The spectrum of non-human agency: Rethinking participation in multispecies placemaking

This paper advances participatory urban design by introducing the Spectrum of Non-Human Agency, a framework that systematically incorporates non-human actors into design processes. While participatory approaches have traditionally centered on human actors, increasing ecological pressures demand models that acknowledge the active role of non-human communities. The spectrum adapts and extends stakeholder participation models to account for ecological and multispecies processes, aligning levels of non-human agency with design phases, and translating them into operational conditions. Grounded in a qualitative analysis of 38 nature-inclusive design cases and four in-depth case studies, the framework provides both conceptual and methodological tools for assessing how non-human agency unfolds across design phases. The findings reveal that non-human actors are often engaged during early phases as sources of ecological data, while their influence frequently diminishes during implementation and long-term stewardship. However, selected cases demonstrate how non-human actors can assume co-creative and autonomous roles, challenging anthropocentric design norms. In doing so, the study proposes multispecies placemaking as a pathway for extending participatory urban design, positioning non-human actors as partners in shaping more adaptive, ecologically attuned, and relational urban environments. • Spectrum of Non-Human Agency maps the roles of nature in participatory design. • Multispecies placemaking embeds non-human agency into participatory design. • Design processes become an iterative negotiation between human and non-human actors. • Nature's role extends across design phases from visioning to long-term stewardship. • Multispecies placemaking fosters ecological resilience through care and adaptation.