Elävät kaupunkilaboratoriot: kulttuuritoimijat Tampereen Hiedanrannan uudistajina

This paper examines the role of cultural actors in promoting sustainability in an urban living lab (ULL). The case study utilizes thematic analysis on the interviews of cultural actors working in the multi-sectoral, circular-economy oriented Hiedanranta ULL in Tampere. The results of the study show, first, that the cultural sector is not detached from the innovative business and experimentation sector of the ULL. On the contrary, cultural actors advance creative ambience and co-develop experimentations, making them an essential part of the ULL innovation processes. Second, cultural actors promote social and cultural sustainability at the local level, which often stays hidden in the processes of upscaling innovations. Third, the sustainable and transformative potential of cultural actors, within and beyond the ULL is mostly horizontal. The results suggest that the cultural sector, comprising civil society actors, can have a multidimensional effect on ULL development.