Facilitating with care: reimagining participatory design through feminist ethics

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.