Transformative Urban Resilience and Collaborative Participation in Public Spaces: A Systematic Review of Theoretical and Methodological Insights

Urban resilience has emerged as a critical paradigm for addressing the intertwined challenges of climate change, rapid urbanization, and social inequality, positioning green public spaces as catalysts for social, ecological, and institutional transformation. This article presents a systematic review conducted under the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, examining how collaborative and community participation influenced transformative urban resilience in green public spaces between 2021 and 2025. A total of 6179 records were initially identified across ScienceDirect and MDPI (last search: July 2025), of which 26 empirical studies met the inclusion criteria (peer-reviewed, empirical, published 2021–2025). Methodological rigor was strengthened through the application of the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT, 2018) and confidence in qualitative evidence was assessed using the GRADE-CERQual approach, enhancing transparency and reliability. Data extraction and synthesis followed a theoretical-methodological coding framework, allowing for the comparison of participatory strategies, typologies of green spaces, resilience dimensions, and applied instruments. The results show that multi-actor co-management, co-design, and community self-organization are the most frequent participatory strategies, while urban green infrastructure, pocket parks, and urban gardens constitute the predominant spatial contexts. Socio-ecological and social-participatory resilience emerged as dominant theoretical perspectives, with qualitative and mixed-methods designs prevailing across studies. Evidence synthesis through GRADE-CERQual identified seven key pathways—multi-actor co-management, Nature-based Solutions, community-based actions, social equity, cultural identity, institutional innovation, and planned densification—each contributing differently to resilience dimensions. Overall, the findings highlight that transformative resilience depends on deep, inclusive participatory processes, multi-level governance, and the integration of social, ecological, and cultural dimensions. Despite the heterogeneity of designs and unequal data adequacy, this review confirms that transformative urban resilience is a co-produced process grounded in community action, ecological sustainability, and collaborative governance. Strengthening underexplored areas—technological innovation, cultural resilience, and standardized methodological instruments—is essential for advancing comparative research and practice.