Co-creating justice in housing energy transitions through energy living labs

Justice-oriented, context-sensitive approaches that go beyond technocratic top-down decision-making processes can facilitate and improve the retrofit and energy transition of housing. Urban living labs (ULLs) are emerging as valuable collaborative spaces for learning and co-creating strategies. Although increasingly adopted in urban planning and placemaking, their potential to operationalise procedural justice by facilitating inclusive and accessible processes in energy renovation remains unexplored. Drawing on fieldwork notes and expert interviews, this study examines the initial phases of four Dutch energy living labs (ELLs) implemented in vulnerable neighbourhoods to support housing retrofit and energy transition projects. It analyses how they foster residents’ inclusion and connect institutional agendas with residents’ everyday practices and living environments. The findings reveal how ELLs play a strategic role in enhancing residents’ visibility, creating multistakeholder relational arenas that stimulate interorganisational learning. Researchers in ELLs mediate between theory and situated practices, facilitating energy justice implementation by challenging established professional assumptions. Flexible, locally guided forms of ELLs help address process shortcomings, supporting more socially embedded retrofit and energy transitions, and notably contribute to a) resident engagement and representation, b) technical design and performance and c) collaborative and responsive governance approaches. Practice relevance This study provides actionable insights into how ELLs can make housing energy transitions more inclusive by linking institutional strategies with residents’ everyday practices and living environments. In vulnerable neighbourhoods, the early phases of ELLs already facilitate residents’ engagement and representation, strengthen trust and improve access to information. The findings highlight the value of flexible forms of ELL that can adapt to local challenges. For practitioners and policymakers, the study underscores the importance of investing in the formative stages of ELLs, ensuring adequate time and resources for relationship-building. Collaboration with researchers supports reflexivity and mutual learning. Key actions include embedding co-creation in renovation programmes, aligning technical design with lived experiences, and strengthening collaborative governance.