Experimenting governance for sustainable urban futures: Urban Living Labs in Turkiye

As Turkiye confronts pressing urban challenges stemming from rapid population growth, migration flows, and opaque spatial policies, experimental governance tools become increasingly vital. This article explores how Urban Living Labs (ULLs) operate as innovative platforms to advance sustainable urban development in Turkiye. Drawing on five case studies—Başakşehir, Bodrum, Eskişehir, Mezopotamya Living Labs and the Istanbul Planning Agency (IPA)—and grounded in qualitative interviews with key stakeholders, the article examines how ULLs foster collaborative, data-informed, and adaptive planning. It identifies key enablers, structural limitations, and context-specific dynamics that shape the effectiveness of ULLs as tools for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The findings reveal that while ULLs offer critical opportunities for inclusive innovation and participatory urban governance, their success depends on transparent institutional design, long-term policy commitment, and locally embedded knowledge. This research contributes to the growing literature on experimental urbanism by contextualizing ULLs within Turkiye's planning and governance landscape.