The notions and approaches of design have dramatically shifted since the early 1990s regarding creative processes in the built environment. This shift manifests through participatory methodologies that influence outcomes by replacing the rationalist mindset, where control and consensus are ideal, with pluralist, agonistic, action-oriented approaches that embrace frictions. In urban design and landscape architecture, this shift coincides with the proliferation of placemaking over defining “place”: process over object. (Beyerle, 2013). This chapter examines three case studies within Victoria, Australia: Burnley Backyard Community Garden (2012), Ballarat Civic Hall Site (2015), and Sunbury Community Arts and Culture Precinct (2024). Spanning more than a decade and varying in scale, these projects illustrate how nature-driven placemaking fosters economic, social, and cultural benefits while engaging with heritage contexts. A central focus is how participatory design, challenges, constraints, and lived experiences have shaped these initiatives, particularly through adaptive reuse strategies. Through these projects, the chapter underscores how participatory design and nature-driven placemaking shape expected and unexpected outcomes. It also focuses on the “how” rather than the final product of participatory project creation. By redefining priorities in community-led projects, these case studies demonstrate how placemaking strategies can create meaningful and lasting impacts that extend beyond their immediate communities. To achieve its objectives, the chapter elaborates on first-hand materials such as interviews, community consultation, and various modes of documentation. It also narrates the story of each project by highlighting its history, challenges, constraints, and lived experiences that led to nature-driven placemaking.