Together with partners, researchers at KTU are working on a project to develop Urban Living Labs and encourage youth engagement in civic activities while addressing key challenges in promoting inclusive urban development. This way, we can empower young people and strengthen the capacity of city authorities to sustainably transition to green technologies.
Researchers at KTU, together with their Austrian, Lithuanian, Dutch, and Norwegian partners, are nearing the end of implementing the project to create Urban Living Labs—Trustmaking: Young creators and responsibilities for the new green transition.
Acknowledging that trust is fundamental for effective cooperation, this project builds intergenerational and cross-sector collaboration systems, involving city governments, entrepreneurs, and civil society organisations. This project enhances placemaking practices and aims to foster young people’s confidence in co-creating urban spaces, with a particular focus on integrating green infrastructure.
Youth should be involved in urban placemaking
“The overall project results show that it is important to involve young people in urban placemaking because their unique perspectives and creativity enhance the functionality and the whole view of future cities,” says PhD Vilčinskas.
The youngest project participants identified several important priorities in public city spaces. They care about the state of the infrastructure for physical activity—user-friendly and safe bike lanes and sports areas. They would also like to have adapted places that bring the community together. The third often raised need is for spaces of expression. In these spaces, they could experiment, create, and present various works of art. There is still a lack of such public spaces.
“It is important to accept their attitude without imposing an external perspective on the processes of transforming cities,” says researcher Vilčinskas.
This project has also highlighted the potential of Living Urban Labs organising joint activities with educational institutions (schools, gymnasiums, universities). Young people were provided with an opportunity to be active and proactive members of our society through projects and experts. We believe they will continue to be involved in placemaking.
Innovative approach to city development
“An innovative approach to urban co-placemaking was presented, integrating trust-building principles derived from interdisciplinary research across and beyond the fields of urban placemaking,” says PhD Vidas Vilčinskas, one of the project developers.
The aim is to promote the development of Living Urban Labs and ensure the durability of co-developed projects. Additionally, the project aims to provide the youngest urban makers with all the relevant information and to influence policymakers.
“By prioritising trust-building and engaging young people, the project proposes an innovative approach to urban placemaking that combines short-term challenges with long-term goals, promoting resilient and inclusive urban environments across Europe,” says the researcher.
After Living Urban Labs in Oslo, Panevėžys, Vienna, and Rotterdam were set up, the project applied several performance approaches to include young people in the processes of urban placemaking, provide skills to read and critically evaluate the urban environment, and propose alternatives to current situations. Such methods create cooperation between experts and youth.
During the project, the whole team would meet in joint events—summer/winter schools. Such a school took place in Lithuania, in the summer of 2024. During the meeting, the guests visited city community co-created areas in Vilnius, Kaunas, and Panevėžys (alternative culture centres, community centres, community gardens, etc.) This summer school became a platform for academic exchange, practical research, and cultural interaction.
In Vilnius, the latest research in trustmaking was presented and the landscape of Šnipiškės neighbourhood was analysed, while workshops and cultural visits were organised in Panevėžys. In Kaunas, the focus was on the theoretical completion of the set of guidelines and practical activities in regenerative city areas. In the Living Urban Lab in Panevėžys, the project team focused on discussing the project’s results and clarifying the main principles of youth inclusion.
Transparent communication and trust-building
In terms of trust-building, the project stresses the importance of transparent and inclusive communication with partners, experts, and young people.
“By practising trust-building, we aim to redefine urban placemaking by linking imminent community needs with long-term sustainability goals and opening up new opportunities for fair and resilient cities,” says PhD Vilčinskas.
According to the researcher, the role of trust in placemaking and designing is often overlooked. It is important to stress that trust is not just about someone making the right decisions and not having to question them. Trust is significantly related to the courage to be critical of decisions and unafraid to speak up, hoping that your views will be heard and considered. This trust is self-confidence and the importance of nurturing it in today’s world is indisputable.
Confident young people will be able to get involved in discussions with experts and city authorities. This communication is easier if they meet in a youth-friendly environment, such as community centres, to create comfort and connection.
The experience and insights accumulated during the project are now included in a set of guidelines that describes different approaches to co-creation, including placemaking and art strategies, and provides practical tools for experts, policy makers, people working with youth, entrepreneurs, and others. This will all be published and presented to the public and experts.
“The project’s insights provide a solid foundation for future Living Urban Labs, showing how inclusive, trust-based approaches can help address urban challenges while empowering young people,” says PhD Vidas Vilčinskas.
This project was funded by the Lithuanian Research Council under the funding instrument Driving Urban Transition (DUT) for spatial planning projects.
