A Participatory Framework for Urban Revitalization: Methodologies for Collaborative Resource Management
Authors: Giannis Zgeras, Vily Mylona – Contributions: Alexandra Papadaki, Franka van Marewijk, Cinco Yu, Victor Munoz Sanz
Deliverable D3.1 defines the community engagement and participatory design framework of the CORPUS project and provides a structured package of methods, tools and processes to support the creation of Circular Urban Economies (CUEs) through Urban Living Labs in Turin and Aigaleo. The deliverable establishes how local communities, public authorities and project partners are involved in co-producing civic technologies and spatial interventions that connect circularity, public space and alternative value exchange systems.
The overall objective of the package is to create an inclusive and educative participatory process capable of empowering communities to actively shape both the digital and physical infrastructures developed within CORPUS. The document frames participation not only as consultation, but as a continuous learning and co-creation pathway that enables citizens to engage with complex topics such as circular material practices, public space transformation and civic blockchain technologies.
The first part of the deliverable introduces the research framework guiding the engagement and co-design activities. The approach is grounded in Participatory Action Research, Living Lab methodologies and Communities of Practice. These perspectives support the creation of shared spaces of learning in which researchers, citizens, local organisations and public administrations collaboratively experiment with new practices and governance models. Living Labs are conceived as neighbourhood-based platforms where everyday challenges related to public space, material reuse and civic technologies can be explored through situated and hands-on activities. Co-design is positioned as a transformative strategy that aims to reduce traditional hierarchies between experts and participants, while placemaking is adopted as a participatory approach to rethinking public space as a collective resource.
The second part of the deliverable presents the methodological framework and the operational structure of the Community Engagement and Participatory Design Package. The methodology is organised into three progressive and interconnected levels. The first level focuses on introducing the CORPUS vision to key stakeholders and local actors, building trust and shared understanding, and identifying local needs and expectations. The second level centres on community engagement and educational activities, including workshops, public events and focus groups. These activities are designed to familiarise participants with the principles of circularity, civic technologies and public space design through interactive formats, serious games and learning-by-doing approaches. The third level is dedicated to participatory design and co-creation, where community members collaboratively define both physical interventions in public space and the customisation of the CommonsHood digital platform.
A key contribution of the package is the definition of a clear engagement strategy and a shared glossary of participant roles. The document distinguishes between stakeholders, participants, makers, target communities, wider audiences and the research team, clarifying their different degrees of involvement and responsibilities throughout the process. This structure supports transparent governance of the engagement activities and ensures that expectations and forms of participation are explicitly articulated.
The deliverable also introduces a comprehensive set of engagement and design tools that can be adapted to local contexts. These tools include role-play activities on alternative value exchange systems, community mapping and heritage walks, school-based creative workshops, collaborative planning sessions, participatory maquette building and hands-on prototyping of urban infrastructures. Together, these tools enable communities to reflect on their neighbourhoods, identify shared values and priorities, and translate them into concrete spatial and digital design proposals.
From left to right: CORPUS serious game played in terms of Turin Living Lab, analogue photo taken in the neighborhood playground from a primary school student in the Aigaleo ULL – the Public Toilet of Thoughts used by inhabitants to share stories in the square during a public exhibition devoted to present materials of workshops conducted with 20th Primary School and Local Elderly Center.
The final part of the document presents the implementation roadmap for the two Urban Living Labs. The roadmap aligns the three methodological levels with a project timeline and specifies how engagement actions and co-design workshops are progressively deployed in both pilot areas. Special emphasis is placed on the parallel development of physical interventions in public space and the co-design of digital functionalities, reinforcing the project’s “phygital” approach.
In conclusion, Deliverable D3.1 establishes community engagement and participatory design as foundational components of the CORPUS project. By combining educational processes, co-design practices and neighbourhood-based experimentation, the package creates the conditions for communities to reclaim and collectively manage shared spaces, foster circular practices and contribute directly to the development of civic technologies that reflect social and environmental values.