From artistic strategies to placemaking and capability development

Abstract

In recent decades, a decline in youth participation has been widely documented. Existing studies identify a lack of trust between youth and professionals as a contributing factor. This paper presents empirical findings from four urban living labs – Vienna, Panevėžys, Oslo, and Rotterdam – where different participatory approaches were tested ranging from artistic strategies to placemaking and capability development. The findings suggest that trust is an emergent, relational, and processual outcome of participatory engagement itself, which in turn fosters further participation. The paper highlights the importance of labs in shaping trust and the crucial role of intermediary actors within these spaces.