URBAN TESTBEDS.JR encourages experimentation as a significant means to build resilient communities. Focus is on the co-design of urban testbeds for tangible experiences in sustainability and climate mitigation action with and for young citizens. Aim is to strengthen the joint participatory capacity for young citizens, local public authorities and enabling interest groups. Participatory capacity is seen as a prerequisite to be inclusive in regard to a resilient community, here young citizens, to respond to climate and sustainability challenges. Experimentation includes urban testbed experimentation, service experimentation and experimental governance. The capacity building has three components: 1) Artificial Intelligence supported understanding and deconstructing of climate plans and their transformational goals/paths relevant for local experimentation, 2) Scoping tangible urban experimentation in testbeds, and 3) Storytelling the impact and perspective of the experimentation by means of data-based storytelling. Local authorities and interest groups in Germany, Denmark and Sweden will liaise with higher research institutions partners. Outcome will be a “Playbook for UrbanTestbeds.JR” with solution chapters on urban testbed identification & scoping, co-design sprints with young citizens for testbed scenarios and urban data storytelling, and an artificial intelligence solution module to support the understanding and deconstruction of climate and sustainability plans.

URBAN TESTBEDS.JR has launched capacity building by means of knowledge workshops and engagements in the activities “Young Citizen’s Engagement” and “Artificial Intelligence”. The knowledge workshops are staged across the participating four cities Hamburg, Aarhus, Luleå and Valmiera to share approaches and learnings. Hamburg introduced the citizens participation training sessions that have a unique training cycle regarding young citizens participation. The associate partner Children's Architecture Center Hochform participates to build their own capacity. Hochform and HafenCity University launched a joint children's engagement in regard to sustainable neighbourhoods topics and priorities in the context of the Architecture Summer. Luleå, with its Science Center Technikens Hus, introduced the method of engaging young citizens in urban planning and scenarios by means of Minecraft and simulation/role play. Aarhus introduced their activities and learnings from hands-on sustainability engagement in the city and the concept of digital neighbourhoods as a co-design approach. The library DOKK1 presented their sustainability activities with young citizens and their approach to digital engagements. Valmiera has designed a university course project for students identifying and communicating their peers' topics and priorities regarding sustainable neighbourhoods towards the municipality. In regard to the artificial intelligence module that targets the deconstruction of the local climate plans, the new developments around ChatGPT in its various forms have provided an extended approach in the sense that chat engagements of young citizens with the content of local climate plans are user friendly engagement methods. Hamburg and Luleå have included their respective associate partners ARIC (AI Center Hamburg) and AI Sweden.