The Transitional Innovation Lab is an action research initiative led by LLio (the Open Innovation Lab) in collaboration with four partners: Univers Emploi, Rue Principale, Mangrove, and the Ministry of Economy, Innovation and Energy (MEIE), which serves as the project’s funding partner.
Through real-world projects, the initiative explores how transitional urbanism and social innovation approaches can transform spaces into places that foster meaning, belonging, and connection within a community.
This page features six videos that trace the project’s journey, step by step: from its beginnings in Trois-Rivières to the final activation of L’Agora
in Rivière-du-Loup, including the citizen co-design process, the creation of the furniture, and the lessons learned throughout the initiative.
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In 2022, a group of partners came together to breathe new life into
an abandoned building in Trois-Rivières. Their ambition: to create a vibrant space at the heart of Quebec’s agri-food innovation ecosystem.
Here is the story of this project and the lessons it taught us.
How can a research project adapt and move forward in the face of the unexpected? When the initial partner in Trois-Rivières had to withdraw, LLio and its collaborators found a new opportunity in Rivière-du-Loup with Univers Emploi. This video tells the story of the strategic pivot that led to the creation of L’Agora,
a transitional space designed to serve the community.
Step behind the scenes of the creation of L’Agora’s furniture, a space designed with and for the Rivière-du-Loup community. This video highlights the project’s ecological approach: repurposed materials, recycled fabrics sourced from
the Bas-Saint-Laurent region, community sewing workshops, and the creation
of a modular design where citizen-inspired hammocks come to life.
From idea to prototype, L’Agora took shape through collaboration between
the community, Univers Emploi participants, and the Collectif l’Éléphant Blanc. Co-creation, co-ideation, and street-side building: discover how a shared space came to life, designed to host conferences, workshops, gatherings,
and moments of rest.
The Forces Fraîches Summit marked the final activation phase of the L’Agora project. After months of co-designing and co-building the space with the community, this gathering brought it to life, welcoming 200 changemakers from more than 15 regions of Quebec to Rivière-du-Loup. Volunteer speakers, a 100% local menu, and a truly inspiring atmosphere: this video looks back on an event that transformed networking into collective action — a momentum that continues every week through the ongoing Forces Fraîches programming.
This video reflects on the key lessons learned from the Transitional Innovation Lab project. Through the challenges and successes encountered along the way, the team shares its insights on leadership, team transitions, and the value of design thinking, while offering a heartfelt thank you to each of the partners who were part of this journey.
Together, these six videos demonstrate how multi-stakeholder collaboration and participatory design can foster a strong sense of local belonging and collective engagement. From the L’Ouvrage research project in Trois-Rivières to the activation of L’Agora in Rivière-du-Loup, they retrace a journey shaped by adaptation, community creativity, and collective effort — a journey that offers lessons that can inspire other transitional urbanism and social innovation initiatives,
both in Quebec and beyond.
To learn more about the project or about the activities of the Open Innovation Lab (LLio), contact us at info@llio.quebec.
The storytelling for this initiative was supported by Social Innovation Canada through the Social Innovation Impact Initiative. As part of the SII Initiative, SI Canada aims to illuminate how social innovators across Canada are putting the principles of collaboration, equity, and systems thinking into practice — and in doing so, helping create the conditions for lasting change.