Architectural methods as operational drivers: from place-based knowledge to caring change

Urban living labs (ULLs) have emerged as prominent arenas for experimental urban development, yet their methodological dimension remains undertheorized. This article argues that architectural methods constitute the primary mechanism through which place-specific knowledge is translated into governance, collaboration, and caring change, grounded in aesthetic cognition. Combining Research through Design with a deductive case study of four ULLs in Aarhus Municipality, Denmark, the article develops a five-phase analytical framework - place construction, change literacy, capacity for change, anchoring and implementation - examining how site reading, mapping, scenario development, sketching and 1:1 prototyping function as epistemic and operative devices. The findings show that phases unfold concurrently rather than linearly, that interventions generate spillover effects beyond original project boundaries, and that implementation proceeds through organizational learning rather than linear scaling. The article contributes the concept of ULLs as situated governance design systems, extending current theorizations of experimental governance.