Urban living labs: cultural scenes, the arts, and artists as levers of new urbanities

In the context of action research, Urban Living Labs are proving to be particularly relevant in terms of encouraging reflection and debate in regards to urban spatial problems and their transformation, especially in relation to allowing experiences involving the various actors and agents present in certain places. This article discusses the framework of the research, including the role which the Arts and artists themselves play in the transformation of the city, in order to find alternatives to the dominant models. We define the concept of the artistic and cultural scene (a mix of one place and a whole network, characterized by critical thinking, the effervescence/disquiet and energy), where will be located the Urban Living Lab. This reflection is geographically located in the city of Lisbon, Portugal.