Natural systems are one of the most important elements that form the framework of the city, yet the last to be considered when designing public spaces. Amid global warming, the ever-intimate and highly complex relationship between green infrastructure and humans is gaining importance. Trees, which form most of the urban green infrastructure, are crucial to cities as they provide a response to the growing need for acute cooling in public spaces. In addition to their physical value, trees have emotional and spiritual meaning to humans as well. Our study explores the multidimensional relationship between humans and trees through the case of T-Roffa Lab: a mobile forest of 36 trees on wheels located in Rotterdam, Netherlands. At T-Roffa Lab, citizens are invited to move the trees around and play with the configuration of the urban forest according to their own needs. The forest introduces a new social relationship of co-care between trees and citizens. While trees care for the spatial and physiological needs of the citizens, citizens care for the trees by watering them and monitoring their health. In this study, we take a closer look into the dynamics of this mutually dependent micro-level ecosystem through a social network analysis. By studying the co-existential relationship patterns of humans and mobile trees, we shed light on the dynamics of this emerging social network, where natural elements are more than agents or quasi-objects and are considered as equal parts of the whole. When designing for complexity, understanding the relationships between the actors is essential. These relationships give clues on why current dynamics exist, how they operate and where the points of leverage lay that pose implications on both design and policy making processes. However, in conventional network studies “actors” are typically limited to nodes with an independent decision-making mechanism such as humans. This study on T-Roffa Lab provides an excellent opportunity to challenge our perspective on the human/non-human relationships, while giving body to their interdependence in urban contexts. Finally, the study presents a novel approach to social network analysis where shifting actor/actant roles, multiplex relationships and their mutuality are mapped and explored in a longitudinal manner.

This special session is developed in cooperation with EU project Bin2Bean. The goal of this project is to setup an urban living lab to develop soil improvers made from food waste. The goal of the living lab is to increase the efficiency of organic waste collection and develop high quality soil improvers to upgrade urban soil quality. Amsterdam has almost 900.000 citizens who live in around 450.000 households. These households generate 120 ktons of organic waste. The aim of the city strategy is to increase the performance of separating organic waste from residual waste from an estimated 25% now, to 73% by 2030. New initiatives to collect and valorize organic waste have to be stimulated. Therefore, AMS Institute organizes a special session on organic waste collection and its valorization options, most particular as soil improver. This special session has several objectives. First, its the opening of the Amsterdam Living Lab where visitors will get informed about its goal, function and activities. Secondly, its an official invitation for interested stakeholders (from citizens to farmers) to participate in the living lab. Thirdly, the high-tech demonstration facility for separate food waste collection will be visited and demonstrated. So, come listening, join the network and become fascinated about the high-tech facility for kitchen waste collection and together we join forces to improve urban soils.

Adolescence is a developmental phase during which not only the social, but also the food environment rapidly changes. Since adolescents also have a large capability of flexible adoption to change, we explored if a participatory action research approach could contribute to reshaping adolescents’ food environment. Within the context of the Dutch Medical Delta Living Lab “VIT for life”, along with 3 other organizations, the Food Boost Challenge (FBC) has been developed. Characteristic features of Living Labs are that they have high participation and accelerate implementation. On the one hand, this means that all project partners (including users) have an intensive role. On the other hand, this ensures that ideas are tested and tried out immediately. Within our living lab we developed this method into a quadruple helix innovation process, involving adolescents, (peer)researchers, and food system partners of non-governmental and commercial organizations. Till date, two FBCs took place. The first in academic year 2021-2022 in the region “The Westland”, located in the western part of the Netherlands. This is a region distinguished by its significant role in the horticultural sector, particularly renowned for its extensive greenhouse cultivation, amidst a mix of villages and towns. This FBC aimed at increasing intake of vegetables and fruit(products). The second in academic year 2022-2023 in the region Zuid-Limburg, an industrial region in the South-East of the Netherlands with poorer health statistics compared to the rest of the country. This FBC aimed at enabling adolescents to make healthier choices at so-called hotspots, places where many adolescents are together (festivals, canteens, etcetera). Phase 1 involved students identifying barriers and drivers for the targeted behavior among other adolescents. In phase 2, student teams submitted innovative ideas, resulting in concepts fitting into ≥1 of 4 routes: I) innovative technology for a healthy diet, II) new food products/concepts for adolescents, III) hotspots improving experience of healthier options, and IV) new routes to market. In phase 3 consortia of adolescents, students and partners were formed to develop selected concepts into prototypes, and phase 4 offered teams a national platform to present their prototypes with a chance to win prices. In Westland, 34 partners provided both cash and in-kind contributions to join the FBC-community while in Limburg 21 partners joined. Large numbers of students (>300) and adolescents (>3000) participated in the various phases of both FBCs. Some of the prototypes are currently being studied in an implementation phase. Therefore, we conclude this approach for, by and with adolescents has empowered people and strengthened communities. Thereby enabling them to reshape their future food environment.