Abstract: To date, architects and designers have often tended to communicate as yet untested concepts and problem-solving solutions on a small scale — commonly expressed in the form of a pavilion that displays innovative concepts and ideas that could, perhaps, one day, provide a means to solve a specific problem. But when it comes to real life, urgent challenges, the time for vague concepts and utopian proposals has passed. Architects and urban designers now need to design and develop workable solutions to today’s pressing challenges, solutions that improve quality of life in our cities. However, in order to be in a position to measure and achieve the desired results, active, innovative testing sites are required, where designers and planners can reap the benefits of learning by doing. This essay introduces the Brainport Smart District as an example of a recent project that is designed to test real life, integral solutions to current challenges in the built environment.