Living labs and knowledge co-production for heritage risk management and resilience building at the coastal site of the Castle of Mykonos.

The Living Labs (LL) constitute an important part of the THETIDA project (Technologies and methods for improved resilience and sustainable preservation of underwater and coastal cultural heritage to cope with climate change, natural hazards and environmental pollution), as they function as collaborative spaces for dialogue, where participants access the cultural heritage values of the pilot sites, identify associated hazards and vulnerabilities, and evaluate their broader cultural, socio-economic, and environmental impacts on local communities.

For the archaeological site of the Castle of Mykonos, one of the three coastal pilot sites of the project, with successive use as a settlement since prehistory, the Ephorate of Antiquities of Cyclades organized two Living Labs in Mykonos.

The first Living Lab Dialogue brought together cultural heritage experts, scientists, local authorities and local stakeholders to engage in this collaborative process. Apart from cooperative decision making among national and local authorities, the second Living Lab Dialogue aimed to raise awareness among young people.

The main goals and objectives of the LL Dialogues included:

• Integrated heritage and climate risk assessment: Analysing the historical and cultural heritage values of the Castle of Mykonos Town, identifying its strengths, weaknesses and threats, stating management and community involvement limitations, legislation and protection policies, and identifying climate-induced risks and their impacts on the site.
• Training and raising awareness: Presenting the THETIDA project, scientific knowledge on monitoring tools for Cultural Heritage Protection, conducting an educational program for the young members of the local community and knowledge exchange with stakeholders on the impact of climate change on cultural heritage.
• Co-creation: Sharing personal experiences and observations, discussing the pilot site’s risks and threats, future scenarios, crisis management approaches, and possible solutions to climate hazards and impacts, aiming to facilitate interaction between authorities and local stakeholders.
• Testing of THETIDA tools and technologies: Demonstrating the Crowdsourcing app (AR, 3D model of the Paraportiani area) and collecting feedback for its possible use and implementation of the collected data. Discussion on how digital tools can support management and monitoring in cultural heritage sites against climate change impacts.

One of the Living Labs’ main challenges was engaging the diverse range of stakeholders from various sectors, essential for raising awareness on the natural and climate-related hazards posed to the site, sharing sector-specific knowledge, perspectives, and valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities associated with the Castle of Mykonos Town pilot site. Their active involvement was also essential to establish faster, more efficient communication between them.

Participants acknowledged the cultural, historic, and economic value of the Castle of Mykonos Town and highlighted the importance of combining innovative digital monitoring tools with citizen science, offering specialized stakeholders involved in heritage management direct feedback, without the need to visit the pilot site.

Strategic planning for the prevention and mitigation of climate change impacts on cultural heritage indicated the necessity for scientific knowledge exchange, active involvement of local communities in public discourse, collaboration and coordination among different sectors and authorities and the effective involvement of local authorities in building roadmaps and decision making.