The SmartUrbl project was part of the ENSUF call and ran between 2017–2019. The project produced several reports, publications and one policy brief. In this Urban Living Labs project, the aim was to develop knowledge of how intermediaries innovate and generate smart urban development, creating opportunities for dialogue and learning.

Final report
Socially smart cities: Making a difference in urban neighbourhoods

This final report draws on a trans-European research, learning and action project conducted between 2017 and 2019 called Smart Urban Intermediaries (SUIs). We wanted to better understand how positive change can happen in our cities and generate dialogue on the role of intermediaries in such change. In a single neighbourhood in four European cities, we identified a diverse group of people from different walks of life and in different roles, who were perceived by others to be making a difference. We worked with them for two years to discover what they do and from that, understand more about how to make change. In this report, we share what we did, who was involved, what we learned and what this means. We identify six inter-related ways to think about the practice of smart urban intermediation.

>> Smart Urbl Final Report

>> All results and publications by Smart Urbl

Abstract

European cities face complex challenges that demand smart solutions. This project puts urban intermediaries, those people who can bring people and resources together in innovative ways, at the heart of smart urban development and sets out to understand how they create social innovation. In four European cities – Birmingham, Copenhagen, Glasgow and Amsterdam, we do fieldwork and develop ‘living labs’, which will serve as sources of research data as well as sites for learning. In short, we will advance knowledge of how intermediaries innovate and generate smart urban development, creating opportunities for dialogue and learning.