As Wing has argued, "To transform society in support of more fundamental health promotion, a more democratic and ecological approach to scientific study is necessary," one in which "education between scientists and the public must take place in both directions."29 Such an approach is time consuming and filled with challenges as local communities and their outside research collaborators from a variety of sectors attempt to navigate difficult ethical and practical terrain, addressing issues of power and trust, research rigor, and the often conflicting agendas of "scientist and citizen."30 Through focus groups, community forums, visioning exercises, and similar activities, many Healthy Communities and Healthy Cities have effectively incorporated high-level community participation into different aspects of the research process. There is much untapped potential, however, for a greater breadth and depth of community involvement in the research arena. PAR offers a promising approach for realizing this potential and in the process furthering the vision and reality of the Healthy Cities movement.