Storytelling in the real-world laboratory – A contribution to the conceptual design of participatory methods for the co-production of knowledge through storytelling in the real-world laboratory

Abstract

While the transdisciplinary intersection between science and society in the real-world laboratory approach is seen as a potential for generating transformation knowledge, there are still open questions regarding methodological implementation. Against this background, in the article we argue that narrative methods can provide a way to meet the challenge of simultaneity of participation and research and thus serve as a contribution to the conceptual design of participatory methods for the co-production of knowledge. We refer to findings from the INTERPART research project, which uses a real-world laboratory to investigate how intercultural spaces of participation in urban development can be created with the help of online services and social media, and the processes of institutional change required for this. The project involves various academic disciplines - in the article presented with the authorship of spatial planning and design research - and fields of practice. Central insights include create a narrative formats, by which the co-production of transformative knowledge is possible.