Living labs and urban governance: Addressing complexity for environmental transition - case study of air pollution in Ferrara, Italy

Urban Living Labs (ULLs) are increasingly promoted as platforms for participatory governance and innovation in cities, yet there remains limited empirical evidence on how ULLs can effectively address the governance of uncertain, dynamic, and complex environmental challenges, particularly at the local level in European cities. This article addresses this gap by investigating how ULLs can move beyond short-term experimentation to foster adaptive and participatory governance for environmental transitions, focusing on the challenge of urban air pollution in Italy's Po Valley. Drawing on three years of action research within the UIA Air-Break project in Ferrara, the study shares lessons on how ULLs can be reframed to help cities navigate systemic complexity of air quality, and facilitate transformative public engagement. Four empirically grounded guidelines for ULL implementation are identified: recognizing systemic complexity, designing engagement through systems thinking, leveraging socio-technical innovation infrastructures, and embedding environmental citizenship education. These guidelines provide a practical framework for city managers, scholars and practitioners seeking to foster transformative engagement and build both institutional and civic capacity in urban transition pathways. The article highlights the limits of demonstration projects and stresses the importance of sustained, collaborative, and adaptive approaches to advance sustainability in mid-sized cities facing complex environmental challenges.