Barcelona: Participatory Budgeting in Barcelona

Participatory Budgeting in Barcelona is a process of direct democracy regulated by the 2022 Citizen Participation Regulation, which allows residents to decide on a portion of municipal investment. The practice takes place in Barcelona, a dense and diverse Mediterranean city organized into 10 districts and 73 neighborhoods, with a long tradition of participation.

It is a process that combines in-person and digital participation, is inclusive and transparent, and in this edition has involved thousands of people through the proposal and voting of concrete project ideas.

The methodology unfolds in several phases: neighborhood debates and proposal generation, technical feasibility assessment, citizen prioritization, co-design of projects between technical staff and residents, and final voting. Throughout the process, in-person support points are provided to reduce the digital divide and facilitate participation. Residents aged 14 and over can participate, while children aged 8 to 13 also take part in the deliberation and prioritization phases.

The practice pays special attention to the inclusion of groups that are less represented in participatory processes, such as children and adolescents, older people, persons with disabilities, and individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds. To achieve this, it combines in-person and digital formats, accessible materials, cultural mediation, translations, and targeted support.

Transparency is ensured at all stages of the process through the prior publication of criteria for project acceptance and rejection (as established in the official call decree), the publication of meeting minutes, and continuous updates on the process through the decidim.barcelona platform. Accountability mechanisms include a Process Monitoring Committee, ongoing meetings with project promoters, and territorial monitoring committees during project implementation.

The decidim.barcelona platform acts as the backbone of the process, ensuring full traceability of each proposal, transparent technical evaluation, and continuous publication of the implementation status of projects.

This second edition consolidates the foundations of the previous one, strengthening its capacity to reinforce participatory democracy, broaden and diversify participation, and promote shared community responsibility.

More information:
https://www.decidim.barcelona/processes/pressupostos2024/