City authorities are increasingly seeking to engage with communities in processes of urban planning. This is particularly the case in urban regeneration projects, where there can be conflicting interests from different actors: public authorities, private developers and civil society. However, recent experiences in public participation have illustrated how difficult it is to engage with a wide cross section of the community, to bring ‘unheard voices’ into the discussion. A wide consultation process is important for the “social sustainability” of the project, that is, its potential to create sustainable, successful places that promote well-being. One way of engaging with a wider cross-section of the community is through using arts-based practice as a participatory tool, that is, using creative practice (e.g. drawing, painting, photography, music etc.), as a means of bringing out ‘unheard voices’ in the participatory process. The key aim of this study is therefore to explore the role that arts-based participatory processes can play in building more socially-sustainable neighbourhoods. This will be achieved through interviews and focus groups with key stakeholders, and members of the local community. The project involves an international comparison between Canada and the UK, exploring the cases of Vancouver and London.