Citizen participation is key in urban planning, but traditional methods are often limited in terms of accessibility and inclusion. This study investigates how the use of emerging technologies such as Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR/AR), Digital Twin (DT), Building Information Modelling (BIM), Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can enhance citizen participation in urban planning. Through the review and analysis of existing literature, combined with the study of cases from cities in Eurasia and North America on the implementation of these technologies in urban and environmental planning, the results indicate that the use of multi-reality technologies facilitates immersive visualization of urban projects, allowing citizens to better understand the implications of proposed changes. Furthermore, the integration of real-time monitoring, such as forest and climate surveillance, improves environmental control. Technologies like AI and GIS also enable greater precision and empowerment in participatory decision-making. Nevertheless, the emergence of these technologies presents a challenge that must be addressed, as it is essential to establish a regulatory framework to ensure their responsible use. In conclusion, these platforms not only increase participation and co-creation but also enable more efficient, sustainable, and inclusive urban planning. Greater adoption of these technologies is suggested to optimize the urban decision-making process.

Urban public spaces increasingly need to address inclusivity, adaptability, and resilience in the face of health, environmental, and social challenges. Urban policies also promote improving the relationship between schools and their surroundings to mitigate and adapt to climate and social risks. This article presents EDUS Point, an experimental prototype developed within the European project FURNISH and tested in Barcelona during the COVID-19 crisis. Conceived as an Urban Living Lab (ULL), the initiative explored how modular, digitally fabricated, and temporary structures could transform school environments into open, inclusive, and human-scale public spaces. Through an inter-scalar and interdisciplinary approach, the project implemented an urban strategy, a participatory community-building process, and a digital collective platform, alongside the design, fabrication, and testing of a pilot classroom device adaptable and replicable in other schools. A mixed-methods methodology combined tactical urbanism and co-design with fabrication feasibility assessments, social observations, and spatial impact analysis. Results demonstrate that EDUS Point fostered new socio-spatial dynamics among students, teachers, and residents, improved accessibility and usability of nearby public spaces, and validated the effectiveness of low-cost, rapidly deployable interventions in addressing urban needs. The findings propose actionable frameworks, tools, and design criteria for the socio-environmental integration of schools as catalysts for inclusive and resilient urban transformation.