Cities are vibrant hubs of economic, cultural, and social activity but face challenges like urbanization, climate change, and inequality. Traditional governance struggles to meet citizens’ evolving needs, leading to disengagement and declining trust. In Arab and European cities, essential services like water, healthcare, and education suffer due to limited resources and weak governance. Participatory governance, particularly the Community Score Card (CSC), provides a solution by encouraging citizen engagement, transparency, and accountability. CSCs bring together communities, service providers, and officials to assess public services, identify issues, and implement improvements. In Upper Egypt, CSCs helped improve water and sanitation services, increasing citizen satisfaction.