Sustainable regeneration of industrial areas through enterprise engagement in collaborative design

Achieving sustainable and climate-proof urban areas has gained considerable attention, focusing on participatory processes in co-designing solutions for urban regeneration. However, these processes often result in general recommendations that risk is ineffective and does not produce tangible outcomes if not integrated into urban plans. Moreover, participatory efforts have overlooked operational industrial areas despite their potential for environmental quality improvement. Thus, unlike many participatory processes that yield general, non-actionable recommendations, this study's unique contribution lies in providing a robust and replicable outcome-oriented methodology that integrates co-designed goals directly into urban planning, ensuring that recommendations translate into concrete, measurable impacts for regenerating operational industrial areas with a view to sustainable development and adaptation to climate change. In addition, this study emphasises the critical role of formal governance and collaboration between enterprises and local governments in transforming and managing industrial sites. Through a detailed, four-phase co-design method evaluated in a real-world setting, this study outlines how stakeholder involvement, material selection and goal-setting can drive actionable urban transformation. The experience emphasised the importance of establishing a rigorous work schedule and helped the enterprises involved by outlining the activities' outcomes and impacts. This study underscores the need for institutional frameworks that foster sustained public–private partnerships, supporting the long-term management and implementation of sustainability initiatives within industrial sites. • Tangible outcomes by integrating co-designed actions into urban plans are achieved. • Replicable method for co-designing sustainable, climate-resilient industrial areas. • Case study of a co-design process with local administration and enterprises. • The role of stakeholders in sustainably regenerating industrial areas is debated.