Community engagement and feedback has often been pinpointed as the weakest link in sustainable neighbourhood transformations. The living lab approach has been known as a promising methodology for engaging with multi-stakeholder groups in real-life contexts, yet studies have shown that engagement is rarely achieved in practice in many living labs. In this paper, we suggest it is helpful to take a process orientation to cut through the clutter of living lab literature, focusing on the “how” of establishing “living labs”. We posit that it is most imperative in this process to put people in focus, foregrounding their specific needs, interaction, and wellbeing and channelling their competences and experiences towards urban regeneration. Drawing inspiration from the literature that focuses on innovation-oriented living labs and based on a case study of organising and leading six living labs for community engagement in social renovation and energy transition in six European cities from 2022-2025, this paper will advance a methodology for establishing a living lab approach towards community engagement for urban regeneration. We suggest focusing on five phases to get going on the ground with the living lab networking approach– Scope, Map, Implement, Learn and Enhance – the S.M.I.L.E. methodology, What stands out from prevailing living lab approaches is Scope and Map. Scope foregrounds the importance of users (in their various roles) and the community. In this first step, a deep understanding of the citizens and community demographics regards citizens as catalysts of innovation and that their inputs can lead to better informed and robust outcomes in various measures and solutions. Map envisions all the actors relevant for the development of the socio-technical solutions and facilitates the possibility to review the congruence of their interests. Adopting the living lab approach requires thorough understanding of important actors' objectives and drivers, the alignment of operational processes, and establishment of open and collaborative culture. The S.M.I.L.E. methodology provides a pragmatic point of departure for a living lab facilitator responsible for engagement activities, whether newly set up and as an extension of ongoing programmes.
Cheng et al. (Thu,) studied this question.