challenges between city departments.
Key findings from Klagenfurt's ULL reveal both successes and areas for improvement. The establishment of the Smart Climate Lab has been a significant achievement, providing a platform for capacity building and stakeholder interaction. However, the lack of direct local energy production and reliance on external renewable sources presented obstacles to fostering a strong community identity around the energy initiative. Additionally, there were issues related to the engagement of property developers and energy suppliers, which highlighted the need for clear communication and role definition among stakeholders.
Photo: Smart Climate Lab in Klagenfurt
Almost as smart as the Smart Lab in itself was it, that the project leader, who had to implement the goals mostly without a team, had the bright idea of delegating the specific development of the energy community to a third party, instead of creating a structure with the Climate Lab directly would pass on know-how on how to implement energy communities. The multiplier effect of this solution is of course much greater than the implementation of one Energy Community . In Austria, as in many other places, you can distinguish between municipal and regional energy communities, both of which produce electricity exclusively from renewable energy sources. As the third party had already set up a regional energy community, it could easily integrate Klagenfurt into this existing renewable energy law without any specific investment in PV. Not including property developers or energy producers was therefore not a mistake in this case, but simply unnecessary. The fact that the Climate Lab brings together the city's young smart city project managers and strengthens their skills as a think tank for the city is also a clever success story for the Klagenfurt project manager. Incidentally, Klagenfurt was the city where the introductory seminar of the TANGO-W curriculum was piloted with an interdisciplinary group of civil servants, Climate LAB staff and researchers from various universities and research institutions.
Overall, Klagenfurt's ULL offers valuable lessons for future replication efforts. Successful elements include the creation of a dedicated space for stakeholder engagement and knowledge dissemination through the Smart Climate Lab and the third party. This approach can be replicated to foster community involvement and support for renewable initiatives. Conversely, challenges such as inadequate local examples of energy communities and communication barriers should be addressed in future projects. Ensuring clear stakeholder roles and effective communication strategies are essential to overcoming these hurdles and achieving sustainable urban transformation.
5.3 Stockholm, Sweden
The Urban Living Lab in Stockholm, Sweden, is focusing on sustainable urban development through the integration of urban agriculture and innovative resource management. As detailed in the project proposal, Stockholm's ULL is centred around the Stockholm Royal Seaport, a district designated to become fossil fuel-free by 2030. The initiative aims to explore urban agriculture as a means to enhance ecosystem services and promote sustainable food production within the city.
We see the implementation of the workshops with Developers as a prime example of how to slowly reduce internal competition and the pursuit of power by individual departments, and how to spread innovative ideas on urban farming across departments. It simply takes time and many workshops and initiatives and informal coordination for these ideas to be widely adopted, and Stockholm has persistently continued down this traditionally successful path. In the eyes of the Tango-W project, this is not a deficit but rather knowledge gained from 10 years of internal practice about what needs to be done to slowly but surely achieve a sustainability goal in cooperation with the relevant stakeholders.
In practice, the Stockholm ULL has pursued various innovative projects, including the development of urban agricultural systems such as rooftop gardens and aquaponics. These efforts are supported by collaborations with local stakeholders and research institutions like the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU). The project has successfully engaged diverse groups in discussions about food security and sustainability, although challenges remain in terms of stakeholder collaboration and long-term investment commitments.
Another factor is that the dynamics in large cities such as Vienna or Stockholm are completely different from those in Halden, Marker or Weiz, which can all react much more quickly and flexibly than large cities with a population of over 2 million.
Key findings from Stockholm's ULL highlight both achievements and areas for improvement. Successful elements include the establishment of workshops on regenerative urban planning and the integration of urban farming into public spaces. However, there have been difficulties in fostering collaboration between municipal authorities and private sector stakeholders, partly due to competitive mindsets and unclear responsibilities for managing shared resources like greenhouses. Additionally, while there is growing public awareness about the importance of these initiatives, achieving a cohesive vision among all stakeholders remains challenging.
Photo: Workshop on the Food of the Future at Bobergstorget Square, Stockholm
As such, Stockholm's ULL offers valuable insights for future replication efforts. Notable successes include the effective use of workshops to engage stakeholders and raise awareness about sustainable practices. These strategies can be replicated to foster community involvement in other urban settings. Conversely, challenges such as stakeholder competition and unclear management roles should be addressed in future projects. Ensuring clear communication channels and fostering a collaborative mindset among diverse groups are essential for overcoming these obstacles and achieving sustainable urban transformation.
5.4 Norrtälje, Sweden
The ULL in Norrtälje, Sweden, is focusing on sustainable urban development through innovative agricultural practices and resource management. The Norrtälje ULL aims to integrate aquaponics within a greenhouse setting at Campus Roslagen, creating a multifunctional hub for local food production, education, and tourism. This initiative seeks to enhance urban resilience by rethinking food and water resources.
In practice, the Norrtälje ULL has faced several challenges and successes that have shaped its development. A key problem was that the reigning municipal government opposed the project itself - and Campus Roslagen, the body responsible for the ULL, is owned by the municipality of Norrtälje. In the end, this also meant that the municipality was able to dismiss the project manager. The success of the project was though, that through close expert collaboration with a father of aquaponic solutions; Björn Oliviusson, a good feasibility study was developed and the greenhouse idea was kept on the agenda during the elected government's term of office. The newly elected government has a very different view of the project, which means that implementation can begin in the near future. The success has therefore been that the project idea itself has been kept alive by favourable local conditions and local entrepreneurs until the right time for implementation.
One of the primary goals was to establish a greenhouse with aquaponics as a centre for innovation and local food production. Despite initial setbacks as described above due to stakeholder disagreements and changes in project management, the ULL has made significant progress. The feasibility study for the greenhouse has been completed, identifying potential locations and types of greenhouses suitable for different climatic conditions. This study has been instrumental in anchoring the project with local politicians and civil servants.
Key findings from Norrtälje's ULL highlight both achievements and areas for improvement. The successful collaboration with experts like Björn Oliviusson has been crucial in advancing the aquaponics initiative. Björn Oliviusson is a marine biologist with extensive experience in water systems, plant, and fish farming. He is the founder of Svensk Aquaponik, a company based in Stockholm, Sweden, that specializes in aquaponic farming - a method combining plant cultivation and fish farming in a closed, environmentally friendly system. His work focuses on sustainable agriculture and biological water purification methods. Oliviusson has also been involved in other innovative projects, including growing tropical plants like bananas in geodesic dome greenhouses using aquaponic bio-beds. His efforts have attracted international attention, with thousands of visitors from around the world coming to see his sustainable technology demonstrations.
Photo: Aquaponics demo in Norrtälje
With the combined effort, the project has seen growing public interest, evidenced by increased visits to the aquaponic demo system and participation in educational programs. However, challenges remain in fostering collaboration between municipal departments and private stakeholders, often hindered by competitive mindsets and unclear responsibilities for managing shared resources like the greenhouse.
In summary, Norrtälje's ULL offers valuable lessons for future replication efforts. Successful elements include leveraging expert knowledge and conducting thorough feasibility studies to guide project development. These strategies can be replicated to foster community involvement and support for sustainable initiatives. Conversely, challenges such as stakeholder competition and unclear management roles should be addressed in future projects. Ensuring clear communication channels and fostering a collaborative mindset among diverse groups are essential for overcoming these obstacles and achieving sustainable urban transformation.
5.5 Alytus, Lithuania
The ULL in Alytus, Lithuania, is a vital part of the TANGO-W project, focusing on sustainable urban development through innovative energy and waste management practices. Alytus aims to become a smart city by 2030, emphasizing green energy and efficient waste management. The ULL's objectives include developing a Green Energy City strategy and engaging marginalized groups in strategic decision-making processes to enhance urban resilience and sustainability.
In practice, the Alytus ULL has been actively involved in participatory foresight processes to align with the city's strategic development plan. This process involved a visioning forum that successfully engaged multiple stakeholders to discuss energy, food, water, and governance strategies. The outcomes of these discussions have been integrated into the city's Strategic Action Plan for 2024-2026, which includes measures such as strengthening environmental education, increasing energy efficiency in buildings, and creating platforms for community idea submissions.
However, a key issue in Alytus was that the municipal project management was handed over solely to a professor at Kaunas Technical University. The consequence of assigning the PM role to an external institute was that the project management was excluded from all municipal information and decision-making processes and thus marginalised. This allowed the city to implement its own decision-making processes beyond the project and keep its usual way of working. Since the powerful finance department was the municipal client and the 'hidden municipal project manager', the key focus was how much money was to be allocated to which topic. However, as before, the topics were decided in the individual departments and not in the project. The second problem was that the professor, due to her technical training, was primarily interested in technical issues and not in stakeholder processes. As a result, only one stakeholder workshop was held in Alytus to generate ideas and review existing ideas. Despite several indications that the action plan adopted by the city should be discussed and reflected upon again with the stakeholders, there was no second workshop. Thus, the one-way communication remained without a dialogue with other stakeholders and a reflection on the pros and cons of the decisions taken and where and how to start implementing it was not initiated. This double neutralisation allowed the municipality to continue its usual top-down processes undisturbed. Nevertheless, it can be assumed that this stakeholder workshop contained innovative elements that would not have been implemented without the TANGO-W project.
Key findings from Alytus's ULL highlight both achievements and areas for improvement. The successful implementation of participatory methods has fostered new ideas, enhancing community engagement in urban planning. However, challenges remain in balancing stakeholder interests and ensuring effective communication across different governance levels. Additionally, while the integration of innovative waste management solutions has been slower than anticipated due to regulatory hurdles and financial constraints, some new and more innovative ways of working has been adopted by Alytus, which could mark a first shift in local governance strategies.
Photo: The City of Alytus is Recognized as one of the greenest Cities in Lithuania
In conclusion the project work in TANGO-W and the work in the municipality of Alytus has to be better aligned to ensure a continuation of the work initiated by the project. A shared emphasis on co-creation and stakeholder engagement is needed, and all parties needs to prioritize collaborative governance models that involve citizens, businesses, and policymakers in developing sustainable urban strategies . Positively, the use of Urban Living Labs as experimental platforms for testing innovative solutions aligns with TANGO-W's broader objectives of fostering urban transformative capacities (UTC) through participatory methods.
Alytus's ULL offers valuable lessons for future replication efforts. Successful elements include the use of creative participatory methods to engage citizens and stakeholders, which can be replicated in other urban settings to foster community involvement. On the other side, challenges such as keeping to traditional ways of governing, regulatory barriers and financial limitations should be addressed in future projects.
5.5.1 The Alytus Strategic Action Plan for 2024-2026
The strategic development plan for Alytus, was presented by Jolanta Dvarionienė as part of the TANGO-W project webinars. It outlines a comprehensive approach to transforming the city into a sustainable and smart urban environment by 2030. This plan is closely aligned with the objectives of the TANGO-W project, focusing on enhancing urban transformative capacities through collaborative and innovative practices.
Sustainable Growth and Development : Alytus aims to evolve into a green and sustainable city, emphasizing energy efficiency, circular economy practices, and smart city technologies. The strategic plan includes initiatives to modernize infrastructure, such as improving energy efficiency in public buildings and street lighting, and increasing the use of renewable energy sources, particularly solar power.Circular Economy and Waste Management : The city plans to implement circular economy principles to reduce waste and promote recycling. This includes developing a smart waste management system that uses digital technologies to enhance the efficiency of waste collection and processing.Citizen Engagement and Co-Creation : A significant aspect of the plan is fostering community involvement in urban planning through participatory methods. This involves creating platforms for citizens to submit ideas and proposals, thereby enhancing social capital and inclusion.Education and Awareness : Strengthening environmental education is a priority, aimed at increasing awareness about waste prevention and sorting within the context of the circular economy. This educational focus is intended to empower citizens to participate actively in sustainable practices.Infrastructure Development : The plan emphasizes developing sustainable territories and infrastructure, including retrofitting buildings with energy-efficient technologies and creating green spaces like parks and urban forests to improve air quality and enhance liveability.
The strategic plan for Alytus aligns closely with the TANGO-W project's objectives by integrating ULLs as platforms for experimentation and innovation in urban development. Both initiatives prioritize collaborative governance models that involve citizens, businesses, and policymakers in co-creating sustainable solutions. The use of ULLs in Alytus facilitates stakeholder engagement in real-world settings, allowing for the testing of innovative solutions that can be scaled up or adapted based on feedback. The strategic plan's focus on energy efficiency, circular economy, and citizen engagement mirrors TANGO-W's emphasis on widening urban transformative capacity (UTC) through participatory foresight processes. Alytus's strategic development plan provides a roadmap for achieving sustainable urban transformation through integrated approaches that align with European best practices in urban development. The city's commitment to engaging diverse stakeholders in decision-making processes serves as a model for other cities seeking to enhance their urban transformative capacities.
5.6 Halden, Norway
The Urban Living Lab in Halden, Norway, is focusing on reducing food waste and energy consumption related to food production and consumption. It aims to monitor food expiration dates, suggest menus, and facilitate the consumption of locally produced foods.
Photo: Isebakke Kindergarten in Halden, Norway Counting Food Waste
The program places citizens at the centre of the development for sustainability, but already early in the project, there was a clash of expectations between different stakeholders. The municipality wanted to use a digital tool to reduce food waste, but this was strongly opposed by the kindergarten managers and their staff. The digital tool therefore proved to be a complete flop and initially a major obstacle in the transformation process.
The PM in the municipality with the support of Smart Innovation Norway and the online CoP was however able make a second attempt. Clarification meetings was held with all the nursery school managers and the responsible official in the city council, in such a way that new, shared goals could be developed. While the overarching goal of reducing food waste remained the same, the means of achieving it changed completely: the digital tool was replaced by working in and with the nursery teams, and a cross-nursery group was set up to share results and support nursery change initiatives .
The successes that began to emerge in the community also meant that the PMs colleagues, who had initially shown little interest, slowly became curious and started to support the project more actively in the community. As such Halden is a good practice example of the success of transformative collaboration between a community project leader and a transformative researcher . Without the continuous support with external impulses and perspectives, it would have been difficult to withstand the pressure from the community and to find a solution that was feasible and optimal for everyone. This example also highlights the need for good transformative relationships between an internal municipal project manager and an external researcher with greater freedom of action outside the municipal hierarchy.
Thus, in practice, Halden's ULL encountered both successes and challenges in its implementation. One of the primary achievements has been the development of cookbooks for local kindergartens. These cookbooks are designed to help reduce food waste by providing practical recipes and guidance for utilizing surplus food effectively. This initiative not only addresses sustainability by minimizing waste but also engages the community in adopting environmentally friendly practices. However, challenges such as initial resistance from key stakeholders like kindergarten leaders were overcome by adopting a user-centred approach, involving stakeholders directly in the process, and adjusting the project to better align with their needs.
Key findings from Halden's ULL highlight both achievements and areas for improvement. The successful engagement of stakeholders through workshops and collaborative meetings has fostered ownership and alignment with user needs. However, balancing different stakeholder interests and power dynamics remains a challenge. The project has also faced difficulties in ensuring that successful innovations are adopted and scaled up across different governance levels.
In summary, Halden's ULL offers valuable lessons for future replication efforts. Successful elements include the use of different tools to engage stakeholders and reduce food waste, which can be replicated in other urban settings to foster community involvement. Conversely, challenges such as stakeholder resistance and scaling innovations should be addressed in future projects.
5.7 Marker, Norway
The Urban Living Lab in Marker, Norway, is focusing on sustainable agriculture and community engagement. The Marker ULL aims to enhance local food production through the establishment of parcel gardens and promote sustainable practices within the community.
Photo: Matfatet (Tray of Food) is a shop with local food from around Marker
This initiative is designed to foster collaboration among local stakeholders, including landowners, municipal authorities, and community members, to address food security and sustainability challenges.
A challenge in Marker was that the project manager had very little previous experience with transformation processes and that the effort needed demanded quite a lot of experience and effort. What was needed was both to approach the decision-makers of the retirement home and the responsible farmer, and to work out the different stakeholder goals and the common ground between them as a common basis for the realisation of the ULL. Then ideally, based on these efforts to organise workshops with the different stakeholders for the joint development of realisable concept ideas and for mutual coordination and support in the implementation steps.
A person was appointed who was used to ‘looking over’ what others had already developed and implemented, checking it for weaknesses and evaluating it. Hence, if there are no results yet, they cannot be evaluated. The resulting standstill was exacerbated by the fact that project manager of the ULL had been appointed by the city as the managing director of a subsidiary. This meant that important information and resources of the city for the ULL were lost. The necessity to always present the results as successful and the measure of all things also led to not being able to accept the support of the online CoPs and f2f CoPs and withdrawing from the cooperation altogether about halfway through the project.
Thus it was almost impossible for the Tango-W project to reach the responsible people in Marker and work with them on the ULL control. All of this led to the Marker ULL not getting out of the concept stage.
In this respect Marker is an example of how important the right selection of a project manager is to the successful implementation of new practices . If this is not appreciated and taken into account when assigning tasks, then unnecessary frustration and standstill will arise on both sides of the transformation project itself.
Key findings from Marker's ULL highlight both achievements and areas for improvement. The successful engagement of stakeholders through participatory workshops has fostered a sense of ownership and collaboration among community members. However, challenges such as high turnover in leadership positions and difficulties in maintaining consistent engagement with stakeholders have hindered progress. The project has also faced obstacles in scaling up successful innovations due to limited resources and administrative support.
In summary, Marker's ULL offers valuable lessons for future replication efforts. Successful elements include the use of parcel gardens as a tool for community engagement and education on sustainable agriculture. These strategies can be replicated in other urban settings to foster community involvement and support for local food systems. Conversely, challenges such as ensuring the right capabilities are in place to run a project is of utmost importance, as is the need to have strategies to counter leadership turnover and resource limitations. Ensuring stable leadership and securing adequate resources are essential for overcoming these obstacles and achieving sustainable urban transformation.