Cities of the future will be smarter and data-driven, utilizing digital technologies to shape urban development. Citizen participation lies at the core of these cities and allows individuals and communities to design their cities to best suit their needs, aspirations, and values. While advancement in technology has expanded opportunities for participation, balance in data-driven insight and aspirations of community perspective should be the major focus of these cities for enhancing participation outcomes, which are explored further in this paper. The study is based on the case study of digital participation conducted as a part of the planning process and citizen participation initiative held in the development of Torskeholmen, a coastal area in Grimstad Municipality, Norway. The survey involved 3474 responses (15% of the municipal population) from the citizens through the involvement of innovative strategies and initiatives. This research has studied the information from this substantial citizen digital survey to examine how these methods have affected community engagement, which is discussed and analysed. The results highlight approaches that can enhance citizen participation in urban planning projects. These findings can be used to envision future possibilities for citizen participation and to understand better the complexities, obstacles, and opportunities for enhancing participation through practical experiences.