DEDALE | Urban and social innovation

Who we are

Dédale is a cultural and urban innovation agency based in Paris, operating since 2004 at the crossroads of civic engagement, ecological transition, and creative transformation of cities. Dédale coordinates the Rosa Lab, a European Living Lab located in the first zero-carbon neighborhood of Paris – L’Îlot Fertile – and designs territorial strategies, participatory processes, experimental spaces and user-centered solutions for future urban challenges. It leads projects combining biodiversity, public space transformation, local culture, inclusive governance, and digital storytelling. Dédale has extensive experience in EU programs (Horizon Europe, Creative Europe, Erasmus+).

Concretely, the agency acts as a work package leader and as a demonstration district manager, which is an added value to our urban skills. In order to achieve more sustainable and inclusive cities, our team leads collaborative work with universities, public agencies, local and regional authorities, citizen communities and public organizations to design and implement sustainable solutions that address the challenges of modern urban living.

What we offer

• An open-air experimental area for participative and inclusive projects: L'Ilot Fertile (north-east of Paris). Location: between Paris and the suburbs, at the heart of public strategies: urban inclusion and development policies, zero unemployment area, circular district, etc.

• Projects focusing on ecological transition (energy, urban agriculture, biodiversity, food, circular economy, etc.),digital projects (smart citizens, inclusion, education, governance, etc.), projects linked to urban regeneration and the transformation of public spaces (urban design, citizen engagement, living together, identity and territorial appropriation, etc.).

• Existing participative pilots

  • “Terroir urbain” (urban agriculture, biodiversity, food, etc.) - www.terroir-urbain.fr

  • “Back to the future” (digital storytelling in the city, heritage and territorial identity, etc.) - https://bit.ly/3XPfifq

  • “Public domain” Co-design of local public spaces, neighborhood signage, creative street furniture, cultural and touristic itineraries for peripheral area...)

Testing different kind of projects in a neighborhood allows us to address the urban challenges at a small scale and including the citizen community in the changes that affects them directly. The advantage of the pilot projects we have have already tried out at Rosa Parks neighborhood (north east of Paris), is that they can be replicated in other cities with similar urban challenges in France and Europe, always considering their own specificities and adapting the project to the environment and the population needs in every particular case.

Why choose us?

At Dédale, we are passionately committed to driving urban and social innovation. We believe in harnessing creativity and technological advancements to enhance the quality of life for all and empower individuals to actively participate in shaping their environments. Together, we strive to build resilient urban spaces that foster inclusivity and social cohesion.