Living labs
Living labs create opportunities to use University of Auckland campuses for the trial and development of sustainability solutions, fostering innovation that benefits our communities and future generations.
What are living labs?
Living laboratories (living labs) provide opportunities for students, staff and our wider community to collaborate on projects that test new ideas and drive real-world environmental and social impact, advancing our collective contribution to sustainability.
Living labs use University campuses and/or surroundings as a testing ground for innovative sustainability solutions, bringing together University staff, students and community to develop and test ideas, gather data, and develop actionable recommendations. This initiative integrates both research and study, with a focus on sustainability challenges.
Getting involved in a living lab
We invite students, staff and members of the University community to propose projects that align with the criteria outlined below.
These are the criteria for what constitutes a living labs project at the University of Auckland.
What the project must do
- Be implemented on a University of Auckland campus or in its surroundings.
- Engage students and staff in its delivery.
- Relate to one or more of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The project must also fulfill at least one of the following:
- Test potential solutions or approaches to addressing a sustainability-related challenge, including an evaluation of impact.
- Gather quantitative or qualitative data to establish a baseline for assessing future progress.
- Produce recommendations for actions that support the University’s sustainability objectives.
What the project should ideally do
- Take a cross-disciplinary or interdisciplinary approach.
- Involve multiple faculties, operational units and, potentially, external partners.
- Make the collected data available for further teaching, learning, or research within the university.
More information
If you would like to learn more about how to participate, please email SustainabilityHub@auckland.ac.nz.
Case study: recording biodiversity on the University estate
This living lab project recognises that the University of Auckland is physically embedded in living ecosystems. The green spaces of the main City Campus are an oasis of biodiversity within New Zealand’s largest city, while the University nature reserves provide natural ecosystems for study on the city outskirts.
These green spaces support the mental and physical health of the University community. They also provide endless opportunities for inspiration and research. The species present within the University estate are a legacy of introductions by past staff (academic and professional) and students, and the inherent natural biota of Auckland.
To better understand, utilise and manage this resource, a record of campus biodiversity is being developed using the citizen science software iNaturalist.
Within this application, users lodge observations of individual species noting their exact location and the time observed. These observations are accumulated to record species composition for a campus unit.
Separate individual projects have been set up for each unit. These are collated within an umbrella University-wide project.
As of November 2025, 5,076 observations had been made of 1,666 species on the University estate.
Analyses of these data provide information on what species the University supports, including threatened species and incursions by pests and weeds. Changes over time can also be determined through the time stamps on all observations. Results can be used to manage biodiversity on campus, ensuring maintenance and options for enhancement supporting the University's commitment to SDG 15 Life on Land.
Anyone can contribute observations through the iNaturalist app.
Here is the link to the University of Auckland umbrella page.
The more observations received, the more valuable this project will be.
Waipapa Taumata Rau | University of Auckland is committed to embedding sustainability into its teaching, research and operations.