DesignYourHeritage was developed within HeritACT, a Horizon Europe project exploring how cultural heritage can support sustainable urban transformation through inclusive, participatory and New European Bauhaus-inspired approaches. The tool was created to help citizens co-design strategies for reactivating local heritage sites during participatory workshops. It combines realistic 3D representations of pilot sites with a catalogue of more than 30 possible reactivation solutions, assessed through a performance scoring system linked to New European Bauhaus pillars and climate neutrality objectives. Participants select and place preferred solutions within the digital environment, generating data that is translated into maps, graphics and statistics to inform decision-makers. DesignYourHeritage has been tested and validated in the HeritACT pilot sites of Ballina, Eleusis and Milan.

Superbarrio - DesignYourHeritage is a gamified digital co-design tool supporting public authorities, urban planners, architects and heritage actors in engaging citizens in the reactivation of local heritage sites. Developed as an Android-based application, it allows users of different ages and backgrounds to explore a realistic 3D representation of the heritage site and propose design strategies through a simple, interactive interface.

The tool includes a catalogue of more than 30 reactivation solutions developed by HeritACT partners and inspired by New European Bauhaus principles. Users browse the catalogue, read solution descriptions, and drag and drop preferred interventions into specific areas of the 3D environment. Each choice affects a performance score based on four indicators: culture, community, climate resilience and experience, helping participants understand the potential impact of their decisions.

The tool can be used independently, but its full potential is reached in participatory workshops, where it supports dialogue, negotiation, collective decision-making and data collection. Outputs include users’ preferred solutions, spatial choices, impact scores and feedback, which can be translated into maps, graphics and statistics for decision-makers.

To use it, participants need an Android tablet or smartphone and an internet connection to download the free application from the Google Play Store. Only basic digital skills are required. A typical workshop session lasts around 90 minutes. The methodology can be adapted by cities, institutions or project teams wishing to involve communities in co-designing heritage reactivation strategies in their own local context.