Towns, cities and regions are increasingly giving their inhabitants a voice on local matters by asking them how to spend municipal budgets and engaging them on innovative platforms.
.
Here’s a great idea but could it work here?
It’s been looked at on these news pages:
With its sister blog asking some six years ago whether we could go beyond asking locals whether they’d like a playground or a few outdoor gym stations:
Futures Forum: Participatory Budgeting in East Devon: spending peanuts on ‘sport and play’
Now, more governments, local and national, are taking this much more seriously:
In New York:
On the Continent:
European cities are increasingly giving their inhabitants a voice on local matters by asking urbanites how to spend municipal budgets and engaging them on innovative platforms. Local leaders believe engaging citizens can strengthen democracy and speed up Europe’s green transition, as most of the requests from the public relate to sustainability and the environment. Some even claim giving inhabitants more say on it can hinder authoritarian tendencies. However, according to its critics, these tools are not enough to stop populism and could even be used to mask local leaders’ discretionary decisions.
PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING: HYPE OR DEMOCRATIC PANACEA? | en.euractiv.eu
In East Asia:
Is this something for British towns and districts, then?