Urban greening has transitioned from a supplementary component of urban development to a central element in contemporary planning policies, driven by its recognized environmental, social, and health benefits. This paper explores urban greening processes through the lens of Human-Centered Design (HCD), an approach that emphasizes iterative, participatory, and user-oriented approaches. While public participation in urban planning is traditionally framed through statutory procedures and deliberative models, HCD offers a distinct perspective by treating engagement as a design process aimed at deeply understanding and integrating citizen needs into the process. This study compares two internationally acclaimed cities, Melbourne, Australia, and Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain, focusing on their urban greening strategies and citizen engagement mechanisms. Using HCD as an analytical framework, the research investigates how socio-political and cultural contexts shape participatory practices, the barriers planners face, and how these impact the effectiveness and sustainability of greening initiatives. The findings underscore the value of HCD in fostering long-term citizen relationships, adapting greening solutions to local contexts, and addressing the methodological gaps in participatory urban design. Ultimately, the paper advocates for a more structured, context-sensitive, and human-centered approach to citizen engagement.
Landa-Oregi et al. (Wed,) studied this question.