Participatory budgeting (PB) is a process through which community members decide how to spend part of a public budget. While PB may have started over 30 years ago, the first PB project didn’t launch in the U.S. until 2009 when Chicago became the first city in the country to try...
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Many local governments struggle to include more residents in their projects and often find that some voices are much louder than others, and many people aren’t heard at all. To remedy this, cities are trying to increase their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. But before starting to meaningfully implement...
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We originally published this piece on CityAM.com It’s official: the long-awaited climax of the London Mayoral race is scheduled for May 6th, when polling stations across the city will throw open their doors for the first time since the start of the pandemic. But in a world now heavily mediated...
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Local councils’ planning and regeneration teams have a strong track record in involving residents in the decision-making process to co-create urban places. Over the last few years, these teams have started to harness various digital tools, a process that has been significantly accelerated by the current pandemic. What are the...
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The municipality launched its participation platform “Doe Mee Leiden” at the beginning of 2020 with a survey on the redevelopment of the Roomburger Park. The intention was to look at how the park could be transformed into a fully-fledged recreational park. With more than 950 participants, this survey turned out...
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Participatory budgeting is one of the most popular forms of citizen consultation. More than just a buzzword, the tool is used by elected officials who want to make public governance more accessible and transparent. Far from applying a generic formula, each community creates its own process based on its own...
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“Young people are the future.” When it comes to engaging and involving our youth, this quote is often mindlessly tossed about and hailed as a key motivator. Of course, empowering our youngest will serve us well for years to come, but young people are very much already here and ready...
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