GEMINI: what really happens inside a Mobility Living Lab

In GEMINI, it is easy to focus on what is being tested. A shared mobility service. A digital tool. Traffic management measures during a major event.

But if you ask the cities involved what really defines their Living Lab experience, the answer usually starts much earlier.

Before anything becomes visible on the street, there are months of coordination, internal discussions and small adjustments that rarely appear in public updates. This process is unfolding across GEMINI’s Mobility Living Labs in Amsterdam, Greater Copenhagen (Rudersdal), Helsinki, Ljubljana, Munich, Paris, Porto and Turin, each working within its own local context.

GEMINI’s Living Lab in Greater Copenhagen (Rudersdal), where collaboration turns mobility ideas into real-world practice

What usually happens behind the scenes

Long before a pilot goes live, cities spend significant time aligning departments, mobility operators, technology providers and community groups. Many of these actors are not used to working closely together, so the first step is often simply building a common understanding.

Living Labs are often seen from the outside as testbeds for mobility solutions. In reality, they are also spaces where relationships are built and expectations are clarified. Several cities describe the actual launch of a pilot as the simpler phase. The more demanding part is creating trust across institutions and stakeholders.

That trust shapes very concrete outcomes. It influences how openly data is shared, how quickly challenges are addressed and how willing partners are to adjust when something does not go as planned. Without it, even a technically sound solution can struggle to gain traction.

What has been most surprising

One of the recurring insights from GEMINI is how personal the process feels.

Mobility innovation is often described in technical language, yet cities repeatedly point to conversations and relationships as the turning points. A resident who feels included in the discussion is more open to trying something new. An operator who sees early results becomes more confident in scaling up. A city department that has been part of the design phase is less likely to resist implementation.

These are not dramatic moments, but they shape whether a pilot evolves into something lasting. In many cases, the most important progress has been relational rather than technological.

What cities ultimately gain from GEMINI

When cities reflect on their experience in GEMINI, three elements come up consistently:

• Confidence: a structured space to test new approaches and learn through iteration, without the pressure of getting everything right from the start.

• Capacity:  practical experience gained through implementation, leading to stronger internal skills, clearer roles and more resilient partnerships.

• Community: connection with other cities facing similar challenges, making it easier to exchange lessons and move forward together.

  
  

For UEMI, supporting GEMINI means helping capture these experiences and share them beyond each individual Living Lab. What the project shows, again and again, is that advancing sustainable mobility is not only about introducing new tools. It is about institutions learning to work differently and building the trust needed to make change stick.