This contribution builds on the authors’ experiences from the EU Horizon project HeritACT, which is aligned with the New European Bauhaus principles. The project focuses on the reactivation of cultural heritage through co-creation and community engagement processes in three pilot cases across Europe. The paper shares the two stages of the HeritACT co-creation process (co-recognition and co-envision) conducted in one of the pilot case studies, Ballina in Ireland. The authors present a framework in which digital tools and participatory processes are integrated to facilitate a co-creation approach engaging diverse stakeholders in heritage activation processes. By reflecting on the results achieved, the authors aim to demonstrate how the framework facilitated diverse views and broadened participation to leverage heritage reactivation as a driver of climate action. We argue that participation, in this case, took place through an adaptable and inclusive co-creation process, which contrasts with the motivations and outcomes of traditional approaches of consultation and decision-making on heritage reactivation. The Ballina pilot study also revealed the community’s perception of their shared heritage, with ideas from the co-creation stages informing strategies for the use and governance of the town’s cultural and built heritage. By sharing the HeritACT methodology and outcomes from the framework, the authors demonstrate the key role of digital tools in the processes of heritage conservation through community engagement.