Urban Living Lab as an Education Strategy for Sustainable Development

  • Ivetheyamel Morales
  • Jordi Segalás
  • Torsten Masseck

Abstract

This study analyses the Delta Project, an Urban Living Lab (ULL) implemented at the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism (FAU) of the University of Guayaquil (UG), as an innovative educational strategy for sustainable development. It highlights the challenges in architecture education, focusing on the need to adapt to the demands of sustainability and technological advances. ULLs, in response to these challenges, are presented as dynamic platforms that combine research, innovation and policy to promote sustainability in urban and educational contexts. The methodology employs a case study approach, detailing how the Delta Project is integrated as a learning environment at FAU and its relationship to sustainability goals and education for sustainable development (ESD). The E-ULL-HEIs tool was used to assess seven key indicators: objectives and scope, diversity and stakeholder participation, interdisciplinarity, curricular integration, learning and research impact, community impact, and resources and sustainability. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, documentary analysis and participatory observation. The results indicate that FAU has successfully integrated the Delta Project into its educational programmes, highlighting its impact on diversity and stakeholder participation, interdisciplinarity, curricular integration, and learning and research. The findings underline the effectiveness of the Delta Project in promoting ESD and its alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, challenges were identified in terms of cross-sectoral collaboration and student participation, providing valuable lessons on the importance of strategic planning and adaptability. The study highlights the potential of the Delta Project model to be adapted and replicated in different cultural and academic contexts, suggesting the need for ongoing evaluations to improve the effectiveness of similar projects and promote ESD.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Ivetheyamel Morales

University of Guayaquil. Ecuador/ Universitat Politécnica de Catalunya. Barcelona, Spain
ORCID: 0000-0002-2366-8498. E-mail: ivetheyamel.moralesv@ug.edu.ec

Jordi Segalás

Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Barcelona, Spain. ORCID: 0000-0002-9909-120X. E-mail: jordi.segalas@upc.edu

Torsten Masseck

Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Barcelona, Spain. ORCID: 0000-0003-2534-6457 Email: torsten.masseck@upc.edu

References

AMORIM, W. S. DE, NEIVA, S. DA S., CASTRO, B. C. G., DEGGAU, A. B., JONCK, A. V., ALBUQUERQUE JUNIOR, C. L. DE, & GUERRA, J. B. S. O. DE A. (2020). “Higher education institutions as drivers of sustainable communities: a case study of the University of Southern Santa Catarina empowering the community”. In Universities and Sustainable Communities: Meeting the Goals of the Agenda 2030 (S. 805–823). Springer.

BHAIRAPPANAVAR, S., LIU, R., & COFFMAN, R. (2018). “Beneficial uses of dredged material in green infrastructure and living architecture to improve resilience of Lake Erie”. Infrastructures, 3(4). https://doi.org/10.3390/infrastructures3040042

BULKELEY, H., COENEN, L., FRANTZESKAKI, N., HARTMANN, C., KRONSELL, A., MAI, L., MARVIN, S., MCCORMICK, K., VAN STEENBERGEN, F., & VOYTENKO PALGAN, Y. (2016). “Urban living labs: governing urban sustainability transitions”. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 22, 13–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cosust.2017.02.003

CARAYANNIS, E., & CAMPBELL, D. F. J. (2013). “Triple Helix, Quadruple Helix and Quintuple Helix and How Do Knowledge, Innovation and the Environment Relate To Each Other”. Regional Development, 535–565. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-0882-5.ch3.8

CARAYANNIS, E. G., & CAMPBELL, D. F. J. (2021). “Democracy of Climate and Climate for Democracy : the Evolution of Quadruple and Quintuple Helix Innovation Systems Introduction : Helices Development in Comparison”. Journal of the Knowledge Economy, 2050–2082. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13132-021-00778-x

CHATTERS, R., DIMAIRO, M., COOPER, C., DITTA, S., WOODWARD, J., BIGGS, K., OGUNLEYE, D., THISTLETHWAITE, F., YAP, C., & ROTHMAN, A. (2024). “Exploring the barriers to, and importance of, participant diversity in early-phase clinical trials: an interview-based qualitative study of professionals and patient and public representatives”. BMJ open, 14(3), e075547.

CHÁVEZ, J. D. (2015). La investigación en los campos de la arquitectura: reflexiones metodológicas y procedimentales. Universidad Nacional de Colombia.

DEFILA, R., & DI GIULIO, A. (2019). “Transdisziplinär und transformativ forschen, Band 2”. Springer VS, Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-27135-0

DENZIN, N. K. (2017). The research act: A theoretical introduction to sociological Methods. Routledge.

ELO, S., & KYNGÄS, H. (2008). “The qualitative content analysis process”. Journal of advanced nursing, 62(1), 107–115.

ENGELS, A., & WALZ, K. (2018). “Dealing with Multi-Perspectivity in Real-World Laboratories: Experiences from the Transdisciplinary Research Project Urban Transformation Laboratories”. GAIA-Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society, 27(1), 39–45.

EVANS, J., JONES, R., KARVONEN, A., MILLARD, L., & WENDLEr, J. (2015). “Living labs and co-production: University campuses as platforms for sustainability science”. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 16, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cosust.2015.06.005

FEDERLEY, M., FRIEDRICH, P., & KARLSSON, A. (2014). SubUrbanLab: D 2.1 Boundary conditions for successful Urban Living Labs. https://cris.vtt.fi/ws/portalfiles/portal/33322603/SubUrbanLab_D2.1_Boundary_conditions_fo_successful_Urban_Living_Labs.pdf

GARCÍA RIVERA, T. M. (2021). “Enseñar a investigar en arquitectura: una discusión pendiente más allá del proyecto arquitectónico”. Academia XXII, 12(23), 67–81.

GOTTDIENER, M., HOHLE, R., & KING, C. (2019). The new urban sociology. ROUTLEDGE

HUGO, H., ESPINOZA, F., MORALES, I., ORTIZ, E., PÉREZ, S., & SALCEDO, G. (2018). “Delta project: Towards a sustainable campus”. Sustainability, 10(10), 3695. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10103695

JUUJÄRVI, S., & PESSO, K. (2013). “Actor Roles in an Urban Living Lab: What Can We Learn from Suurpelto, Finland ? 3 (November)”. Technology Innovation Management Review, 3(11): 22-27.

MASSECK, T. (2015). Teaching Sustainability - Living Labs in Architecture. UNIVERSITAT POLITÈCNICA DE CATALUNYA (UPC).

………. (2017). “Living Labs in Architecture as Innovation Arenas within Higher Education Institutions”. Energy Procedia, 115, 383–389. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egypro.2017.05.035

MCCORMICK, K., & KISS, B. (2015). “Learning through renovations for urban sustainability: The case of the Malmö Innovation Platform”. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 16, 44–50.

MELVIN, C. L., HARVEY, J., PITTMAN, T., GENTILIN, S., BURSHELL, D., & KELECHI, T. (2020). “Communicating and disseminating research findings to study participants: Formative assessment of participant and researcher expectations and preferences”. Journal of clinical and translational science, 4(3), 233–242.

MORALES, I., SEGALÀS, J., & MASSECK, T. (2023). “Urban Living Labs : A Higher Education Approach to Teaching and Learning about Sustainable Development”. Sustainability, 15(20), 1–20. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3390/su152014876

…………. (2024). “Evaluation of the Urban Living Lab in HEIs towards Education for Sustainable Development (E-ULL-HEIs)”. Frontiers in Education, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2024.1412380

MULDER, I., & STAPPERS, P. J. (2016). “Co-creating in practice: Results and challenges”. 2009 IEEE International Technology Management Conference, ICE 2009. https://doi.org/10.1109/ITMC.2009.7461369

NEUENDORF, K. A. (2017). The content analysis guidebook. Sage.

NICOLAU-CORBACHO, A., VÁZQUEZ, A. V., & LÓPEZ, T. G. (2019). “Incorporación del blended learning al taller de proyectos arquitectónicos”. Jornadas sobre Innovación Docente en Arquitectura.

O’BRIEN, W., DORÉ, N., Campbell-Templeman, K., Lowcay, D., & Derakhti, M. (2021). “Living labs as an opportunity for experiential learning in building engineering education”. Advanced Engineering Informatics, 50, 101440. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aei.2021.101440

PALAZZO, E. (2019). “Teaching transdisciplinarity in landscape architecture curriculum for resilient urban places”. Proceedings of the ECLAS and UNISCAPE Annual Conference, 107.

………. (2020). “Universities and Sustainable Communities:Meeting the Goals of the Agenda 2030”. In World Sustainability Series (Nummer February). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-30306-8

PALAZZO, E., & SHIRLEYANA. (2022). “The TEA Evaluation Toolkit: Assessing Transdisciplinary, Experiential, and Adaptive Learning and Teaching in Urban Design Studios”. Education and Urban Society, https://doi.org/00131245221106732.

PALINKAS, L. A., HORWITZ, S. M., GREEN, C. A., WISDOM, J. P., DUAN, N., & HOAGWOOD, K. (2015). “Purposeful sampling for qualitative data collection and analysis in mixed method implementation research”. Administration and policy in mental health and mental health services research, 42, 533–544.

PANTALEÃO, C. C., & CORTESE, T. T. P. (2018). “Sustainable Campus in Brazilian Scenario: Case Study of the Federal University of Lavras”. In W. Leal Filho, F. Frankenberger, P. Iglecias, & R. C. K. Mülfarth (Hrsg.), Towards Green Campus Operations. World Sustainability Series (S. 503–517). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-76885-4_34

PASSAILAIGUE, R. (2019). Informe de Rendicion de Cuentas UG-2019.

PIZIAK, B., BIEŃ, M., JARCZEWSKI, W., & NER, K. (2023). “Exploring Urban (Living) Labs: A Model Tailored for Central and Eastern Europe’s Context”. Sustainability, 15(16), 12556.

SACHS, J. D., KROLL, C., LAFORTUNE, G., FULLER, G., & WOELM, F. (2022). Sustainable development report 2022. Cambridge University Press.

SEIS MENDOZA, L. A. (2023). Análisis del Impacto Generado por la Regeneración Urbana en la Avenida Delta, Universidad De Guayaquil. REPOSITORIO INSTITUCIONAL UNIVERSIDAD SAN GREGORIO DE PORTOVIEJO.

SENGERS, F., WIECZOREK, A. J., & RAVEN, R. (2019). “Experimenting for sustainability transitions: A systematic literature review”. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 145, 153–164. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2016.08.031

SIVASUBRAMANIAM, S., DLABOLOVÁ, D. H., KRALIKOVA, V., & KHAN, Z. R. (2021). “Assisting you to advance with ethics in research: an introduction to ethical governance and application procedures”. International Journal for Educational Integrity, 17, 1–18.

STEEN, K., & BUEREN, E. VAN. (2017). “The Defining Characteristics of Urban Living Labs”. Technology Innovation Management Review, 7(7), 21–33.

VON WIRTH, T., FRANTZESKAKI, N., & LOORBACH, D. (2020). “Urban living labs as inter-boundary spaces for sustainability transitions?” In Handbook on planning and complexity (S. 237–257). Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.4337/9781786439185.00017

WAN, Z. (2019). “Participant selection and access in case study research”. Challenges and Opportunities in Qualitative Research: Sharing Young Scholars’ Experiences, 47–61.

WOLFF, P. J. (2020). “Adventure Cards, Process Wheels, and a Vision for Digital Storytelling: Learning from Leonardo”. In W. Leal Filho, A. L. Salvia, R. W. Pretorius, L. L. Brandli, E. Manolas, F. Alves, U. Azeiteiro, J. Rogers, C. Shiel, & A. Do Paco (Hrsg.), Universities as Living Labs for Sustainable Development: Supporting the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (S. 417–433). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-

Other sources:

EDUCATE. (2012). Educación en Arquitectura Sostenible Libro blanco- Resumen ejecutivo. In Environmental Design in University Curricula and Architectural Training in Europe.

2017. Tomadas de página web: TORRES, K. (2017, August 9). La av. Delta enfrenta nuevas restricciones de tránsito. El telégrafo. Documento consultado en Internet el 25 /08/ 2023 en https://www.eltelegrafo.com.ec/noticias/38/10/la-av-delta-enfrenta-nuevas-restricciones-de-transito

2019. Tomadas de página web: Universidad de Guayaquil. (2019). Universidad de Guayaquil. Documento consultado en Internet el 15 /12/ 2023 en http://www.ug.edu.ec/

2019. Tomadas de página web: Amsterdam Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions. (2019). Urban Living Labs. Documento consultado en internet 13/06/2023 en https://www.ams-institute.org/how-we-work/living-labs/

………

Acknowledgments: This research has been carried out with the support of the University of Guayaquil through its 2016 scholarship programme and the Academic Vice Rectorate that approved the Delta Project, FCI project (Internal Competitive Funds).
Published
2024-07-29
How to Cite
Morales, I., Segalás, J., & Masseck, T. (2024). Urban Living Lab as an Education Strategy for Sustainable Development. Espacio Abierto, 33(3), 90-116. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12813470
Section
Semestre