Urban courtyards as local points of sustainable urban regeneration challenges to community participation in urban courtyard-related projects in Polish Cities

Social participation is recognized as a key tool in conducting urban regeneration projects. However, in the current era of environmental change, the literature often refers to the need to address the perception of participatory regeneration in the context of sustainability orientation. This paper aims to identify the potential role of community participation in sustainable urban regeneration processes of small-scale spaces. A qualitative approach was adopted in the research whereby individual interviews and field observations were conducted. The main research questions posed were: What are the challenges to community participation in sustainable urban regeneration processes in courtyard-related projects, and how should community participation be organized to facilitate the transition towards more sustainable urban regeneration? The results present an identification of the most important challenges while also indicating their place in the participation process, and suggestions for methods which can be used as potential solutions. This paper suggests the use of a participatory process cycle involving local communities and focusing on degraded residential areas, such as urban courtyards, which are to be regenerated towards social and environmental sustainability.