Learning Loops in the Public Realm (LOOPER)
A central difficulty in resolving issues such as air pollution, traffic congestion and road safety is the large number of potential actors involved, each with competing perspectives and interested. Learning Loops in the Public Realm (LOOPER) seeks to promote effective solutions to these and other problems through participatory co-creation processes.
Embedded within three Urban Living Labs in Belgium, Italy and the UK, the project seeks to engage citizens, policy makers and NGOs in innovative processes of collaboration that facilitate mutual learning and the development of consensual outcomes to urban challenges. In particular, the research teams will look at traffic calming and pedestrianisation in Brussels, street safety in Manchester and environmental pollution in Verona.
The findings, while providing important insights for local stakeholders in these cities, will also be of direct relevance for urban stakeholders elsewhere wishing to take on more inclusive decision-making processes.
James Evans (Principal Investigator, Professor of Human Geography)
Janice Astbury (Research Associate)
Ross Hemmings (Community Regeneration Manager)
Joseph Ravetz (Research Fellow)
Sharon Thomas (Community Development Officer)
Vin Sumner (CEO, Clicks and Links)
Engagement of communities, decision makers and civil society through interactive Urban Living Labs in case study cities.
Development of a participatory co-creation platform to support multi-stakeholder learning in response to urban challenges.
Creation of a valuable evidence base and toolkit to support collaborative, responsive learning processes in cities.
Co-creating learning loops for public realm improvements in Brunswick, Greater Manchester
1 May 2018