ABOUT
This learning module explores how urban spaces and university campuses can be prepared and opened up as arenas for experimentation, collaborative innovation, and sustainability transformations. It introduces perspectives, experiences, and practical approaches from municipalities, living labs, testbeds, sandboxes, and campus-based innovation environments across Europe. Drawing on experiences from cities, local communities, universities, and other stakeholders, the module examines how experimentation can contribute to addressing complex social, environmental, and urban challenges. The module provides insights into the governance structures, resources, partnerships, and participation processes that enable successful experimentation. Learners will explore different ways of organizing innovation in urban environments, ranging from city-wide sandboxes and district-scale testbeds to citizen-led initiatives and university campus living labs. Through case studies, videos, reflective exercises, and dialogue-based learning, participants are encouraged to identify opportunities within their own contexts and explore how existing spaces, resources, and initiatives can be mobilized to support collaborative innovation and positive societal change. This module is developed within the framework of the Cross-case Learning Pilot, “How can we prepare and open up urban spaces for experimentation and innovation, and how can we transform a University Campus into an experimentation and collaboration arena?”. This work is part of WP4 of the Erasmus+ funded project ULALABS, Project Reference: 2023 1 ES01 KA220 HED 000157489. The views and opinions expressed in this module are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the Spanish Service for the Internationalization of Education (SEPIE). Neither the European Union nor the National Agency SEPIE can be held responsible for them.