EMPOWERING CITIZENS THROUGH PARTICIPATORY DESIGN: A CASE STUDY OF MSTOW, POLAND

While Polish towns have begun to realize the role of public space and started several development and improvement projects, these activities were usually conducted in a top-down manner, where solutions were imposed on the local community without much understanding of its needs and expectations. Mstow, a village in Southern Poland with several amenities, currently seeking new development possibilities, has been chosen as a platform for a research project within the "Design in the Field" program organized by the Regional Government of Silesia Region aiming at promoting the participatory approach to forming a local strategy. Given the opportunity of conducting this workshop, the authors chose to apply the participatory design process, which aimed at engaging local inhabitants and leaders to conjointly define the development possibilities and opportunities for the village. The goal of this research was to identify local needs and opportunities, and propose a range of design interventions, which showed a promise to develop local potential to shape both usable and experiential space for residents and tourists.