Menu

Participatory Budgeting

Shared Future CIC delivers expert advice and support on Participatory Budgeting (PB). This democratic innovation is an effective way to engage and empower citizens in shaping public services and investments.

Participatory Budgeting (PB) enables local people to make decisions over local public budgets. These can be within local neighbourhoods and communities, or across a whole Local Authority area.

PB has been recognised as an effective way to:

  • Address inequalities in service provision and resource allocation
  • Engage and empower citizens through deliberation on public investment
  • Stimulate coproduction, trust and responsibility between citizens and government

PB is a flexible, values led method for elevating your community engagement. There is no “one-size fits all” approach. At the local level it can operate as a form of participatory grant making, where local people decide which projects receive funding. Or it can be used to address specific topics, such as community safety, health and well-being or climate change. The real power of PB is when it’s scaled up to consider a whole local budget, with significant resources and powers devolved to citizens.

“The truth about a government’s intention is not found in its vision, it is found in its budget.”

How we can help

We understand that PB needs to fit with local contexts and needs. It’s flexibility within different settings is its strength. Every budget or investment decision can be more participatory, more deliberative, and involve more people. We have a track record advocating for PB going back nearly 25 years. We have assisted countless local authorities, public bodies and community led organisations with their PB processes.

We also undertake research and run projects on how PB can build a stronger local economy. We support citizens take action on climate change through our PB briefings and free toolkits. We recognise the importance of being local, connected and close to each other, and of building a participatory democracy that meets everyone’s needs.

We can provide a range of flexible and affordable PB support services, including:

  • Strategic support on policy and implementation
  • Facilitating planning meetings
  • Bespoke training to staff, elected members and local residents
  • Writing reports, undertaking research and conducting PB evaluations.

If you want to find our more about PB, or want to grow your citizen engagement, we can help:

From an introductory briefing to a short support package we can help to get your PB programme underway and ensure its success. Or we can provide detailed advice, training and support to embed community participation into your large scale budget making processes.

Find out more

Our seven values & principles for Participatory Budgeting

Local
Ownership

Citizens should be involved in setting budget priorities, identifying unmet needs, proposing projects for public spending and making decisions concerning their community or place.


Scale

PB processes should move towards decisions over increasingly larger service budgets and investments (as opposed to only small-scale participatory grant making).

Shared Responsibility

PB is an effective way to build co-production, common purpose and a shared commitment from all stakeholders when there are clear roles, agreed aims and ways for everyone to become involved.

Support for Democracy

Participation, such as through PB, supports and strengthens representative democracy.
Public bodies should advocate for a wide range of approaches for public participation
within an ecosystem of local democracy.

Deliberation

PB processes should take citizens beyond personal choice and involve real, informed and meaningful deliberation around budget decisions.

Accessibility

Participants must have good and clear access to PB processes. This includes accessible venues, good information and support to participate.

Transparency

PB processes are designed to give citizens full and clear knowledge of public budgets in their area, even those over which they do not have a direct say.

PB Knowledge

View our PB knowledge area, with articles, examples and blogs, going back over 10 years.
With multiple categories to help you navigate the resources.

Access PB Knowledge

PB Knowledge

  • PB for community improvement proposals in Aberdeen

    Voting openned on Monday 17 February 2025 for people, young and older, living in Aberdeen’s Priority Neighbourhood Areas (North, South and Central) to select the projects they think are best suited to meet their community needs. Aberdeen City Council’s Participatory Budgeting programme UDECIDE asked eligible voters to choose from proposals for individual projects worth up…

  • College of Policing produces guidance on PB

    The College of Policing, using examples from Merseyside Police, has produced an information resource for PB. Stating the aim is to encourage and support the use of this community-led approach to improve engagement and empowerment within communities. According to the guide the intended outcomes of PB are to: Access the guidance in the College of…

  • Nearly 30,000 people take part in the prioritisation stage of the Barcelona participatory budget

    In just ten days, 29,651 people gave their support for projects put forward by members of the public, to select which appear on the final ballot. As of the 20th March 2025, users can view the 253 projects that will be in the final voting stage, to be held from 12 to 17 May 2025…

  • 22 community groups secure Community Choices funding in Falkirk

    Over 6100 valid votes were cast across all nine council wards in the most recent PB process in Falkirk, held in February 2025. Helping 22 of the 57 community groups in the public vote secure their share of just over £100,000. Since launching in 2020, more than £3.4m has been allocated through Falkirk’s Community Choices,…

  • Long Beach’s Youth Power Participatory Budget

    In April 2025 young people ages 12-26 who live, work or play in Long Beach, California had the chance to vote on how $550,000 will be spent on a wide range of youth-centered projects, with awarded sums ranging from $10,000 to $50,000. “Young people are at the heart of our city’s future, and their voices…

  • 2025 Nature in Neighborhoods community choice grants, USA

    Oregan Metro invites public to share their ideas for Nature in Neighborhoods grants and vote on proposed projects The Nature in Neighborhoods Community Choice Grants program puts community members in the lead. The community choice model invites everyone in the community to submit ideas. And instead of Metro staff and advisory committees deciding which grants…

  • RiotFest, Chicago commits to offering millions in community payback through PB

    RiotFest is a long running music festival in the city of Chicago. As part of its commitment to the community that hosts this largescale but a times disruptive event, it has agreed a generous community payback scheme, in association with Chicago’s parks department. “The Riot Fest multi-year agreement includes significant community benefits, including up to…

  • Have Your Say in Galway City East, Eire

    Galway City Council are running a new funding scheme of €25,000 under their newly introduced Participatory Budgeting process. Galway City Council agreed it will designate a percentage of its annual budget for Community Participatory Budgeting. The amount initially determined for 2025 – 2029 is €25,000 per annum. Proposals will be invited from communities and residents…

  • Belfast Take 5 steps health PB

    Participatory Budgeting in Belfast gives residents a direct say in the decisions that affect them. It helps generate new ideas, strengthen community spirit and direct funding to where residents think it will make a difference. The most recent participatory budgeting project in Belfast supports the Take 5 steps to wellbeing. These are: Projects could apply…

  • Why Participatory Budgeting is the Future of Democracy: Article from Modern Diplomacy

    Extracts from an article from Ramil Abbasov, in Modern Diplomacy magazine, March 2025 “In an era where trust in government is declining and political apathy is on the rise, participatory budgeting (PB) offers a beacon of hope. This democratic innovation allows ordinary citizens to have a direct say in how public funds are allocated, giving…

  • Hope For Cheetham Youth Participatory Budgeting

    100+ children and young people. 21 youth organisations. £200,000 up for grabs. What could go wrong? Not a lot it seems. Shared Future were happy to support Choose For Cheetham 2025, after the steering group decided to use participatory budgeting (PB) to select who should get funded. Hope for Cheetham is a community-led, long-term project…

  • Resources on international climate themed PB

    Yves Cabannes was a leading researcher and practitioner in Participatory Budgeting, and in recent years had been focussing his work on climate themed PB. Over the years he shared with us a number of publications that explore this topic in depth. Sadly, Yves passed away recently. Greening cities through Participatory Budgeting: Answers to climate change…

  • 1million Just Transition PB fund results announced across North-east and Moray

    Following last year’s online public vote, residents in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray can now find out which local eco-friendly projects will receive a share of £1million in funding from the Scottish Government’s Just Transition Participatory Budgeting (PB) Fund. Details of the 46 projects supported by this year’s funding pot have been released, showcasing initiatives that…

  • Report Update: Grant-making through Participatory Budgeting 2025

    Our resource for grant making through participatory budgeting has had a make-over. Refreshed and released at the beginning of January 2025, it has been updated to add new content, fix broken links, and reflect Shared Future’s current branding. Specifically written with community led organisations in mind, it is also useful for front line community development…

  • Your Pots Participatory Grants in Lancaster District

    Pots of Possibility grants help regenerate North Lancashire’s environment and build healthy, thriving communities across Lancaster district. There are smaller Community Pots, decided by a local panel, and larger £10,000 Your Pots participatory budgeting grants, voted on by local people in a public event. Shared Future, a partner in the Closing Loops programme is helping…

  • Case study on Cleveland, USA People’s Budget

    In 2023, People’s Budget Cleveland launched a historic ballot initiative to direct the City of Cleveland to put aside funds equivalent to 2% of the City of Cleveland’s General Fund each year towards participatory budgeting. While the vote was razor thin, the measure did not pass. This campaign built on previous advocacy efforts to ask…

  • Triangle Housing Grand Choice PB

    Communities and residents living in the Killutagh area of Northern Ireland received grants through Triangle Housing for funding for small projects. In the 2024 round they could apply for up to £1000. Triangle housing regularly uses the same format in different communities. Projects needed to demonstrate how it relates to one of the Take 5…

  • Briefing paper on Participatory budgeting: A pathway to inclusive and transparent governance.

    Across the world and especially in developed countries, there has been a decline in trust in democratic institutions, an increase in political discontent and citizen dissatisfaction, and a resulting decrease in voter turnout. Economic crises, climate disruptions and the COVID-19 pandemic have only exacerbated these sentiments. In the late 1980s, participatory budgeting – an approach…

  • Educating for Democracy: Participatory Budgeting in Schools

    Educating for Democracy: Participatory Budgeting in Schools A new book, detailing why Participatory Budgeting is an important innovation in citizenship education was published this month. Shared Future director Jez Hall contributed a chapter to Educating for Democracy: The Case for Participatory Budgeting in Schools, available from Edward Elgar Publishing. The book provides a detailed examination…

  • Paris PB: Vote until 24th Sept 2024

    Paris PB: Vote until 24th Sept 2024 Paris has established the largest Participatory Budget in Europe. In the 2024 year residents of Paris have again been invited to vote on projects, with voting running until the end of September 2024. Climate and environmental improvements have always featured highly, but with over 235 projects and 100millioin…

  • Arts and Culture PB in Moray 2024

    This was the second year of a two year funding scheme to increase access to arts, culture and heritage activities in Moray which was co-designed with the sector as part of a Participatory Budgeting process, which saw applying organisations vote on which bids would be successful. Organisations and partnerships were invited to apply for grants…

  • Guide to Evaluating the Wellbeing impacts of Participatory Budgeting

    This new guide and toolkit reflects on recent experiences of Participatory Budgeting (PB) within the Gwent area of Wales, from early 2020 to January 2023. Produced by Shared Future, following qualitative research in Gwent, and building on our long experience of community empowerment, it focusses primarily on the wellbeing impacts of PB. It covers the…

  • Erasmus+ Youth PB Accelerator Project

    We believe that young people should have a voice in shaping their future through participatory democracy. That is why we took part in a joint project, funded by Erasmus+, working with colleagues in Poland, Spain and Northern Ireland. The project created a ‘toolkit’ to encourage best practice and the inclusion of Young People in local participatory…

  • Video: Youth participation through participatory budgeting

    Youth PB is a process in which young people have a say over the spending of public funds in a school or community setting. This short video animation was produced by the Participatory Budgeting Youth Accelerator Project for the launch of its Youth PB Toolkit. The animation is designed to help unpack the PB Youth Accelerator toolkit…

  • Democratic Journeys: Participatory Budgeting in a time of Covid Podcast

    The podcast series Democracy Journeys, by the Association of Municipalities and Regions of Sweden (SALAR) is about citizen dialogue, co-creation and democracy at a local and regional level. Each episode focuses on developing democracy and strengthening the relationship between citizens and a municipality or regional Government. Listen to Podcast #38: Participatory Budgeting in a time of Covid Each episode focuses…

  • Voting in Youth focussed participatory budgeting in Tampere, Finland 2020

    Voting in participatory budgeting in Tampere, Finland took place between 1–30 November 2020. The citizens of Tampere could vote for how to invest EUR 450,000 (approximately £400k) for the benefit of children and young people. The project includes 120 proposals. Citizens get to choose and vote for the proposals they want to see happen in…

  • Youth making it happen in Derry and Strabane

    An exciting new youth led and designed PB process was launched in 2020, across the Derry and Strabane District Council Area of Northern Ireland. Young people from across the city have been involved in shaping and designing the YOUth Making It Happen! PB process. A short promotional video was produced to explain the process and…

  • Tackling child poverty in Renfrewshire through PB

    Child poverty initiatives implemented by Renfrewshire Council have helped boost the incomes of struggling families in Renfrewshire. Alongside a range of initiatives listed in Renfrewshire’s 2019/2020 Local Child Poverty Action Report was a reference to their participatory budgeting initiative, called “Celebrating Renfrewshire – by young people, for young people.” The process encouraged young people (aged…

  • How Participatory Budgeting Can Create Affordable Housing and a Just Economy

    In August 2020, KRISTANIA DE LEON wrote about how PB can help address a persistent challenge around affordable housing in the USA. In New Jersey, for example, as housing prices rise and wages remain low, many New Jerseyans are struggling to find and keep affordable housing. The author argues that PB is one way to…

  • 2019 PB World Atlas list over 11,000 Participatory Budgeting Experiences

    The 2019 World Atlas of Participatory Budgeting represents the widest compilation of data to date on PB processes across the planet. It is a collaborative work of more than 70 authors, who voluntarily made themselves available to collect and analyse information that would enable better understanding of the spread of these initiatives in very diverse…

  • 2025 Nature in Neighborhoods community choice grants, USA

    Oregan Metro invites public to share their ideas for Nature in Neighborhoods grants and vote on proposed projects The Nature in Neighborhoods Community Choice Grants program puts community members in the lead. The community choice model invites everyone in the community to submit ideas. And instead of Metro staff and advisory committees deciding which grants…

  • Resources on international climate themed PB

    Yves Cabannes was a leading researcher and practitioner in Participatory Budgeting, and in recent years had been focussing his work on climate themed PB. Over the years he shared with us a number of publications that explore this topic in depth. Sadly, Yves passed away recently. Greening cities through Participatory Budgeting: Answers to climate change…

  • 1million Just Transition PB fund results announced across North-east and Moray

    Following last year’s online public vote, residents in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray can now find out which local eco-friendly projects will receive a share of £1million in funding from the Scottish Government’s Just Transition Participatory Budgeting (PB) Fund. Details of the 46 projects supported by this year’s funding pot have been released, showcasing initiatives that…

  • Your Pots Participatory Grants in Lancaster District

    Pots of Possibility grants help regenerate North Lancashire’s environment and build healthy, thriving communities across Lancaster district. There are smaller Community Pots, decided by a local panel, and larger £10,000 Your Pots participatory budgeting grants, voted on by local people in a public event. Shared Future, a partner in the Closing Loops programme is helping…

  • Lisbon agrees 5m euro fund for Green PB

    Lisbon City Council’s first-ever ‘green’ participatory budget, an initiative supported and managed by South Pole and EIT Climate-KIC’s City Finance Lab, has been allocated a €5 million budget to support climate change mitigation and adaptation projects selected by local citizens. The Mayor of Lisbon made the announcement in May 2019 during the ceremony for this…

  • Orchard projects in Leeds are thriving through Participatory Budgeting

    Alan Thornton, project worker for Leeds Orchard Live, supported by the ‘Helping Britain Blossom’ programme, describes how they used participatory grant-making to distribute £3,000. Small scale funding perhaps, yet vital to promoting orchard groups in Leeds. “Leeds is a city with a growing ‘orchard-ing’ culture. And its growing through PB. On Saturday 14 January 2017,…

  • PB for community improvement proposals in Aberdeen

    Voting openned on Monday 17 February 2025 for people, young and older, living in Aberdeen’s Priority Neighbourhood Areas (North, South and Central) to select the projects they think are best suited to meet their community needs. Aberdeen City Council’s Participatory Budgeting programme UDECIDE asked eligible voters to choose from proposals for individual projects worth up…

  • College of Policing produces guidance on PB

    The College of Policing, using examples from Merseyside Police, has produced an information resource for PB. Stating the aim is to encourage and support the use of this community-led approach to improve engagement and empowerment within communities. According to the guide the intended outcomes of PB are to: Access the guidance in the College of…

  • 22 community groups secure Community Choices funding in Falkirk

    Over 6100 valid votes were cast across all nine council wards in the most recent PB process in Falkirk, held in February 2025. Helping 22 of the 57 community groups in the public vote secure their share of just over £100,000. Since launching in 2020, more than £3.4m has been allocated through Falkirk’s Community Choices,…

  • Belfast Take 5 steps health PB

    Participatory Budgeting in Belfast gives residents a direct say in the decisions that affect them. It helps generate new ideas, strengthen community spirit and direct funding to where residents think it will make a difference. The most recent participatory budgeting project in Belfast supports the Take 5 steps to wellbeing. These are: Projects could apply…

  • Hope For Cheetham Youth Participatory Budgeting

    100+ children and young people. 21 youth organisations. £200,000 up for grabs. What could go wrong? Not a lot it seems. Shared Future were happy to support Choose For Cheetham 2025, after the steering group decided to use participatory budgeting (PB) to select who should get funded. Hope for Cheetham is a community-led, long-term project…

  • 1million Just Transition PB fund results announced across North-east and Moray

    Following last year’s online public vote, residents in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray can now find out which local eco-friendly projects will receive a share of £1million in funding from the Scottish Government’s Just Transition Participatory Budgeting (PB) Fund. Details of the 46 projects supported by this year’s funding pot have been released, showcasing initiatives that…

  • Your Pots Participatory Grants in Lancaster District

    Pots of Possibility grants help regenerate North Lancashire’s environment and build healthy, thriving communities across Lancaster district. There are smaller Community Pots, decided by a local panel, and larger £10,000 Your Pots participatory budgeting grants, voted on by local people in a public event. Shared Future, a partner in the Closing Loops programme is helping…

  • Case study on Cleveland, USA People’s Budget

    In 2023, People’s Budget Cleveland launched a historic ballot initiative to direct the City of Cleveland to put aside funds equivalent to 2% of the City of Cleveland’s General Fund each year towards participatory budgeting. While the vote was razor thin, the measure did not pass. This campaign built on previous advocacy efforts to ask…

  • Arts and Culture PB in Moray 2024

    This was the second year of a two year funding scheme to increase access to arts, culture and heritage activities in Moray which was co-designed with the sector as part of a Participatory Budgeting process, which saw applying organisations vote on which bids would be successful. Organisations and partnerships were invited to apply for grants…

  • Guide to Evaluating the Wellbeing impacts of Participatory Budgeting

    This new guide and toolkit reflects on recent experiences of Participatory Budgeting (PB) within the Gwent area of Wales, from early 2020 to January 2023. Produced by Shared Future, following qualitative research in Gwent, and building on our long experience of community empowerment, it focusses primarily on the wellbeing impacts of PB. It covers the…

  • PB for community improvement proposals in Aberdeen

    Voting openned on Monday 17 February 2025 for people, young and older, living in Aberdeen’s Priority Neighbourhood Areas (North, South and Central) to select the projects they think are best suited to meet their community needs. Aberdeen City Council’s Participatory Budgeting programme UDECIDE asked eligible voters to choose from proposals for individual projects worth up…

  • 22 community groups secure Community Choices funding in Falkirk

    Over 6100 valid votes were cast across all nine council wards in the most recent PB process in Falkirk, held in February 2025. Helping 22 of the 57 community groups in the public vote secure their share of just over £100,000. Since launching in 2020, more than £3.4m has been allocated through Falkirk’s Community Choices,…

  • RiotFest, Chicago commits to offering millions in community payback through PB

    RiotFest is a long running music festival in the city of Chicago. As part of its commitment to the community that hosts this largescale but a times disruptive event, it has agreed a generous community payback scheme, in association with Chicago’s parks department. “The Riot Fest multi-year agreement includes significant community benefits, including up to…

  • Belfast Take 5 steps health PB

    Participatory Budgeting in Belfast gives residents a direct say in the decisions that affect them. It helps generate new ideas, strengthen community spirit and direct funding to where residents think it will make a difference. The most recent participatory budgeting project in Belfast supports the Take 5 steps to wellbeing. These are: Projects could apply…

  • Hope For Cheetham Youth Participatory Budgeting

    100+ children and young people. 21 youth organisations. £200,000 up for grabs. What could go wrong? Not a lot it seems. Shared Future were happy to support Choose For Cheetham 2025, after the steering group decided to use participatory budgeting (PB) to select who should get funded. Hope for Cheetham is a community-led, long-term project…

  • 1million Just Transition PB fund results announced across North-east and Moray

    Following last year’s online public vote, residents in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray can now find out which local eco-friendly projects will receive a share of £1million in funding from the Scottish Government’s Just Transition Participatory Budgeting (PB) Fund. Details of the 46 projects supported by this year’s funding pot have been released, showcasing initiatives that…

  • Report Update: Grant-making through Participatory Budgeting 2025

    Our resource for grant making through participatory budgeting has had a make-over. Refreshed and released at the beginning of January 2025, it has been updated to add new content, fix broken links, and reflect Shared Future’s current branding. Specifically written with community led organisations in mind, it is also useful for front line community development…

  • Your Pots Participatory Grants in Lancaster District

    Pots of Possibility grants help regenerate North Lancashire’s environment and build healthy, thriving communities across Lancaster district. There are smaller Community Pots, decided by a local panel, and larger £10,000 Your Pots participatory budgeting grants, voted on by local people in a public event. Shared Future, a partner in the Closing Loops programme is helping…

  • Triangle Housing Grand Choice PB

    Communities and residents living in the Killutagh area of Northern Ireland received grants through Triangle Housing for funding for small projects. In the 2024 round they could apply for up to £1000. Triangle housing regularly uses the same format in different communities. Projects needed to demonstrate how it relates to one of the Take 5…

  • Arts and Culture PB in Moray 2024

    This was the second year of a two year funding scheme to increase access to arts, culture and heritage activities in Moray which was co-designed with the sector as part of a Participatory Budgeting process, which saw applying organisations vote on which bids would be successful. Organisations and partnerships were invited to apply for grants…

  • Belfast Take 5 steps health PB

    Participatory Budgeting in Belfast gives residents a direct say in the decisions that affect them. It helps generate new ideas, strengthen community spirit and direct funding to where residents think it will make a difference. The most recent participatory budgeting project in Belfast supports the Take 5 steps to wellbeing. These are: Projects could apply…

  • Guide to Evaluating the Wellbeing impacts of Participatory Budgeting

    This new guide and toolkit reflects on recent experiences of Participatory Budgeting (PB) within the Gwent area of Wales, from early 2020 to January 2023. Produced by Shared Future, following qualitative research in Gwent, and building on our long experience of community empowerment, it focusses primarily on the wellbeing impacts of PB. It covers the…

  • Democratic Journeys: Participatory Budgeting in a time of Covid Podcast

    The podcast series Democracy Journeys, by the Association of Municipalities and Regions of Sweden (SALAR) is about citizen dialogue, co-creation and democracy at a local and regional level. Each episode focuses on developing democracy and strengthening the relationship between citizens and a municipality or regional Government. Listen to Podcast #38: Participatory Budgeting in a time of Covid Each episode focuses…

  • “Our voice is being heard at last”… building social inclusion through Participatory Budgeting

    Social isolation is a key requirement towards promoting wellbeing and preventing undue pressure on public services, such as costly hospital admissions. With an elderly mother of my own who is increasingly needing care at home it’s a subject close to my heart. Not least because of my passion for Participatory Budgeting (PB), that aims to…

  • £50,000 to tackle poor mental health in North Ayrshire

    People from across North Ayrshire were offered the chance to stake their claim for up to £1,250 for worthy projects which will improve the lives of others. A total of £50,000 was up for grabs in the participatory budgeting event which aims to give financial backing to projects and programmes which make a positive difference…

  • Well London uses Participatory Budgeting to improve health and wellbeing

    Running over a number of years the Well London health and wellbeing initiative has been using participatory budgeting styled events to select projects for support, using money from the National Lottery and other local funding sources. Across a wide number of areas hundreds of people have been engaged in projects that bring wellbeing. As reported…

  • Triangle Housing Grand Choice PB

    Communities and residents living in the Killutagh area of Northern Ireland received grants through Triangle Housing for funding for small projects. In the 2024 round they could apply for up to £1000. Triangle housing regularly uses the same format in different communities. Projects needed to demonstrate how it relates to one of the Take 5…

  • How Participatory Budgeting Can Create Affordable Housing and a Just Economy

    In August 2020, KRISTANIA DE LEON wrote about how PB can help address a persistent challenge around affordable housing in the USA. In New Jersey, for example, as housing prices rise and wages remain low, many New Jerseyans are struggling to find and keep affordable housing. The author argues that PB is one way to…

  • Academy of Urbanism on participatory budgeting as aid to urban development

    The Academy of Urbanism is well used to reporting on the innovations that bring about an urban renaissance. In an article by Katy Hawkins the Academy now looks at participatory budgeting (PB) in the USA, the UK and more widely. Following exciting developments in PB in Paris, where PB is being used to spend €426m…

  • Nearly 30,000 people take part in the prioritisation stage of the Barcelona participatory budget

    In just ten days, 29,651 people gave their support for projects put forward by members of the public, to select which appear on the final ballot. As of the 20th March 2025, users can view the 253 projects that will be in the final voting stage, to be held from 12 to 17 May 2025…

  • Long Beach’s Youth Power Participatory Budget

    In April 2025 young people ages 12-26 who live, work or play in Long Beach, California had the chance to vote on how $550,000 will be spent on a wide range of youth-centered projects, with awarded sums ranging from $10,000 to $50,000. “Young people are at the heart of our city’s future, and their voices…

  • 2025 Nature in Neighborhoods community choice grants, USA

    Oregan Metro invites public to share their ideas for Nature in Neighborhoods grants and vote on proposed projects The Nature in Neighborhoods Community Choice Grants program puts community members in the lead. The community choice model invites everyone in the community to submit ideas. And instead of Metro staff and advisory committees deciding which grants…

  • RiotFest, Chicago commits to offering millions in community payback through PB

    RiotFest is a long running music festival in the city of Chicago. As part of its commitment to the community that hosts this largescale but a times disruptive event, it has agreed a generous community payback scheme, in association with Chicago’s parks department. “The Riot Fest multi-year agreement includes significant community benefits, including up to…

  • Have Your Say in Galway City East, Eire

    Galway City Council are running a new funding scheme of €25,000 under their newly introduced Participatory Budgeting process. Galway City Council agreed it will designate a percentage of its annual budget for Community Participatory Budgeting. The amount initially determined for 2025 – 2029 is €25,000 per annum. Proposals will be invited from communities and residents…

  • Why Participatory Budgeting is the Future of Democracy: Article from Modern Diplomacy

    Extracts from an article from Ramil Abbasov, in Modern Diplomacy magazine, March 2025 “In an era where trust in government is declining and political apathy is on the rise, participatory budgeting (PB) offers a beacon of hope. This democratic innovation allows ordinary citizens to have a direct say in how public funds are allocated, giving…

  • Resources on international climate themed PB

    Yves Cabannes was a leading researcher and practitioner in Participatory Budgeting, and in recent years had been focussing his work on climate themed PB. Over the years he shared with us a number of publications that explore this topic in depth. Sadly, Yves passed away recently. Greening cities through Participatory Budgeting: Answers to climate change…

  • Case study on Cleveland, USA People’s Budget

    In 2023, People’s Budget Cleveland launched a historic ballot initiative to direct the City of Cleveland to put aside funds equivalent to 2% of the City of Cleveland’s General Fund each year towards participatory budgeting. While the vote was razor thin, the measure did not pass. This campaign built on previous advocacy efforts to ask…

  • Briefing paper on Participatory budgeting: A pathway to inclusive and transparent governance.

    Across the world and especially in developed countries, there has been a decline in trust in democratic institutions, an increase in political discontent and citizen dissatisfaction, and a resulting decrease in voter turnout. Economic crises, climate disruptions and the COVID-19 pandemic have only exacerbated these sentiments. In the late 1980s, participatory budgeting – an approach…

  • Paris PB: Vote until 24th Sept 2024

    Paris PB: Vote until 24th Sept 2024 Paris has established the largest Participatory Budget in Europe. In the 2024 year residents of Paris have again been invited to vote on projects, with voting running until the end of September 2024. Climate and environmental improvements have always featured highly, but with over 235 projects and 100millioin…

  • Nearly 30,000 people take part in the prioritisation stage of the Barcelona participatory budget

    In just ten days, 29,651 people gave their support for projects put forward by members of the public, to select which appear on the final ballot. As of the 20th March 2025, users can view the 253 projects that will be in the final voting stage, to be held from 12 to 17 May 2025…

  • 2025 Nature in Neighborhoods community choice grants, USA

    Oregan Metro invites public to share their ideas for Nature in Neighborhoods grants and vote on proposed projects The Nature in Neighborhoods Community Choice Grants program puts community members in the lead. The community choice model invites everyone in the community to submit ideas. And instead of Metro staff and advisory committees deciding which grants…

  • Have Your Say in Galway City East, Eire

    Galway City Council are running a new funding scheme of €25,000 under their newly introduced Participatory Budgeting process. Galway City Council agreed it will designate a percentage of its annual budget for Community Participatory Budgeting. The amount initially determined for 2025 – 2029 is €25,000 per annum. Proposals will be invited from communities and residents…

  • Why Participatory Budgeting is the Future of Democracy: Article from Modern Diplomacy

    Extracts from an article from Ramil Abbasov, in Modern Diplomacy magazine, March 2025 “In an era where trust in government is declining and political apathy is on the rise, participatory budgeting (PB) offers a beacon of hope. This democratic innovation allows ordinary citizens to have a direct say in how public funds are allocated, giving…

  • Resources on international climate themed PB

    Yves Cabannes was a leading researcher and practitioner in Participatory Budgeting, and in recent years had been focussing his work on climate themed PB. Over the years he shared with us a number of publications that explore this topic in depth. Sadly, Yves passed away recently. Greening cities through Participatory Budgeting: Answers to climate change…

  • Case study on Cleveland, USA People’s Budget

    In 2023, People’s Budget Cleveland launched a historic ballot initiative to direct the City of Cleveland to put aside funds equivalent to 2% of the City of Cleveland’s General Fund each year towards participatory budgeting. While the vote was razor thin, the measure did not pass. This campaign built on previous advocacy efforts to ask…

  • Briefing paper on Participatory budgeting: A pathway to inclusive and transparent governance.

    Across the world and especially in developed countries, there has been a decline in trust in democratic institutions, an increase in political discontent and citizen dissatisfaction, and a resulting decrease in voter turnout. Economic crises, climate disruptions and the COVID-19 pandemic have only exacerbated these sentiments. In the late 1980s, participatory budgeting – an approach…

  • Paris PB: Vote until 24th Sept 2024

    Paris PB: Vote until 24th Sept 2024 Paris has established the largest Participatory Budget in Europe. In the 2024 year residents of Paris have again been invited to vote on projects, with voting running until the end of September 2024. Climate and environmental improvements have always featured highly, but with over 235 projects and 100millioin…

  • 2019 PB World Atlas list over 11,000 Participatory Budgeting Experiences

    The 2019 World Atlas of Participatory Budgeting represents the widest compilation of data to date on PB processes across the planet. It is a collaborative work of more than 70 authors, who voluntarily made themselves available to collect and analyse information that would enable better understanding of the spread of these initiatives in very diverse…

  • Blog: Does Participatory Budgeting always require a vote?

    There is a very real desire to make Participatory Budgeting more deliberative and thoughtful. One of the concerns about voting is that it doesn’t force people to think through the options. That PB needs more deliberation. Nevertheless Jez Hall argues that the vote is crucial for legitimacy and trust within a PB processes. At the recent Going Global…

  • College of Policing produces guidance on PB

    The College of Policing, using examples from Merseyside Police, has produced an information resource for PB. Stating the aim is to encourage and support the use of this community-led approach to improve engagement and empowerment within communities. According to the guide the intended outcomes of PB are to: Access the guidance in the College of…

  • Pushing at the limits: Participatory Budgeting and prisoner rehabilitation in Canada

    Jez Hall writes about how PB can push the limits of empowerment to the most unusual of suspects. One of the amazing things about Participatory Budgeting(PB) is how it can push boundaries and break down walls. Even the walls around the criminal justice system? A step too far? Whether its in empowering young people by…

  • “Our voice is being heard at last”… building social inclusion through Participatory Budgeting

    Social isolation is a key requirement towards promoting wellbeing and preventing undue pressure on public services, such as costly hospital admissions. With an elderly mother of my own who is increasingly needing care at home it’s a subject close to my heart. Not least because of my passion for Participatory Budgeting (PB), that aims to…

  • 2,500 people vote on projects to end Islamophobia in Edinburgh

    It is a sad but undeniable fact that post Brexit levels of hate crime have risen across some parts of the UK, most notably England and Wales.  Intolerance, ignorance, prejudice and inequality have emerged as communities try to make sense of the Brexit impact on society. This information, and intelligence held by communities in Edinburgh,…

  • Long Beach’s Youth Power Participatory Budget

    In April 2025 young people ages 12-26 who live, work or play in Long Beach, California had the chance to vote on how $550,000 will be spent on a wide range of youth-centered projects, with awarded sums ranging from $10,000 to $50,000. “Young people are at the heart of our city’s future, and their voices…

  • Hope For Cheetham Youth Participatory Budgeting

    100+ children and young people. 21 youth organisations. £200,000 up for grabs. What could go wrong? Not a lot it seems. Shared Future were happy to support Choose For Cheetham 2025, after the steering group decided to use participatory budgeting (PB) to select who should get funded. Hope for Cheetham is a community-led, long-term project…

  • Educating for Democracy: Participatory Budgeting in Schools

    Educating for Democracy: Participatory Budgeting in Schools A new book, detailing why Participatory Budgeting is an important innovation in citizenship education was published this month. Shared Future director Jez Hall contributed a chapter to Educating for Democracy: The Case for Participatory Budgeting in Schools, available from Edward Elgar Publishing. The book provides a detailed examination…

  • Erasmus+ Youth PB Accelerator Project

    We believe that young people should have a voice in shaping their future through participatory democracy. That is why we took part in a joint project, funded by Erasmus+, working with colleagues in Poland, Spain and Northern Ireland. The project created a ‘toolkit’ to encourage best practice and the inclusion of Young People in local participatory…

  • Video: Youth participation through participatory budgeting

    Youth PB is a process in which young people have a say over the spending of public funds in a school or community setting. This short video animation was produced by the Participatory Budgeting Youth Accelerator Project for the launch of its Youth PB Toolkit. The animation is designed to help unpack the PB Youth Accelerator toolkit…

  • Voting in Youth focussed participatory budgeting in Tampere, Finland 2020

    Voting in participatory budgeting in Tampere, Finland took place between 1–30 November 2020. The citizens of Tampere could vote for how to invest EUR 450,000 (approximately £400k) for the benefit of children and young people. The project includes 120 proposals. Citizens get to choose and vote for the proposals they want to see happen in…

  • Youth making it happen in Derry and Strabane

    An exciting new youth led and designed PB process was launched in 2020, across the Derry and Strabane District Council Area of Northern Ireland. Young people from across the city have been involved in shaping and designing the YOUth Making It Happen! PB process. A short promotional video was produced to explain the process and…

  • Tackling child poverty in Renfrewshire through PB

    Child poverty initiatives implemented by Renfrewshire Council have helped boost the incomes of struggling families in Renfrewshire. Alongside a range of initiatives listed in Renfrewshire’s 2019/2020 Local Child Poverty Action Report was a reference to their participatory budgeting initiative, called “Celebrating Renfrewshire – by young people, for young people.” The process encouraged young people (aged…

  • University budgets and participatory governance: A sandbox for democracy?

    If two heads are better than one… what about 10 heads, or 100, or 67,000. Could Universities spearhead a new form of more open democratic accountability in educational Institutions? Would your school or college trust its learners, and use Participatory Budgeting to set just some of its budget?  Or do we continue to believe the…

Subscribe to our Mailing List

Join the Shared Future community and keep updated on the latest news, activities and our work

Subscribe

LATEST FROM SHARED FUTURE ON

Participatory Budgeting

Get access to our reports on Participatory Budgeting and free resources.

For more related content, visit our resources page

News & Stories
Reports & Resources

Work with us

We have unrivalled expertise within England in designing and supporting PB programmes. Find out more about the services we can offer

Find out more