Malleswaram Urban Living Lab (M-ULL)

M-ULL is a neighbourhood Living Lab, conceived as a collaboration between Malleswaram Social and Sensing Local, to provide technical support for tackling problems at the ward level as well as act as a social and cultural community platform for the residents.

Website: www.malleswaram-livinglab.in

Key Partner: Malleswaram Social

Location: Ward 45,65, Bengaluru

What is a living lab?

• An urban living lab is a platform where various stakeholders (Citizens, Government, local community organizations, Companies) can come together to look for solutions in an open, inclusive, and collaborative approach.

• It is conceived to provide technical support for tackling urban challenges at the scale of the ward as well as act as a social and cultural community anchor for the residents.

What is the purpose of MULL?

The main aim of M-ULL is to preserve the neighbourhood’s unique heritage and culture, while also dynamically accommodating current developmental needs.

Who are we?

• Malleswaram Social is a citizens group that came together to form social ties and work on bettering the civic amenities in the area.

• Sensing Local is a research organization working on urban problems with a systemic approach.

This collaboration synergizes our respective strengths and optimizes our combined resources for the greatest good of the community.

What spheres of activity will M-ULL be involved in?

The work at M-ULL aligns with the mandate of the ward committee, and therefore it will be involved in the following areas:

• Water management

• Waste management

• Public space design and management

• Mobility and transportation planning

• Inclusion for urban poor

• Disaster management

• Heritage conservation

What are the core activities of M-ULL?

• Data collection

• Workshops for training and upskilling

• Creation of information dissemination platforms

• Organizing cultural and recreation events to bring the community together

• Strategic planning for the wards and project creation

What are the goals that M-ULL hopes to achieve?

• Increase transparency of data and decision making in the governance and management of the ward

• Increase multi-stakeholder participation to ensure effectiveness of solutions

• Put in standard processes and proper prioritization of actions

• Systematic and holistic planning and implementation; to optimize use of resources and selection of best solutions

• Foster experimentation - Implementation of cutting edge innovative solutions for problem solving

• Channel finance/investment in the ward

As a first order of action we are focussing on helping the community of Malleswaram (ward 45, 65) better tackle the challenges of COVID and its after effects. To bring a larger community to work together, we have started a citizens discussion platform called - 'Malleswaram Katte Maathu' that is anchoring the top ten issues related to COVID.

The webinars will help aggregate and disseminate new information each week as well as provide framework for on-ground engagement. See the M-ULL website to know more.

How can a citizen be involved in M-ULL?

Every citizen who has a desire to be involved in the betterment of their community can be a part of M-ULL. The success of a thriving neighbourhood depends on active involvement of the community in its development. M-ULL hopes to offer the following:

• A working canvas for local actors to come together

• A place where they can represent their individual needs

• A platform where they can collaboratively work towards a shared future of Malleswaram