People as planners: Stakeholder participation in the street experimentation process using a virtual urban living lab

Abstract

The creation and design of intervention for street experimentation is in itself a key challenge in sustainable urban mobility to effectively encourage a modal shift from high car dependence to more active, non-polluting modes of transport. Understanding the needs of the community, including the diverse stakeholders at play, is crucial in implementing successful street experiments that can ultimately manifest into more permanent and systemic change. This study aims to address a current gap between stakeholders and the community in the street experimentation process within the context of the principal urban area of Malta, a car-dependent Euro-Mediterranean island. By collecting initial input from the community and several key stakeholders, a virtual platform to engage the local community is created; a virtual urban living lab (VULL). The VULL is tested in a workshop setting as a method for the collection and visualisation of data in the process of street experimentation. The VULL offers an interactive space for participants to identify barriers that discourage walking and explore and evaluate ideas of street experimentation for the local urban environment. A discussion of preliminary findings from the community's direct input and feedback sheds light on the benefits and challenges of using virtual platforms for stakeholder and community participation in the street experimentation process. The paper concludes by proposing VULLs as a valuable tool for city leaders, urban planners and designers to effectively engage with stakeholders and test new solutions to the complex and pressing issues of urban mobility and public space.