This open access book provides in-depth insights into participatory research and planning by presenting practical examples of its use. In particular, it describes theoretical and methodological aspects of participatory research and planning, as well as the implementation of participatory processes in fields such as transport planning, cultural heritage management, environmental planning and post-earthquake recovery. Further, it compares participatory planning experiences from different territorial levels from the macro-regional, e.g. Southeastern Europe, Mediterranean or European metropolitan regions, to national, regional and local levels.

The book will help researchers, planners, public administration officials, decision-makers and the general public to understand the advantages, disadvantages and constraints of participatory planning and research. Using various examples, it will guide readers through the theory of participatory planning and research, its methods, and different perspectives on how to use it in practice.

Dr Janez Nared is a senior research fellow at the Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Anton Melik Geographical Institute, and an assistant professor at the University of Primorska, Faculty of Humanities. His research interests include regional planning, participatory planning, governance and economic geography. He has been a principal investigator/project manager of various applied research projects.
Dr David Bole is a geographer and senior research fellow at the Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Anton Melik Geographical Institute. His interests are mainly in urban and economic geography with a focus on participatory research methods and community involvement. He has been involved in several international projects and is the principal investigator of the BRIGHT FUTURE project, which focuses on alternative futures for small industrial towns across Europe.

Co-production, Participatory Planning and Resilient Cities to Climate Change.- Participatory Transport Planning: the Experience of Eight Euro-pean Metropolitan Regions.- Participatory Planning in a Post-socialist Ur-ban Context: Experience From Five Cities in Central and Eastern Europe.- Governance and Management Systems in Mediterranean Marine and Coastal Biosphere Reserves.- Promises and Limits of Participatory Urban Greens Development: Experience from Maribor, Budapest, and Krakow.