Facilitating with care: reimagining participatory design through feminist ethics
Milagros Hurtig, Brita Fladvad Nielsen, Theresa König · CoDesign · 2026
This article explores how feminist ethics of care can inform and transform participatory design (PD) facilitation in urban planning. Drawing on two European case studies - InclusiveCity and Cities in Placemaking – the research examines how care-centred approaches challenge technocratic and transactional PD practices. Through an abductive process combining theory and empirical analysis, the study introduces three conceptual frames: interdependency, reflectivity, and emotional/embodied thinking. These frames highlight the importance of context, mutual responsibility, and affective engagement in co-design processes. The findings suggest that facilitation is not a neutral act but a relational and ethical practice requiring attentiveness, flexibility, and emotional labour. By integrating care ethics, the article reimagines PD as a dynamic, inclusive, and transformative methodology that supports more just and equitable urban futures.