Urban prototyping as a tool to enhance public participation in territorial self-government

The main purpose of the article is to discuss the potential and justification of the crucial role that urban prototyping may play in participatory processes. Satisfaction of the needs of residents who create a self-governing community should be the primary axiological milestone and a goal to be pursued by local governments. Thus, effective and modern management tools should be identified and put in place. The idea that guides one of them, i.e. urban prototyping, is to offer residents an opportunity to resort to various variants of change of the public space before they are ultimately applied in the investment process. Dialogue with residents supported by research, analysis, and tests can help stakeholders realise the consequences of spatial changes around them and then, based on the feedback from residents, design guidelines should be created that best reflect their needs. Thus, residents, through real and multifaceted participatory process, should gain a real, decisive influence over transformation of public spaces.