In this blog article, Associate Professor Anders Riel Müller from University of Stavanger explores the research undertaken to develop a comprehensive shared definition of learning communities as part of the Work Package 3 activity concluded in the last quarter of 2024. The research compiled in the presented report (see below), will contribute to the upcoming publication, "Learning Communities Roadmap," foreseen for release later this year.
In the article below, Professor Müller shares the key findings and reflections from this research, offering valuable insights into the dynamics and essential characteristics of effective learning communities. As the project progresses, we will continue to develop the learning methodologies and tools, adapting them to the needs and interests of our members.
The challenges of urbanisation put cities in a critical position for successfully addressing the 2030 Agenda, emphasising the interlinked roles of citizens, civil society, business, planners and decision makers in sustainability transformation processes, initiatives, and solutions (Juhola et al., 2020; Köhler et al., 2019; Linnér & Wibeck, 2019). The European Union has set ambitious targets for climate neutrality through initiatives such as the EU mission on Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities, the mission on Adaptation to Climate Change, The New European Bauhaus and the 2021 – 2027 Horizon Europe Research and Innovation programme. These initiatives come with significant funding, yet there is an explicit expectation and belief that in order for EU to reach its ambitions, interregional collaboration, knowledge sharing, and upscaling is essential.
In the past EU Horizon Europe 2020 programme that ran from 2014-2020, urban sustainability was put on the top of the agenda through large-scale initiatives such as the Smart Cities and Communities Lighthouse projects. According to the EU website Smart Cities Marketplace website project portfolio more than 100 total projects, 47 lighthouse cities, and 166 fellow cities have been involved receiving more than 900 million EUR in EU funding and a total of 1,4 billion EUR project budgets. A central aspect of the programme was the expectation that the solutions developed, and experiences gained, should lead to upscaling and replication across Europe. Note these two words of upscaling and replication…They tell us something about how the EU envisioned that a solution developed or an experience gained should lead to the rapid and large scale adoption across Europe in the same way that a software program or hardware infrastructure can be rapidly diffused. This expectation however has proven difficult to realize- Cities do not operate as a computer system with almost infinite scalability (Mattern, 2021). Cities operate in diverse national, regional, and local contexts, with different populations, economies, infrastructures and administrative systems and cultures (Clark, 2020) that make aspirations of replication and rapid scaling difficult.
ULALABS is an intervention that seeks to contribute to the acceleration of urban sustainability transformation not through strategies of replication and knowledge sharing, but by fostering transformative learning through Mutual Learning Communities across different living labs and experimentation spaces.
Learning
Learning is distinct from knowledge transfer, knowledge exchange, information transfer/exchange, and replicability. Whereas these terms indicate an almost seamless transfer and exchange of knowledge and information, we argue that this is the crux of the problem – that information, knowledge, experiences, and practices cannot move seamlessly from one context to another. Therefore, this project is particularly interested in developing methods and tools that enable information, knowledge, experiences, and practices to be shared and subsequently adapted and applied in new contexts (Joan Batalla-Bejerano et al., 2023).
Transformative Learning
We draw on theories of transformative learning by Jack Mezirow (1991, 2009). Mezirow's transformative learning theory emphasizes the importance of changing one's meaning perspectives through critical reflection. Transformative learning occurs when individuals face new situations that challenge their prior assumptions, leading to changes in interpretations and perspectives. Mezirow highlights that adult learning differs from children's learning, focusing on how adults reinterpret new knowledge by relating it to their own experiences. This process is not about the quantity of information received but how meaning is made in relation to personal experiences.
Transformative learning challenges the traditional sender-receiver model of knowledge transfer, advocating for a communicative and reflexive learning environment. For transformative learning to occur, both the sending and receiving of information must be a collective exercise involving critical reflection. The goal is not merely to share information but to interpret and reinterpret it to transform practices. The transformative learning framework illustrates how information, knowledge, and experiences are processed through critical reflections, moving from specific to generalizable and abstract contexts, and then applied in new specific contexts. This process is akin to translation, where meaning must be conveyed effectively across different contexts. The role of ULALABS is to facilitate these learning processes by developing methods that engage community members and encourage critical thinking to transform practice.
Distributed Learning Communties
The ULALABS project will seek to facilitate transformative learning through mutual learning communities. Wilson (1998) describes Distributed Learning Communities (DLCs) as decentralized groups that interact enough to form stable communities, supported by communication technologies. The term 'distributed' distinguishes these groups from traditional, centralized learning environments, indicating that members are not all located in the same geographical area and that control, decision-making, and agenda-setting are shared among group members rather than managed by an external authority. Transformative communication and learning are key, with both senders and receivers of messages being changed by their interactions. DLCs are characterized by distributed control, commitment to generating and sharing new knowledge, flexible and negotiated learning activities, autonomous community members, high levels of dialogue and collaboration, and a shared goal or project.
The proposed Distributed Mutual Learning Communities (DMLCs) for transformative learning emphasize a dialogical and communicative approach. These communities focus on mutual identification of relevant information, knowledge, and experiences between different living labs, facilitating a reflexive communicative activity. The process involves de-contextualizing and abstracting information to make it relevant in new contexts, allowing practitioners to implement new practices and repeat the learning loop. To visualize the Learning Community concept, it is essential to identify suitable learning spaces, both physical and virtual, where diverse community learning activities can occur. Any space can potentially be a learning space, and it is crucial to reconsider what qualifies as such in an urban context. Figure 34 provides an overview of potential learning and experimentation arenas for the community.
Moving forward:
The successful implementation of Mutual Learning Communities (MLCs) for Transformative Learning between living labs and experimentation spaces to accelerate urban sustainability transformations involves several key aspects. Developing distributed learning methodologies is crucial for sharing and adapting information, knowledge, experiences, and practices across diverse contexts. This approach addresses the challenge of replicating methodologies and tools in varied cultural and geographic settings. The ULALABS project emphasizes fostering transformative learning through interpersonal and interregional learning communities, leveraging existing living labs' networks and experimental capacities. By focusing on cross-case learning and the interplay between technological, social, cultural, economic, political, and environmental factors, the project aims to enhance urban transformation capacities and generate innovative solutions in an emergent distributed manner.
The ULALABS project also highlights the need for joint reflection and re-contextualization of experiences learned from local experiments. This process involves scientific experts and local practitioners collaboratively analyzing results and setting up new experiments, ensuring comprehensive learning that includes both successes and failures. A transformative focus is maintained by incorporating sustainability and social inclusion goals into the central learning agenda while respecting local interests. The learning network structure is designed to be flat, promoting mutual and joint learning among all partners. Equalizing local experimentation capacities through in-person advice and support tools facilitates effective knowledge transfer and application. These strategies collectively aim to build a cross-European virtual living lab, enabling the scaling and adaptation of innovative solutions to accelerate urban sustainability transformations. By focusing on these aspects, the ULALABS project aims to create a collaborative network that promotes mutual learning, joint problem-solving, and innovation, ultimately accelerating urban sustainability transformations.
As the project progresses, we will continue to develop the learning methodologies and tools, adapting them to the needs and interests of our members.
Currently, regional workshops are being organized across the ULALABS partner regions to further map local ecosystems and identify potential Learning Community members. These workshops serve as a critical step in engaging local stakeholders and urban actors who will later take part in the pilot activities. Through these interactions, we aim to identify shared urban challenges within each region’s ecosystem, focusing on urban sustainability transformations and collaborative opportunities to address them.
If you are interested in becoming part of the ULALABS Learning Community, you can reach out to the project coordinators in each of the four regions for more information.
References
Clark, J. (2020). Uneven Innovation: The Work of Smart Cities (p. 328 Pages). Columbia University Press.
Joan Batalla-Bejerano, Campo, G. del, Palau, F., Serra, A., Vilariño, F., & Villa-Arrieta, N. (2023). Tr@nsnet Living Lab Model: A Living Lab Model to accelerate the ecological transition (p. 132). Université Toulouse III. https://www.irit.fr/TRANSNET/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/FinalProduct-ULL-Model-Tr@nsnet-Funseam.pdf
Juhola, S., Seppälä, A., & Klein, J. (2020). Participatory experimentation on a climate street. Environmental Policy and Governance, 30(6), 373–384. https://doi.org/10.1002/eet.1900
Köhler, J., Geels, F. W., Kern, F., Markard, J., Onsongo, E., Wieczorek, A., Alkemade, F., Avelino, F., Bergek, A., Boons, F., Fünfschilling, L., Hess, D., Holtz, G., Hyysalo, S., Jenkins, K., Kivimaa, P., Martiskainen, M., McMeekin, A., Mühlemeier, M. S., … Wells, P. (2019). An agenda for sustainability transitions research: State of the art and future directions. Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, 31, 1–32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eist.2019.01.004
Linnér, B.-O., & Wibeck, V. (2019). Sustainability Transformations: Agents and Drivers across Societies (1st ed.). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108766975
Mattern, S. C. (2021). A city is not a computer: Other urban intelligences. Princeton University Press.
Mezirow, J. (1991). Transformative dimensions of adult learning (1st ed). Jossey-Bass.
Mezirow, J. (Ed.). (2009). Transformative learning in practice: Insights from community, workplace, and higher education. Jossey-Bass.
Wilson, B. (1998). Distributed Learning Communities: An Alternative to Designed Instructional Systems. Annual Research Proceedings of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology, 17. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Brent-Wilson-6/publication/243771280_Distributed_learning_communities_an_alternative_to_designed_instructional_systems/links/56def55708aec8c022cf33fb/Distributed-learning-communities-an-alternative-to-designed-instructional-systems.pdf
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