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Barriers to the Adoption of Urban Living Labs for NBS Implementation: A Systemic Perspective

Author

Listed:
  • Shahryar Sarabi

    (Information Systems in the Built Environment (ISBE) Group, Department of Built Environment, Eindhoven University of Technology, Groene Loper 3, 5612 AE Eindhoven, The Netherlands)

  • Qi Han

    (Information Systems in the Built Environment (ISBE) Group, Department of Built Environment, Eindhoven University of Technology, Groene Loper 3, 5612 AE Eindhoven, The Netherlands)

  • A. Georges L. Romme

    (Department of Industrial Engineering & Innovation Sciences, Eindhoven University of Technology, Groene Loper 3, 5612 AE Eindhoven, The Netherlands)

  • Bauke de Vries

    (Information Systems in the Built Environment (ISBE) Group, Department of Built Environment, Eindhoven University of Technology, Groene Loper 3, 5612 AE Eindhoven, The Netherlands)

  • Rianne Valkenburg

    (Department of Industrial Engineering & Innovation Sciences, Eindhoven University of Technology, Groene Loper 3, 5612 AE Eindhoven, The Netherlands)

  • Elke den Ouden

    (Department of Industrial Engineering & Innovation Sciences, Eindhoven University of Technology, Groene Loper 3, 5612 AE Eindhoven, The Netherlands)

  • Spela Zalokar

    (ENoLL, Pleinlaan 9, 1050 Ixelles, Belgium)

  • Laura Wendling

    (VTT Technical Research Centre Ltd., 02150 Espoo, Finland)

Abstract

Urban Living Labs (ULLs) are widely believed to provide a safe environment for experimentation, co-creation and evaluation of innovations in real-life settings. A growing number of cities have been adopting ULLs to co-create and test Nature-Based Solutions (NBS). However, many of these cities have been facing major barriers in trying to adopt the ULL approach for implementing NBS. In this study, we seek to identify these barriers and provide a systemic understanding. Barriers are identified by means of workshops and interviews. Subsequently, interpretive structural modelling serves to identify the interdependencies among the barriers, resulting in a structural model of barriers in adopting ULLs for NBS. Our results show that political and institutional barriers are significantly limiting the adoption of ULLs. Moreover, knowledge brokers and other intermediaries, as well as cross-sectoral collaboration, play a key role in getting ULLs adopted. The findings from this study can help cities to develop strategies that overcome the main barriers for ULL adoption in the context of nature-based solutions.

Suggested Citation

  • Shahryar Sarabi & Qi Han & A. Georges L. Romme & Bauke de Vries & Rianne Valkenburg & Elke den Ouden & Spela Zalokar & Laura Wendling, 2021. "Barriers to the Adoption of Urban Living Labs for NBS Implementation: A Systemic Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-15, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:23:p:13276-:d:691981
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    8. Polzin, Friedemann & von Flotow, Paschen & Klerkx, Laurens, 2016. "Addressing barriers to eco-innovation: Exploring the finance mobilisation functions of institutional innovation intermediaries," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 34-46.
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    Cited by:

    1. Yichao He & Anna Jorgensen & Qian Sun & Amy Corcoran & Maria Jesus Alfaro-Simmonds, 2022. "Negotiating Complexity: Challenges to Implementing Community-Led Nature-Based Solutions in England Pre- and Post-COVID-19," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(22), pages 1-19, November.
    2. Elena Di Pirro & Rúben Mendes & Teresa Fidélis & Lorenzo Sallustio & Peter Roebeling & Marco Marchetti & Bruno Lasserre, 2022. "The Embeddedness of Nature-Based Solutions in the Recovery and Resilience Plans as Multifunctional Approaches to Foster the Climate Transition: The Cases of Italy and Portugal," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-19, August.
    3. Erick Elysio Reis Amorim & Monique Menezes & Karoline Vitória Gonçalves Fernandes, 2022. "Urban Living Labs and Critical Infrastructure Resilience: A Global Match?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(16), pages 1-20, August.
    4. Beatriz Kauark-Fontes & César E. Ortiz-Guerrero & Livia Marchetti & Jaime Hernández-Garcia & Fabio Salbitano, 2023. "Towards Adaptive Governance of Urban Nature-Based Solutions in Europe and Latin America—A Qualitative Exploratory Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-23, March.
    5. Paola Piazza & Nadia Ursino, 2023. "On the Reason to Implement a Sustainable Urban Drainage Nature-Based Solution to Decrease Flood Threat: A Survey," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-13, June.

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