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

Author

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  • 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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    Cited by:

    1. 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.
    2. Fabiano Lemes de Oliveira & Maria do Carmo de Lima Bezerra & Orlando Vinicius Rangel Nunes & Enzo D’Angelo Arruda Duarte & Anna Giulia Castaldo & Davi Navarro de Almeida, 2025. "Nature-Based Solutions for Stormwater Management: Co-Creating a Multiscalar Proposal in the Global South," Land, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-23, March.
    3. Marta Dell’Ovo & Giulia Datola & Elena Di Pirro & Silvia Ronchi & Andrea Arcidiacono & Sandy Attia & Diego Baronchelli & Andrea Benedini & Maddalena Buffoli & Gianpiero Calvi & Giovanni Castaldo & Ale, 2025. "A Participatory SWOT-Based Approach to Nature-Based Solutions Within Urban Fragile Territories: Operational Barriers and Strategic Roadmaps," Land, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-27, September.
    4. 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.
    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.
    6. 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.
    7. 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.
    8. Venuti, Francesco, 2025. "Bridging NbS and legal literature: Institutional, procedural and substantive barriers to nature-based solutions implementation," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 151(C).
    9. Yilmaz, Ozge Celik & Ertekin, Ozhan, 2024. "Towards setting a standard for evaluating living labs with case studies in Turkiye," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).

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