In recent times, citizen engagement and community participation

have become key focal points in the building of cities. While many

recognise their growing importance, they have also encountered many

concomitant challenges. What does participation mean, particularly for

a multiracial and compact city like Singapore, and how do people from

different walks of life perceive it? In the sphere of design and planning,

how might we participate more meaningfully in creating solutions for

our built environment? Designing With People and Not Just For People

is Participate in Design’s (P!D) research in action project—including

travels to New York City, Copenhagen and Singapore—to understand

how we can enable everyday citizens in shaping the built environment

and building a better city.