Organization Mission

The Urban Living Lab Center is the first Collaborating Center of UN-Habitat and is co-hosted by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Technical University Berlin (TUB) and the Wuppertal Institute. The objective is to build on a range of joint projects and providing the platform for other actors and projects in the field to broaden and sustain the programme. The network of Living Labs and regional hubs at partner universities is meant to support the implementation of action-oriented urban development projects in Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America to boost synergies and impact.

Context

On-going transformative Living Lab projects on urban development, mobility circularity and energy in partner cities in Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America. Volunteers’ outputs are credited in ULLC reports and shared with city partners, giving participants visibility in global sustainable development networks.

Key Responsibilities

Volunteers will work in small virtual teams (4–6 people) with a ULLC mentor and in collaboration with local actors in the Living Labs to deliver:

1. Solutions mapping – Summaries of best practices on topics such as e‑mobility, charging, women‑centred mobility, multimodal hubs, or circular street design.
2. Stakeholder & Policy Maps – Interactive spreadsheets/GIS layers identifying agencies, NGOs, private actors and policies in assigned pilot cities.
3. Living‑Lab Briefs – Visuals (Canva or PowerPoint) explaining each pilot for city decision‑makers.

Logistics:
• Kick‑off and a structured e-learning environment to guide the assignment.
•Communication and exchange with ULLC team and local partners; progress updates.
• Flexible hours; core collaboration window 14:00–16:00 UTC for optional co‑working.
• Deliverables uploaded to a shared drive; mentor feedback, exchange with peers.
• Possible collaboration with on‑site partners where feasible.

Key dates: rolling start; volunteers groups are formed on a regular basis; expected completion of core outputs within 12weeks of onboarding.

Required Skills and Experience

 Strong desk‑research and academic writing skills.
Background in at least one relevant field: urban/transport planning, civil or automotive engineering, architecture, energy/environmental studies, GIS, data science, political science or public policy.
Ability to synthesise technical material for non‑specialists.
Experience with online workspaces; familiarity with GIS (QGIS), Adobe/Canva or similar design tools an asset.
Self‑management and intercultural communication skills; prior teamwork in virtual settings preferred.