Fostering the implementation of green solutions through a Living Lab approach - experiences from the LiLa4Green project

For dealing with participatory aspects in urban planning, the method of Living Labs (LL) currently turns out to be a most popular and promising approach. In our project LiLa4Green we apply such a Living Lab in the City of Vienna for implementing green solutions in densely built settlement areas characterised by heterogenous ownership and building structures, few public open space and green areas and the dominance of car traffic. In the first year, the potential analysis of the status-quo situation was completed, and the Living Lab had been established. First lessons from the now successfully running LL process can be drawn. The analysis and the initiated process revealed deficits, but also clear potentials for the implementation of green measures which could significantly improve the current situation. So far, the Living Lab process made clear that the people are generally affected and therefore interested in the topic of heat stress and greening the city, but it does not seem to have top priority for them. Although many people could be addressed and involved in discussions, only a small group of people were willing to take part in the first workshop. Confronted with such challenges the strategy for the next stage was to bring the LL process closer to the people's everyday life context and to extend the participatory methods. Innovative ICT-solutions which help to intuitively visualize and understand green solutions and their effects were tested, as well as a co-decision process for the realization of a first intervention was offered. The higher participation rate in the second green lab indicates that this is a promising approach which will be continued in the further LL process.