Production and Transfer of Knowledge Between Citizens and Local Governments in Democratic Participatory Processes

Participatory budgeting has been progressively implemented by several Portuguese municipalities, encouraging a broad discussion about the importance of the participation of citizens in political life. This approach implies new forms of relationship between electors and elected little explored in the Portuguese democratic system. New learnings related to the dialogue among stakeholders and the possibility of coexistence of representative and participatory models have emerged. There is a transfer and production of knowledge between local governments and citizens that increases the field of opportunities for working together. After a theoretical reflection that refers to the key concepts coupled with this new form of exercising governance, the authors present data on the participatory budget of Cascais (region of Lisbon, Portugal) and the participatory deliberative experience consolidated in Portugal.

Specifications of Participatory Budgeting in Visegrad Group States and Possible Implementations for Slovakia

Participatory budget is an innovative tool for public policymaking, which is characterized by the particpation of residents of territorial administrative units. In the paper, authors focus on the evaluation of the participatory budget within the Visegrad Group, which is linked by specific ties due to the special development of this geopolitical area after the political and social changes in the late 1980s. Identifying the specifics of participatory budgeting in Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia is set as the main goal of the article, specifically evaluating the pilot project model, analysing the legislative framework, which regulates participatory budgeting, and extending this tool at the local level in terms of current statistics. As for the pilot projects, the authors identified differences in the following indicators: initiator of its implementation; participation of citizens and their position and powers in project design; participation in the decision-making on projects in terms of voting; whether a direct physical vote or online form was used. In addition, the authors evaluate the legal framework of the selected states in terms of presence of the primary or secondary regulation. Finally, the quantitative development of participatory budgets is monitored, while the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is also reflected in the paper. Based on the data from other states of the Visegrad Group, in the final chapter the authors present optimization proposals, which they consider applicable in Slovakia. The authors identified at least three possible ways of amending the current Slovak legislation in order to improve the implementation of the participatory budget. The paper specifies the shortcomings in the form of low citizen participation in the drafting phase and in the voting process. The paper also identifies the same bottom-up implementation process in all V4 member countries. Poland is the only V4 country that has enshrined primary legislation on participatory budgets in its legal system.

Participatory Budget – An Effective Tool for Social Participation and Building Local Identity. A Case Study of the City of Lodz

The aim of the article: The main aim of the article is to present the essence and significance the institution of civic budget as a tool not only allowing citizens to actively participate in the process of deciding about the directions of spending public funds, but also a tool to determine the directions of social expectations, the essence and importance of social participation. Hypothesis: The hypothesis accepted in the study stipulates that the growing popularity of the civic budget makes it an effective tool for social participation. Methodology: The study was based on a literature review, legal acts, information on the functioning of the civic budget in Lodz as well as a questionnaire conducted among the city residents. Results of the research: The civic budget in Lodz has been functioning for eight years, and during this time it has been constantly contributing to the idea of citizen involvement in the decision-making process. Although the budget procedure itself is undergoing numerous corrections and transformations, as the ongoing political, social and macroeconomic changes must be taken into account, it is still a basic tool enabling active participation and involvement of citizens. The matters it concerns are important to the community, and the civic budget offers an opportunity to express their opinions on key issues. The conducted survey indicates that Lodz is a positive example of using the participatory budget mechanism in the city management process. The sustained high (on a Polish scale) turnout confirms the inhabitants’ interest and willingness to change the public space, thus positively influencing the building of a sense of local community.

Participatory Democracy in Porto Alegre and Belo Horizonte

<p>Participatory budgeting is a form of Participatory Democracy that is being increasinglyused in Brazilian cities. This dissertation describes research conducted on the participatorybudgets of two Brazilian cities, Porto Alegre and Belo Horizonte. The research wasundertaken with the overall aim of examining and comparing the participatory budgetingexperiences in these two cities and then using this examination to identify the key localvariables that can influence the outcomes of participatory budgets. The research made useof both primary and secondary data sources. The primary data used the result of 22 semistructuredinterviews that took place in April and May 2004, and the secondary data wasthe already existing body of literature on participatory budgeting in Porto Alegre and BeloHorizonte. The key findings of this research are that participatory budgeting has had somesignificant successes in both Porto Alegre and Belo Horizonte. At the same time thoughthe participatory budgets in Porto Alegre and Belo Horizonte have encountered problemsthat have limited their abilities to produce results. There are also several areas where theoutcomes of participatory budgeting are, at present, unclear. Some of the outcomes of theparticipatory budgets in Porto Alegre and Belo Horizonte are very similar yet there weredifferences in the processes’ results. Two key variables are identified in the analysis: theability of the participatory budget to produce tangible results and the degree of need that acity’s populace has for municipal services. Associated with these key variables are a rangeof secondary variables that also influence the outcomes of participatory budgets.</p>

Participatory Democracy in Porto Alegre and Belo Horizonte

<p>Participatory budgeting is a form of Participatory Democracy that is being increasinglyused in Brazilian cities. This dissertation describes research conducted on the participatorybudgets of two Brazilian cities, Porto Alegre and Belo Horizonte. The research wasundertaken with the overall aim of examining and comparing the participatory budgetingexperiences in these two cities and then using this examination to identify the key localvariables that can influence the outcomes of participatory budgets. The research made useof both primary and secondary data sources. The primary data used the result of 22 semistructuredinterviews that took place in April and May 2004, and the secondary data wasthe already existing body of literature on participatory budgeting in Porto Alegre and BeloHorizonte. The key findings of this research are that participatory budgeting has had somesignificant successes in both Porto Alegre and Belo Horizonte. At the same time thoughthe participatory budgets in Porto Alegre and Belo Horizonte have encountered problemsthat have limited their abilities to produce results. There are also several areas where theoutcomes of participatory budgeting are, at present, unclear. Some of the outcomes of theparticipatory budgets in Porto Alegre and Belo Horizonte are very similar yet there weredifferences in the processes’ results. Two key variables are identified in the analysis: theability of the participatory budget to produce tangible results and the degree of need that acity’s populace has for municipal services. Associated with these key variables are a rangeof secondary variables that also influence the outcomes of participatory budgets.</p>

Green(er) Cities and Their Citizens: Insights from the Participatory Budget of Lisbon

There is rising scholarly and political interest in participatory budgets and their potential to advance urban sustainability. This article aims to contribute to this field of study through the specific lens of the city of Lisbon’s experience as an internationally acknowledged leader in participatory budgeting. To this end, the article critically examines the lessons and potential contribution of the Lisbon Participatory Budget through a multimethod approach. Emerging trends and variations of citizen proposals, projects, votes, and public funding are analysed in tandem with emerging key topics that show links and trade-offs between locally embedded participation and the international discourse on urban sustainability. Our analysis reveals three interconnected findings: first, the achievements of the Lisbon Participatory Budget show the potential to counteract the dominant engineered approach to urban sustainability; second, trends and variations of the achievements depend on both citizens’ voice and the significant influence of the city council through policymaking; and, third, the shift towards a thematic Green Participatory Budget in 2020 was not driven by consolidated social and political awareness on the achievements, suggesting that more could be achieved through the 2021 urban sustainability oriented Participatory Budget. We conclude recommending that this kind of analysis should be systematically carried out and disseminated within city council departments, promoting much needed internal awareness of PBs’ potential as drivers of urban sustainability. We also identify further research needed into the sustainability potential of green PBs.