Participatory budgeting (PB) is a democratic process in which community members decide how to spend part of a public budget.

Each year, residents brainstorm ideas, turn them into proposals, and vote to decide which proposals to fund. Started in Brazil in 1989, PB has been used for over 7,000 public budgets globally, for cities, states, countries, schools, universities and other institutions.

This graphic and video from the Participatory Budgeting Project explain how PB works:

 

The participatory budgeting process:

 

1. Brainstorm Ideas Residents share and discuss ideas for projects.

2. Develop Proposals Volunteers develop the initial ideas into feasible proposals.

3. Vote
Residents vote on which projects to fund.

4. Fund Winning Projects
The government funds and implements the top projects.

 
 

Participatory budgeting in action:

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PB for migrant workers in Taoyuan
PB for migrant workers in Taoyuan

A video about the Participatory Budgeting for Migrant Workers case in the city of Taoyuan, Taiwan.

Participatory budgeting: Rosario, Argentina
Participatory budgeting: Rosario, Argentina

Case study of PB in Rosario, Argentina including origin, design, and level and demographics of participation.

Direct democracy comes to Harlem
Direct democracy comes to Harlem

A video that introduces PB by telling the story of two budget delegates in New York City.

Oma Stadi Helsinki
Oma Stadi Helsinki

A website that presents information about Helsinki's Participatory Budgeting process, including dates of meetings, instructions to participate, and status of selected projects.

 

Resources for further learning:

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Greening cities through Participatory Budgeting
Greening cities through Participatory Budgeting

This publication provides tools and practical answers to implement climate-sensitive participating budgeting, based on the experience of two leading cities.

Participatory budgeting: Spreading across the globe
Participatory budgeting: Spreading across the globe

This report sums up the current state of our understanding of PB. It focuses on several important aspects of PB and how it has evolved in the past twenty years, including conditions for implementation, impacts, and the role of technology, with an emphasis on the Global South.

Democracy is not retreating
Democracy is not retreating

An accessible mainstream article in the magazine Newsweek that highlights the rise of participatory democracy, even as it seems that other institutions of democracy are failing.

PB scoping toolkit
PB scoping toolkit

A toolkit for officials and staff at governments and institutions that are interested in launching a PB process, to help you understand what it takes to start PB and how to lay a foundation for success.