Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0
Author-Name: Natalia G. Lukyanova
Author-Email: lukyanova@kfin.gov.spb.ru
Author-Workplace-Name: Finance Committee of St. Petersburg, Saint Petersburg 191144, Russian Federation
Title: Saint Petersburg Experience of Participatory Budgeting
Abstract: The article is devoted to summarizing the experience of implementing participatory budgeting practices in Saint Petersburg over a five-year period as well as the role and forms of citizen involvement in budget decision-making. An innovative form of public discussion, through the participation of citizens in the work of the budget commission, allowed one not only to attract a significant number of citizens to solve the problems of the metropolis, but also to increase the efficiency of budget fund spending. Special attention is paid to the testing of a new type of public participation in the development of the urban environment, namely participatory design, one of the effects of which is the possibility of attracting extra-budgetary sources of funding. The practice of participatory design is already in demand among potential investors and has shown good results in projects aimed at the development and improvement of newly built-up areas. School participatory budgeting practices were successful as well, in which high school students were asked to work out projects not only for the development of school infrastructure, but also that of the territory of Saint Petersburg’s districts. The experience gained allowed us to identify the main disadvantages and advantages of different practices, which will be taken into account when scaling them. 
Classification-JEL: H41, H72
Keywords: participatory budgeting, Your Budget project, involvement of citizens in budget decisionmaking, budget commission, participatory design
Journal: Finansovyj žhurnal — Financial Journal
Pages: 61-69
Issue: 2
Year: 2021
Month: April
DOI: 10.31107/2075-1990-2021-2-61-69
File-URL: https://www.finjournal-nifi.ru/images/FILES/Journal/Archive/2021/2/statii/04_2_2021_v13.pdf
File-Format: Application/pdf 
Handle: RePEc:fru:finjrn:210204:p:61-69