In the heart of Europe, a quiet revolution is taking place, one that could reshape the way cities are planned, built, and governed. At the forefront of this change is Nadia Charalambous, an associate professor at the University of Cyprus, who is pioneering a new approach to urban governance that puts young people at the center of decision-making processes. Her work, published in the journal Buildings & Cities, is a beacon for those seeking to bridge the gap between immediate societal concerns and long-term sustainability.
Charalambous and her team are exploring the potential of urban living labs (ULLs) as a means to empower youth and embed their perspectives into urban decision-making. ULLs are real-world settings where stakeholders can co-create, experiment, and learn together. However, their use in higher education institutions and their methodological consistency have remained largely unexplored—until now.
The Participatory Skills for Urban Governance (PS-U-GO) project, led by Charalambous, is implementing youth-focused ULLs in four European cities. The project follows a three-tiered method: a comparative analysis of existing cases, the development of a coherent yet adaptable framework, and iterative implementation and evaluation. The framework is structured in three phases: design and initiation, operation, and evaluation and feedback.
“Initial findings demonstrate that while flexibility is essential, methodological coherence in structuring learning, participation, and evaluation is crucial for scalability and long-term impact,” Charalambous explains. This balance between flexibility and coherence is key to the success of ULLs, as it allows for locally relevant participation while maintaining coherence for transferability.
The PS-U-GO model offers a replicable, context-sensitive approach to integrating youth agency into inclusive and sustainable urban governance practices. By training youth ambassadors, the project has been able to build peer-led capacity and sustain engagement, anchoring ULL processes within both civic networks and higher education institutions.
The implications of this research for the energy sector are significant. As cities around the world grapple with the challenges of climate change and sustainability, the need for innovative, inclusive, and participatory approaches to urban governance has never been greater. By empowering young people to engage meaningfully in co-creation, spatial analysis, and civic dialogue, ULLs can help to shape the cities of the future—cities that are not only sustainable but also resilient, inclusive, and equitable.
Charalambous’s work is a testament to the power of youth engagement in urban governance. As she puts it, “When strategically embedded and iteratively implemented, youth-oriented ULLs can function as durable participatory infrastructures.” With the PS-U-GO model, she is paving the way for a new era of urban living labs that are not only flexible and adaptable but also coherent and scalable.
In a world where the stakes are high and the challenges are great, the need for innovative, inclusive, and participatory approaches to urban governance has never been greater. Charalambous’s work offers a glimpse into a future where young people are not just passive recipients of urban planning decisions but active participants in shaping the cities they will inherit. As we look to the future, the lessons learned from the PS-U-GO project will be invaluable in guiding our efforts to create more sustainable, resilient, and inclusive cities for all.