The Urban Living Lab Way of Working Handbook

In a rapidly urbanizing world, cities are no longer just places to live (they’re becoming experimental spaces where ideas meet action. The AMS Institute’s latest handbook captures this transformative vision by presenting a comprehensive approach to creating and managing Urban Living Labs (ULLs)) collaborative spaces where research and real-world practice come together to address complex urban challenges. Grounded in the AMS institute, the handbook serves as both a conceptual framework and a practical guide. It introduces the Urban Living Lab Way of Working, an eight-step methodology designed to help cities innovate responsibly and effectively. From defining challenges and engaging stakeholders to implementing solutions and scaling results, this method provides a clear roadmap for urban experimentation. Beyond the process, the handbook delves into the roles, competencies, and tools required to coordinate a ULL, providing practical examples, templates, and definitions to support every phase of development. With this publication, AMS Institute empowers researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to strike a crucial balance: encouraging bold innovation while ensuring real-world integration. Because in cities, the ultimate test of a solution is not just whether it works in theory, but whether it works on the ground.