The Continuation of Urban Real-World Laboratories between Theoretical Conception and Practical Implementation – An Empirical Study

Abstract

The continuation and stabilization of urban real-world laboratories has the potential to contribute substantially to a successful socio-ecological transformation. Implementing actors face challenges which include time constraints related to project funding and the complexity of transdisciplinary research logic and practice. Selected externally funded research projects are assessed in terms of continuity, transferability, contribution to transformation, reflexivity and learning processes and transdisciplinarity to determine how project frameworks affect the continuity of real-world laboratory elements. The findings indicate a tendency towards a successful continuation of multi-stakeholder collaborations. A structural ontinuation of real-world laboratory activities by practitioners is also proven to be possible in various constellations. The termination of donor funded infrastructure and resources remains a major obstacle due to short project durations. The criteria of transdisciplinary research are accompanied by additional demands on the scientists, which in turn promote the increase in knowledge of method development and application, but must also be considered in the context of a lower output of peer-reviewed articles.