Urban Lab in Buenos Aires as a model for sustainable urban development

In 2021, the IKI-supported Transformative Urban Coalitions project established an urban lab in Barrio 20, an informal settlement within the city of Buenos Aires. This participatory approach demonstrates the successful integration of climate action and urban development. 

Barrio 20 covers 37 hectares and accommodates 13,750 families living in 12,500 houses. In 2016, the city initiated a social and urban integration process with active participation of the residents. Coordinated by the Housing Institute of the City of Buenos Aires, the Integral Upgrading Process (Proyecto Integral de Re-Urbanización, PIRU) focuses on housing, services and infrastructure, and recognition of the inhabitants.

Addressing urban inequalities and climate justice

Building on this ongoing participatory upgrading process, the Urban Lab aims to integrate climate action with upgrading while addressing urban inequalities and climate justice. The lab consists of regular gatherings of a diverse range of stakeholders who collaborate and exchange knowledge to collectively co-create solutions for the challenges faced. The lab members collectively decided to have its initiatives executed by the community. This approach not only strengthened connections among diverse groups but also enabled neighbourhood organisations and local work cooperatives to professionalise their tasks and create job opportunities within Barrio 20.

Supported by IIED América Latina, the lab has planned and implemented various local interventions since 2022. These encompassed physical transformation, awareness-raising and data generation. Concretely, they include the implementation of nature-based solutions such as vertical gardens or pergolas, citizen science to establish a temperature and humidity monitoring system and various awareness-raising activities. Alongside training sessions, workshops and supporting the development of Barrio 20’s environmental memory archive, these include climate action murals located in strategic places, addressing topics relevant to the community. In addition, an environmental circuit has been developed to point towards positive transformations. Learnings have been shared and multiplied through a series of exchanges and training materials.

Sharing the success story of Barrio 20

The transformation in Barrio 20 has attracted global attention and led to the awarding of several international prizes, including the Local Adaptation Champions Awards from the Global Center on Adaptation, awarded during COP29. 

Members of the Urban Lab presented their achievements and shared learnings during international conferences like the 11th World Urban Forum.

Lessons learned for accelerating urban transformations

The processes, challenges, and successes of the Urban Lab have been monitored since its establishment, led by TUC partners UNU-EHS and IDOS. The aim is to draw conclusions about the enablers and potential of participatory processes and to provide insights for further steps in the Urban Lab, but also for scaling. The Urban Lab in Barrio 20 provides three valuable lessons for sustaining ongoing activities, accelerating broader transformations and guiding similar efforts elsewhere:

INTEGRATING CLIMATE ACTION WITH EXISTING PARTICIPATORY PROCESSES

The Urban Lab in Barrio 20 took off relatively fast by capitalising on pre-existing structures and political buy-in for participatory decision-making, fostering collaboration and maintaining flexibility, especially in the face of differing perspectives. Leveraging the working relations and mutual trust between government and the community that had already been established within the ongoing PIRU facilitated the introduction of a climate lens.

Shifting mindsets and governance approaches

The transformative potential of integrating climate action and urban development, particularly in informal settlements like Barrio 20, hinges on localising the climate agenda and co-creating an understanding rooted in local priorities. Shifting climate change-related mindsets and governance approaches requires acknowledging and bridging different knowledge types and experiences, and fostering an awareness around benefits that resonate with the community.

Sustaining and scaling transformative processes and outcomes 

Efforts to initiate, sustain and scale transformation must recognise and address the multifaceted and burdensome nature of participation, cultivate new capacities and leaderships and promote policy reforms with systemic impact. Securing financial compensation for the community is vital, as is navigating administrative turnovers to ensure the long-term sustainability of these initiatives. Sharing achievements and how to get there, including by lab members themselves, is also crucial to promote similar transformations elsewhere.