Introducing the Living Lab Approach in the Coastal Area of Constanta (Romania) by Using Design Thinking

Abstract

Living Labs are an innovative concept that combines research, governance, and citizens, using technology and knowledge. Using design thinking techniques as a method of approach, this innovative idea builds a bridge between decision makers and stakeholders, promoting a shared vision of growth and innovation at the community level. The coastal zone is an extremely dynamic area in terms of human and natural activities. This is a particularly sensitive area to climate change, necessitating ongoing adaptation and mitigating action. This paper aims to introduce the application of the Living lab concept in the management of the coastal area of Constanta (Romania). The concept of the Living Lab means involving citizens along with public bodies and research structures. This new coastal management model will use the design thinking approach and will consider the pressures that exist between the activities that occur in the examined coastal zone. In the study, “Multi-Criteria Analysis of the Mass Tourism Management Model Related to the Impact on the Local Community in Constanța (Romania)”, published in MDPI Inventions on 28 June 2021, a coastal management model was built that took into consideration only the data given by the government. In this paper, the authors aim to expand their research by including data from independent sources, using the concept of a Living Lab.

Design Thinking for Innovation in Sustainable Built Environments and the Integration of an Inclusive Foresight and Design Thinking Framework

“…(4) a smartbottle ecosystem based on the association of DT and participatory design as the basis for sustainable design at the Polytechnical Institute of Viana do Castelo, Portugal [67]; (5) the application of the Living Labs concept in the management of a coastal area of Constanta (Romania) using the DT approach [64]; and (6) a systematic integration of user's considerations in the design and testing of the sustainable product-service systems of sustainable Living Labs, using the integration of the co-creation method of urban DT [63].…”

Design Thinking Approach in The Development of Cirgeo's World Media

“…From a creativity perspective, DT can synergize creative skills and motivation to become creative, competent and responsible human resources in the future who are able to serve society more effectively [17]. From an innovation standpoint, Design Thinking (DT) is a design approach filled with continuously improving thoughts from year to year [8] towards innovative directions by building bridges between decision makers and stakeholders [20]. DT is a method, an in-depth understanding of the phases, techniques, and procedures.…”

Prototyping a Mobile Application for Children with Dyscalculia in Primary Education using Augmented Reality

“…1) Empathise: This is the first stage of the Design Thinking methodology that fulfils its objective of finding user needs and it is necessary to use information gathering techniques to identify them [24]. This is why the best way to carry out this stage is to use tools such as surveys or interviews to get an in-depth understanding of people's relevant needs [25].…”