What are Living Labs and how can they enable change in rural communities? (ENRA 2025 poster)

Living Labs (LL) seek to enable people living in remote, rural and island communities to tackle place-based challenges. Through an inherently action-based and participative approach, the research supports dialogue between different layers of governance. LLs respond to the needs of communities and aim to understand the effectiveness of interventions implemented in them, revealing new insights into well-known problems and including lesser heard voices. Impacts include working with Urras Thiriodh (Tiree Community Development Trust) to model the relationship between population change and the availability of vital skills and roles, which will allow the Trust to seek appropriate support and design interventions that secure the future vitality of the island; and with the community in Hoy to understand and mitigate the processes that are impeding action to tackle youth depopulation in the island.