Living lab Vrederust

COLLABORATIVE DECISION-MAKING

This program can be used to showcase the area’s potential future to all stakeholders and invite them to dream.

Short summary of the practice

The first step was to design an accessible and democratic process that puts residents first. Their wishes, complaints and statements are documented in co-creation sessions with residents. These were translated into a vision map with a toolbox for spatial interventions in the outdoor area. The interventions are presented in a ‘Digital Twin’, which brings parts of the area to life in a virtual representation. This programme can be used to show all stakeholders the potential future of the area and invite them to dream. In addition, a film of the whole process has been made and is being used for discussion with the housing association, the local council and residents.

active participation, citizen science, community transformation, neighbourhood research, analogue method, digital tool, neighbourhood renewal, urban design, visual communication, urban learning

Goal of the practice

This project is aiming to create a more just living environment in a socio-economically vulnerable social housing area of Vrederust in The Hague.

Target group

Residents of a neighbourhood.

Number of participants: up to 50-100

Age of participants: Children, Youth and Adults, 4-99

Materials

3D model (physcial and digital)
VR
Cards with functions that were mapped manually in the physical model
Computer engine to visualise functions

Method settings

So far, the project has only been realised in Den Haag, where it remains a benchmark project. It should be possible to adapt this project for other cities on the basis of this case study.

Duration

The project is lengthy and takes months to complete.

Preparation

The preparation phase takes a lot of time.

Step by step guide

The project was divided into 2 major phases: visual implementation and realisation.

The visualisation part includes:

Participation phase with co-creation workshops taking into account the ladder of participation.
Intervention phase with democratic forms of decision making – “Digital twin”
Filming to document the whole process

The most important phase of the project was the use of digital tools and film techniques to document and reflect on the process, to visualise the selected interventions and to effectively communicate the vision for the Living Lab to the community and potential funders.

Expected output

The result is a visual plan to make the neighbourhood more just. The film that was made during this phase is intended as a prelude to the next phase, in which the project managers, together with the housing company Haag Wonen, hope to encourage action and witness the change that this will bring to the area.

DOs, DONTs and ethical considerations of the method

DOs of the method:

Involve residents as designers
Record conversations to feed into the design
Focus on achievable goals

Change the method brings to the communities

The project promotes urban regeneration and better public spaces by creating a socially just city and increasing investment in public space.

Adaptation/Application of the method

The method was applied only in Den Haag.

Credit, References, and Resources

Movie, Living Lab Vrederust – in search of a just city –https://vimeo.com/711318263

The link to the project description (NL) – https://www.pinarbalat.com/living-lab-vrederust

Process and project architecture, Blog post, Living Lab Vrederust: How can spatial interventions contribute to more justice in the city? (EN) – https://www.pinarbalat.com/blog-news/2022/3/4/living-lab-vrederust-a-quest-for-the-just-city

Photo sources – https://www.pinarbalat.com/blog-news/2022/3/4/living-lab-vrederust-a-quest-for-the-just-city, date: 20.11.2023

Collaborative Decision-Making