Co-Designing Urban Planning Engagement and Innovation: Using LEGO® to Facilitate Collaboration, Participation and Ideas

There is a growing academic interest in the idea of co-designing methods to achieve urban innovation and planning. As we see cities as “living laboratories,” beyond control elected city government, there momentum develop test shared responses social, environmental, economic challenges present contemporary urbanism. These living laboratories are function open or “quadruple helix” actors, drawn from state, business, higher education, community sectors. However, translating often-good intention principles working together through co-designed arrangements any major area often significant challenge topic neglected date. This article addresses this gap case study Newcastle City Futures, university-anchored platform northeast UK, that sought co-design collaborative research, public engagement, innovation. Futures created novel centred on participatory games facilitate understanding joint ideas for new projects across established will examine one method was successful generating collaboration participation: “LEGO® mash-ups.” Detailed empirical accounts development LEGO® mash-up used illustrate attitudes challenges, fostering spirit collaboration, innovative co-design. support conceptual argument use quadruple helix form system needs be accompanied by accessible, workable, easily interpreted translation methods, such games, intermediaries.