PS-U-GO at European Maritime Day 2025: Participatory Approaches to the Sea as a Common Good

On 30 May 2025, the PS-U-GO project was presented in Naples during the event Waves of Innovation: Science, Fishing and the Future of the Sea, held at the Museo Darwin-Dohrn of the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn. The initiative took place within the framework of European Maritime Day 2025 and was organised by the National Research Council – Institute for Research on Innovation and Services for Development (CNR IRISS) and the National Research Council – Department for Social Sciences and Humanities, Cultural Heritage (CNR DSU), with the patronage of the Anton Dohrn Zoological Station and the Dohrn Foundation.

The event promoted a multidisciplinary dialogue on sustainable fisheries, marine ecosystem conservation and the future of the sea, bringing together researchers, students and citizens to reflect on accessibility, responsible use and collective care of marine resources. In this context, Lorenzo Lodato (CNR-IRISS) presented the Erasmus+ project Education in Living Labs: Participatory Skills for Sustainable Urban Governance (PS-U-GO), focusing on the experience of the Naples Urban Living Lab.

The presentation illustrated the vision, mission and objectives of the PS-U-GO Urban Living Lab in Naples, which works towards the recognition of coastal and marine areas as urban commons. The ULL operates in the city’s coastal and liminal areas, promoting shared knowledge production, participatory action and collaborative governance to support free and equitable access to the sea. Particular attention was given to the role of research-action, collective learning and civic engagement in strengthening claims for the collective use of coastal spaces.

The Naples Urban Living Lab involves a wide range of urban actors, including researchers, students, civil society organisations, public institutions and local initiatives such as the Mare Libero movement and Lido Pola Bene Comune. Through participatory mapping, co-design laboratories, urban explorations and visual and interactive tools, the ULL experiments with methods to enhance accessibility, usability and awareness of coastal commons, while fostering dialogue between different forms of knowledge and experience.

The PS-U-GO contribution was embedded in a broader programme dedicated to the role of research in blue growth, climate change and marine sustainability, as well as in a series of Ignite Talks addressing key challenges such as biodiversity protection, microplastics, citizens’ right to the sea and emerging practices for more equitable marine governance. The strong involvement of students and young people further highlighted the importance of education, participation and critical awareness in shaping the future of the sea as a shared and common good.

Through its participation in European Maritime Day 2025, PS-U-GO contributed to the public debate on the sea as a collective resource, reinforcing the need for inclusive, participatory and knowledge-based approaches to ensure free access, sustainable use and long-term care of coastal and marine environments.