Investigating the Participatory Potential of the Citizens in Public Urban Space Planning in Zagreb; Kristina Careva, Rene Lisac, Tomislav Pletenac, Jana Vukić

The publication entitled Investigating the Participatory Potential of the Citizens in Public Urban Space Planning in Zagreb provides information about the initiative City Acupuncture and its methodological approach. It presents the first stage of the project Zagreb for me based on an interdisciplinary survey of the citizens’ opinions about public spaces in Zagreb whose revitalization and improvement would considerably raise the quality of life. The publication shows that participatory activities are not simple. They require social skills, a great deal of tolerance and patience, a democratic dialogue and especially time which is undesirable nowadays in the context of developers’ dotted planning of the city. It is precisely for this reason that this publication is indispensable for students in all fields dealing with problems and development of cities. It is also a reminder for the professionals involved in planning processes that the voice of the citizens cannot be reduced to formal commentaries on planning documentation but has to be included from the very start in planning process