Individuals and communities increasingly inhabit an onlife condition, in which digital and physical dimensions are inseparably intertwined (Floridi, 2015). Within this scenario, hybrid technologies are profoundly reshaping community dynamics and participation, though not without critical concerns. The digital divide and socio-economic disparities may undermine inclusivity, excluding vulnerable groups or reducing participation to tokenistic practices (Condie & Richards, 2022). These risks become particularly salient in urban regeneration, where top-down approaches have historically produced displacement and limited benefits for well-being (Lees & Hubbard, 2020). At the same time, such hybrid environments have been found able to broaden engagement, reinforce social ties, and enable novel forms of activism (Greijdanus et al., 2020). Moreover, locative media could reconnect digital representations with physical places, fostering new collective identities (Schwartz & Hochman, 2014). To promote equitable and meaningful community participation in today's ubiquitous communities (Gatti & Procentese, 2024) while advancing social justice, it is essential to develop innovative methodologies that integrate digital tools with the recognition of local needs, emerging identities, and knowledge. Grounded in psychology, the exp-EIA methodology responds to this challenge by integrating emotional, cognitive, and community identity dimensions to capture nuanced experiences of urban environments (Rainisio et al., 2024). In this contribution, results from participatory studies carried out in university campuses and natural areas—using digital apps and the luminous planning table, part of the exp-EIA ecosystem—will be presented, showing the potential of a phygital approach to citizen engagement and the co-construction of community-based urban regeneration processes.