This project examines the current state of the art of using public participation in urban planning, resulting in a proposal for a new online participatory tool. Amongst other advantages, involving citizens in urban planning projects reduces the cost, time & risk of implementation, while the incorporation of ‘local knowledge’ in the decision-making process results in public buildings and spaces that better into the local context. To analyse this state of the art, several analyses are made including a comparison of online and face to face participatory formats, an analysis of currently used methods and their competitive use, and a touchpoint analysis. The analysis concludes with the design of an online generative research tool for use in urban planning, called 'Localab'. This tool aims to combine the proven strengths of online crowdsourcing platforms, with the proven strengths of face to face generative research methods.