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Short abstract:

This paper presents a comparative analysis of inclusive engagement methods, from three smart European cities, involving residents in the design and implementation of green solutions, highlighting the importance of inclusivity in diverse urban environments for addressing climate change challenges.

Long abstract:

Community engagement and co-creation play pivotal roles in the development and implementation of sustainable environmental solutions. Recently, there has been a growing recognition that addressing environmental challenges requires collective action and collaboration among diverse stakeholders, including local communities, governmental bodies, non-governmental organizations, and businesses. By involving community members in the decision-making process, projects can be designed in a way that reflect the unique socio-cultural and environmental contexts of the area. This maximizes the potential of successful implementation and long-term sustainability of the proposed solutions, fostering a sense of ownership, with mutual benefits for the involved parties.

To this end, co-creation emphasizes the importance of knowledge sharing among stakeholders. By bringing together individuals with diverse expertise and perspectives, co-creation encourages innovative thinking and the development of holistic approaches towards effective solutions for addressing environmental challenges. Therefore, the adoption of co-creation approaches becomes an increasingly essential tool through which communities can leverage their local knowledge alongside scientific expertise to devise effective strategies.

Following the above, the paper performs a comparative case study analysis in order to examine inclusive engagement methods that involve residents in the design and implementation of sustainable solutions, taking into account their diverse needs, preferences and local knowledge. Through three co-creative process examples from three major smart cities, London, Barcelona, and Copenhagen, we illustrate that participation through co-creation necessitates acknowledging the heterogeneity of citizens and taking seriously issues of urban social justice and inclusion.