In urban planning, citizen participation is a key element for the success of urban regeneration projects. This chapter examines the impact of top-down urban regeneration plans on local communities and the role of the state and the private sector. The central focus of this work is O’Devaney Gardens in Dublin’s north inner city (Ireland), a former social housing complex that became a political battleground for affordable housing, subject to ambitious redevelopment plans to deliver upscale residential complexes on a site that was once entirely made up of social housing estates.

Findings demonstrate that the O’Devaney regeneration project resulted in weak participation through consultation, as state-led regeneration is failing to deliver affordable housing. This work contributes to the literature on urban regeneration and collaborative decision-making by adding to the understanding of the underlying dynamics of urban regeneration and how different actors interact in the urban democracy and policy context.