Downtown plazas are vital to the social and economic life of the city.
With today's tight economic atmosphere, urban design projects such as downtown plazas are becoming, in many instances, the core of downtown revitalization. Among other things, they are a means of displaying civic pride. This study examines the role of citizen participation in the design process of these downtown spaces. Three plaza projects in three midwestern cities served as case studies in the research. Participatory techniques used in each project were analyzed through the use of a survey.