Abstract

In the context of needed low-carbon solutions, this study approaches sustainable housing as a service that can be developed via the process of multi-actor social innovations. The study concentrates on the front end of the co-creation process that aims to generate ideas for initiatives that contribute to climate change mitigation or adaptation in the built environment. With a special focus on cities as public sector actors, the study explores their role and ability to drive low-carbon initiatives. Building on the theoretical understanding of social innovations and utilizing a service-design approach, the study generates workshop data that involves city representatives, key stakeholders and researchers, and analyses also qualitative consumer-citizen data and city strategic documents. The results suggest that there is a common pool of challenges, indicated by the cities’ strategic climate goals, that several future assumptions guide the envisioning of the future in 2035 and that there is a call for the greater development of human-centric solutions. To turn these strategic aims, vision and citizen needs into actionable initiatives, cities face three key challenges: the inter-organizational division of labour and cooperation within cities, the multiplicity of actors with limited interaction channels, and unidentified ownership of responsibility in the innovation process.