Overview
The Looper Model is a set of methods and tools to support local co-creation. It works with ‘learning loops,’ which bring together local knowledge with local decision-making. The Looper Toolkit comprises online and offline tools to support the learning loops. Three Looper Living Labs in Brussels, Manchester and Verona developed and tested the Model and Toolkit. All this helps to keep people ‘in the loop’, and to ‘close the loop’ so that local knowledge can lead to local action. The Looper Model can help with practical solutions for air quality, noise, traffic safety, security, greenspace and other challenges in the public realm.
Urban problems such as traffic congestion, safety and pollution are difficult to tackle as the mitigation involves multiple stakeholders. The aim of Looper was to develop new ways of decision-making that bring together citizens, stakeholders and policy-makers by building a participatory co-creation methodology and platform that demonstrate ‘learning loops’.
The Looper model addressed the whole co-creation process. Citizens and stakeholders debated on topical issues, then framed the problem and collected data. The Looper platform visualized the data, and enabled the co-design of solutions which were evaluated and the best were put into practice and monitored. The platform was tested in three living labs in Brussels, Verona and Manchester.
Looper was launched in July 2017 and ran until October 2020. It was submitted under JPI Urban Europe’s ERA-NET Cofund Smart Urban Futures Call. Looper received funding from the European Union, Innoviris Brussels, the UK Economic and Social Research Council, and the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research.
Funding
Results
The Looper model addressed the whole co-creation process. Citizens and stakeholders debated on topical issues, then framed the problem and collected data. The Looper platform visualized the data, and enabled the co-design of solutions which were evaluated and the best were put into practice and monitored. The platform was tested in three living labs in Brussels, Verona and Manchester:
- In Brussels, residents co-designed solutions to traffic safety problems and a school improved its pupils’ safety by closing off the street in front of the school every morning.
- In Manchester, the residents of the Brunswick neighbourhood proposed, co-designed and implemented traffic calming measures, a street mural, street planting, domestic plant baskets and welcome signs and banners.
- In Verona, local actors collaborated to improve air quality, liveability of urban spaces, and to reduce noise pollution. Long-term solutions such as increasing the area of existing parks with urban forests were also set in motion.