Cities occupy and mark space in very real and physical terms. There is nothing ephemeral about any city, whatever its size, nor is there anything abstract about the consequences that flow from a poor design decision. While important in debating the outcome of urban interventions, qualitative assessments like “good” and “bad” are not the central focus of the fifth edition of Cityscapes.

Framed by the proposition, “Design will not save the city”, the latest instalment of the magazine focuses on the human agents and actors who, in their capacity as citizens, are variously retooling the functions, capacities and possible outputs of the places they inhabit. What, we ask in this issue of Cityscapes, is the role of the citizen in city making? Is it possible that, instead of being passive recipients of design interventions, citizens can be co-authors or design partners?