Participatory budgeting project sites

[razalas]

"Participatory budgeting (PB) is a process of democratic deliberation and decision-making, in which ordinary people decide how to allocate part of a municipal or public budget. Participatory budgeting allows citizens to identify, discuss, and prioritize public spending projects, and gives them the power to make real decisions about how money is spent."

From Wikipedia

 

Here the city where I live we have a participatory budgeting, so we can present projects and vote in the projects that have been presented. For some years now that I vote (never present a project), and I find the process interesting and very democratic, and results in some nice improvements to our city.

 

I did a little research a they can be found in all continents. 

 

What do you think about a category that compile this projects created by participatory budgeting?

 

[+ScroogieII]

Pedro, I have held off commenting on your proposal since first I encountered it, with the hope, and belief, that other commentary would arise.

Unfortunately, to date, such has not been the case.

I sincerely believe in the democratic fundaments of your proposal, in great part for its potentially beneficial effect on the political climate of the world at large. The category, as proposed, deals with the grass roots of democratic parliamentary evaluation and acceptance of the feelings and beliefs, as well as visualizations and appreciations, of the citizens of the world.

 

For its potential for benefit alone, I am admiringly/seriously/greatly in favour of your proposal.

 

The Wiki Description of your proposal...

"Participatory budgeting (PB) is a process of democratic deliberation and decision-making, in which ordinary people decide how to allocate part of a municipal or public budget. Participatory budgeting allows citizens to identify, discuss, and prioritize public spending projects, and gives them the power to make real decisions about how money is spent."

... I see as an enlightening, and nearly fully formed, description of what I envision submissions to such a category to be.

 

Though I've yet to encounter an example of your vision, I both hope that I shall, at some point in the future, and that your proposal may one day see the light of day.

 

I here note that you've received three upvotes, besides mine, with regard to your proposal - three in favour but hesitant to become involved?!?!

For Shame!!

Sincerely, Keith

Edited February 13, 2021 by ScroogieII

[+fi67]

I like the idea of citizen participation, but I am not sure if this makes a good category.

 

Does the type of decision making process add a special value to the resulting structure in a way that it might be worth visiting just because of that?

 

Furthermore, there are a lot of examples spread all over the world, but in my home country the situation is totally different. The idea of allowing the people to participate in allocating a part of a municipal budget will never find support here. This is an over-simplification, it is more difficult in the detail, but generally speaking the citizens of Switzerland have full control over almost all public spendings on federal, state and municipal level, not just a small part of a municipal budget.

 

This goes as far as the state Covid-19 aid funds for small businesses are currently blocked in a few cantons, as the constitutions does not allow the government to spend a lot of money without a mandatory waiting period while the citizens can raise opposition and force a public vote on the expenses.

 

Depending on the exact category definition, this can mean that here every public building and structure, every road and railway line and much, much more are valid entries.

[+ScroogieII]

8 hours ago, fi67 said:

Furthermore, there are a lot of examples spread all over the world, but in my home country the situation is totally different

 

Yours is a classic example of the difficulties and roadblocks encountered by a great many categories, including this (potential) one.

IE, what works worldwide works not at all in certain pockets of civilization. That I have understood from the outset.

It should not, however, become the sole stumbling block for an otherwise worthwhile category.

 

As for other impediments, I'll leave those for Pedro to sort out.

[+elyob]

My upvote was for the hopeful politics.  As for the category, I'm not hopeful.

[+ScroogieII]

On 2/13/2021 at 12:16 PM, elyob said:

My upvote was for the hopeful politics.  As for the category, I'm not hopeful.

 

Truth be told, neither am I. Thanks for the approving vote, though. Hope shall never die!!!

[+PISA-caching]

The problem I see (and maybe this is because of my ignorance of the topic) is: Where exactly does public participation start or end? What I regularly see in my country is, that there is a project (for example: A street shall become a new pedestrian zone) and the people living in that area can discuss and decide the details. How many benches will be there, how many and which trees, a drinking fountain y/n etc.

 

But sometimes several (selected) people are encouraged to present their plans for a specific project and the regular people can participate in the decision which plan to execute, but not the details.

 

So far I have not seen that "everybody" can present different projects (Mr. A plans a few new trees on street X, Mrs. B plans to install a free little library,...) and the community decides which project will come true.

 

So, IF there really will be a category for it, it will need a precise description what is allowed or not.

 

Beside at that I (like fi67) don't see the extra value of it. If a few new trees are planted on a street, because Mr. A had the idea and won, they will either be like thousands of other trees (not worth Waymarking) or something special and most likely fit in one of the according categories (f.e. Millennium Trees, Dedicated Trees,...).

 

Apart from Waymarking, I think that this concept will not be used here in Austria. We prefer to let the politicians decide and complain about the result.

[razalas]

We are always learning in this discussions of how different things are in other countries, here the PB allows the people to decide how  to use a percentage of the municipal budget by presenting proposals (are reviewed to exclude  ridiculous/joke proposals such as demolishing a National Monument) that are then voted and the ones with the most votes are made.

 

Most on the major projects made by the municipality (not of the PB) are put to public appreciation, and the people can tell their opinion about it  (but it is only advisory and not binding).

 

I will let this mature for a wile and learn a little more of how it works in other countries. 

 

Thank you for your thoughts on the subject.