Overview of the Resource
The document “Barriers and Emerging Pathways to Scaling Co‑production: A perspective from the Fairville Labs” is a public report published by Fairville in July 2024. It is authored by Alessio Kolioulis, Barbara Lipietz, Manon Bleuzen, Dominique Nalpas and Chloé Verlinden. The report analyses the challenges and opportunities for scaling co‑production practices across nine Fairville Labs located in diverse European and African cities. It was submitted to the Fairville database on 26 April 2026 and is available online via the provided link.
Purpose and Scope
The study investigates why co‑production initiatives often remain pilots and proposes pathways to move them toward routine urban governance. It focuses on Work Package 5 (WP5), which aims to scale co‑production “in, with and beyond the city.” The analysis draws on interviews with 21 lab members, workshop diagnostics, and document reviews conducted up to June 2024. The authors map barriers, opportunities, and emerging scaling pathways, linking them to the broader Fairville objective of fostering equitable, democratic cities.
Identified Barriers
Barriers are grouped into three domains: the State, civil society/community groups, and the interface between them.State barriers include fragmented governance (e.g., multiple water authorities in Brussels), outdated legislation (colonial‑era rules in Dakar), limited funding, lack of transparency, and corruption (e.g., vote‑buying in Călărași).Community barriers comprise social‑economic diversity, language gaps, gender norms that restrict women’s participation (Giza), and financial constraints that limit involvement.Interface barriers involve misrecognition of marginalized groups (Roma in West Attica and Călărași), mistrust between residents and officials, technical jargon that excludes lay participants, and divergent institutional cultures that hinder collaborative decision‑making.
Emerging Opportunities
Opportunities mirror the identified barriers. Political shifts (new parties in Berlin and Marseille) open space for experimentation. Community‑driven platforms such as “Délier les fils de l’eau” in Brussels create multi‑stakeholder coalitions. Knowledge‑sharing initiatives (e.g., the “Know Your City” effort in Dakar) reduce information gaps. Gender‑sensitive approaches and school‑based outreach (West Attica, Giza) aim to include women and youth. Leveraging economic incentives—such as tourism‑related waste‑management projects near Cairo—can attract state investment.
Pathways to Scale
The authors outline four principal scaling pathways:
- Consolidation – deepening impact, extending partnerships and project timelines.
- Growth/Replication – expanding geographically or replicating successful models.
- Network Building – creating horizontal alliances across sectors and regions.
- Upscaling/Institutionalisation – embedding co‑production into formal governance structures. Each pathway is illustrated with concrete lab examples, such as the consolidation of community networks in West Attica, the replication of participatory flood‑mapping in Dakar, the coalition‑building around water management in Brussels, and the institutional adoption of a relocation charter after the 2018 Marseille building collapse.
Key Data and Facts
- Report length: 703 KB (online PDF).
- Authors: five researchers from UCL, EGEB, and other partners.
- Geographic coverage: nine labs in Brussels, Berlin, Marseille, West Attica (Greece), Dakar (Senegal), Giza (Egypt), London, Călărași (Romania) and others.
- Interview count: 21 individuals, representing a range of stakeholders.
- Publication date: July 2024; status: public.
- Submission dates: database entry 26 April 2026, last edited 5 May 2026.
Relevance for Sustainable Housing
For a pan‑European audience focused on sustainable housing, the report provides actionable insights into how co‑production can be scaled to improve housing equity, resilience, and community ownership. It demonstrates that successful scaling requires addressing governance fragmentation, enhancing community capacity, and institutionalising participatory processes. The documented pathways and case‑specific lessons can inform policy makers, urban planners, and housing NGOs seeking to transition pilot housing co‑production projects into durable, system‑wide solutions across Europe.