Living labs as transformative incrementalism: lessons learned on the role of a university living lab in mobilising just sustainabilities on campus

ABSTRACT

The Living Lab approach is an opportunity for diverse actors to co-create solutions to solve real-world issues. Simon Fraser University, situated on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh, Katzie, Kwikwetlem, Qayqayt, Kwantlen, Semiahmoo and Tsawwassen peoples in British Columbia, Canada developed a Living Lab program to apply the university’s leading climate research expertise to solve its own infrastructure, operations and service challenges. Projects were led by “Living Lab Scholars,” graduate students who form teams with faculty and staff to co-design research to help the university meet its sustainability and equity goals. The scholars took part in experiential learning, received mentorship and financial support and were provided with the opportunity to apply their academic research skills to address four sustainability issues: (1) waste management, (2) sustainable transportation, (3) carbon footprint of streaming, and (4) food security. While being grounded in participatory action research and integrating justice, decolonisation, equity, diversity and inclusivity considerations into the process design, the limited resources, time scarcity and operational reality reflected that the reality of implementing the solutions resulted in varying degrees of transformational impact. This paper applies autoethnography to enable the participants to reflect upon how the university as a system can support advances in just sustainabilities and highlights practical lessons learned for future Living Lab practitioners who aim to mobilise their solutions on campus. Findings from the project highlight the role of the Living Lab in supporting “transformative incrementalism” and challenging the conventions of academic knowledge production.

KEYWORDS:

• Living lab
• just sustainabilities
• environmental sustainability
• justice
• equity
• transformative incrementalism

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge Simon Fraser University, Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS), and International Sustainable Campus Network (ISCN) for funding round one of the Living Lab program.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Declaration of interest statement

Two of the lead authors were staff managers of the Living Lab program. The Lab was discontinued in 2023.