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European Commission has obliged Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe beneficiaries to specify the dissemination and exploitation of their funded activities’ outcomes. In this way, research results can be extended to benefit the wider society. However, beneficiaries have difficulties meeting these goals due to the overlap between dissemination and exploitation and the uncertainty of how to translate research activities and outputs into socio-economic benefits for the society. This paper developed a framework based on the business model canvas to operationalise an approach to exploitation. The framework was tested within the EU-funded research project C3Places in the fields of urban planning and sustainable spatial development. The resulting reference framework can be used as a guideline for the design and development of research project exploitation plans. It is especially valuable for projects in the fields which usually do not have ‘sellable’ or even marketable outcomes and products but rather result in soft measures and recommendations for public policies. Accordingly, it can support the decision-making processes of both policymakers and private organisations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ill-defined space between urban and rural areas is typically referred to as peri-urban landscape. One key reason for this lack of clarity is the unduly broad scale of conceptual and geographical resolution. This article focuses on its spatial elucidation at a sub-regional scale. It describes a method for delineating peri-urban landscape, based on spatial and demographic criteria. Arguably, spatially explicitly denoted peri-urban landscape on a sub-regional level would help in choosing appropriate local and regional planning approaches and policies for its development. The method, based on an overlay analysis, was tested using datasets from regional and municipal authorities in Ljubljana and Edinburgh. The results indicate that this less ambiguous spatial definition of peri-urban landscape offers a sound basis for planning and policy development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aimed to explore information and communication technologies (ICT) types to support co-creation activities in public open spaces (POS) at different stages of the co-creation process. We conducted state-of-the-art research on the methods, best practices, obstacles and potential of ICT tools and co-creation activities to ease the interaction between stakeholders engaged in the process. Based on those findings, we proposed an ICT tools selection framework. Four living labs were analysed to better understand the practical side of digitally aided co-creation. We conclude by exposing challenges and suggest ways to move forward toward genuinely digitally supported co-creation of the POS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peri-urban landscape, space between the rural and urban setting, has generally been seen in planning practice as space in a transient state, likely to be developed in the future. However, research has shown that peri-urban green spaces have increasingly been used for recreational and leisure purposes by urban and rural dwellers. This study aims to explore whether, if urban dwellers' preferred green spaces are large peri-urban semi-natural areas, they will nonetheless be used only infrequently if the accessibility of these spaces is not swift. A questionnaire-based survey and focus groups were conducted to collect data from around 380 urban dwellers in two European cities of similar size but contrasting green space strategies, Ljubljana (green wedges strategy) and Edinburgh (green belt strategy). The results showed expected, strong cross-cultural preference for semi-natural landscapes (as opposed to formal parks and playing fields), such as woodlands, fields, waterways, etc. High appreciation and high use of green corridors was a more unexpected result. In addition, coastal landscapes appeared to be popular in Edinburgh and larger, peri-urban open spaces in Ljubljana. The frequency of visits to peri-urban spaces was considerably higher in Ljubljana, due to swift accessibility of the city's green wedges. In both cities, perceptions of distance to travel were the major barrier to frequent use of peri-urban green spaces. The findings suggest that green corridors enable enjoyable and easy access to semi-natural spaces in and around the city. This should be taken into account in future planning, as part of any wider green space strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]