Analyzing the political impact of Real-world laboratories for urban transformation in eight German ‘Cities of the Future’

Real-world laboratories (RwLs) provide research settings to develop and test sustainability solution options and have gained considerable attention in the field of sustainability research since the early 2010s. RwLs, especially those in which urban municipalities are involved as partners, have been linked to promises for fostering sustainable urban development, but they are also critically discussed, e.g., for being used as proof for already doing ‘enough’ in terms of sustainability and citizen participation. However, these assumptions are rarely empirically investigated. This paper applies a traceable methodological approach. We focus on long-term RwL processes in eight German cities, that were all part of the Cities of the Future funding program (2015–2022/23). Based on policy documents provided in city council information systems, we conducted a qualitative content analysis. By applying deductively and inductively developed codes, we capture the ways in which the RwL processes were a) linked to changes in urban polity, politics and policy, and b) strategically used by city officials. Our findings suggest that most of the RwLs had political impacts in several ways. Further, attempts of strategic use were particularly visible for politically highly impactful RwLs.