Is our life good enough? Territorial quality of life to support a future for all places across Europe - 13WS21543

As stated in TA2030, Europe faces major economic, social and environmental challenges, but it also has great potential to improve living conditions in all areas across the EU and for all of its people. This requires policy responses with a strong territorial dimension and coordinated approaches acknowledging and harnessing the diversity and specific features of the different places that make it up. Over the past few years, discussions have taken place on how to measure quality of life and use indicators that can complement economic and social indicators to measure territorial development.

ESPON developed a conceptual map and a simple dashboard that enables territorial quality of life (TQoL) in Europe to be measured, with a place-based approach at different geographical levels. However, measuring quality of life is an exercise that should go beyond the experts and policy-makers. They can take care of the scientific and administrative details, but because "you get what you measure" - a golden rule of management – policy-makers need to ask citizens what quality they want for their life, to legitimise the use of territorial quality of life indicators. The whole Territorial Quality of Life measurement should be implemented by engaging citizens, the so-called "citizen-centric approach", which could involve pilot living labs for measuring territorial quality of life in different regions and cities across Europe. 

The purpose of a Territorial Quality of Life Living Lab is to build a policy innovation focal point where the relevant players (statistical agencies, universities, departments of national, regional and local governments, business associations and NGOs) work together with citizens to define Quality of Life priorities, test indicators, and monitor and evaluate QoL improvement programmes. A TQoL Living Lab combines the knowledge of experts and decision-makers with the wisdom of the crowd by pursuing a territorial approach in policy design and delivery.

The concept of the TQoL living lab can also provide inspirational examples for the implementation of the Territorial Agenda 2030, and in particular the dedicated pilot actions. This workshop aims to present the work developed by ESPON, including a case study (cross-border region Slovenia-Croatia-Italy - NUTS3: SI044 Coastal–Karst statistical region, HR036 County of Istria and ITH44 Trieste) and to discuss the implementation of living labs and how this can tie in with the implementation of pilot actions under the Territorial Agenda 2030.