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Urban Laboratories : Experiments in Reworking Cities

Karvonen, Andrew LU and van Heur, Bas (2014) In International Journal of Urban and Regional Research 38(2). p.379-392
Abstract
The notion of the ‘urban laboratory’ is increasingly striking a chord with actors involved in urban change. Is this term simply a metaphor for urban development or does it suggest urbanization by substantially different means? To answer this question, we review the work of science and technology studies (STS) scholars who have empirically investigated laboratories and practices of experimentation over the past three decades to understand the significance of these spaces of experimentation in urban contexts. Based on this overview of laboratory studies, we argue that urban laboratories and experimentation involve three key achievements — situatedness, change-orientation and contingency — that are useful for evaluating and critiquing those... (More)
The notion of the ‘urban laboratory’ is increasingly striking a chord with actors involved in urban change. Is this term simply a metaphor for urban development or does it suggest urbanization by substantially different means? To answer this question, we review the work of science and technology studies (STS) scholars who have empirically investigated laboratories and practices of experimentation over the past three decades to understand the significance of these spaces of experimentation in urban contexts. Based on this overview of laboratory studies, we argue that urban laboratories and experimentation involve three key achievements — situatedness, change-orientation and contingency — that are useful for evaluating and critiquing those practices that claim to be urban laboratories. We conclude by considering some future directions of research on urban laboratories. (Less)
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author
and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
International Journal of Urban and Regional Research
volume
38
issue
2
pages
14 pages
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:84897585027
ISSN
1468-2427
DOI
10.1111/1468-2427.12075
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
1a49aff4-ea1e-4929-a6ef-ed790fc765db
date added to LUP
2021-11-21 09:06:25
date last changed
2022-04-27 05:49:15
@article{1a49aff4-ea1e-4929-a6ef-ed790fc765db,
  abstract     = {{The notion of the ‘urban laboratory’ is increasingly striking a chord with actors involved in urban change. Is this term simply a metaphor for urban development or does it suggest urbanization by substantially different means? To answer this question, we review the work of science and technology studies (STS) scholars who have empirically investigated laboratories and practices of experimentation over the past three decades to understand the significance of these spaces of experimentation in urban contexts. Based on this overview of laboratory studies, we argue that urban laboratories and experimentation involve three key achievements — situatedness, change-orientation and contingency — that are useful for evaluating and critiquing those practices that claim to be urban laboratories. We conclude by considering some future directions of research on urban laboratories.}},
  author       = {{Karvonen, Andrew and van Heur, Bas}},
  issn         = {{1468-2427}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{379--392}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{International Journal of Urban and Regional Research}},
  title        = {{Urban Laboratories : Experiments in Reworking Cities}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1468-2427.12075}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/1468-2427.12075}},
  volume       = {{38}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}