Brasov is flirting with direct democracy for the second year in a row
The city has opened a submission platform for citizen projects in participatory budgeting
On Monday, the municipalities in the Romanian city of Brasov announced that they were opening the platform for project proposals for participatory budgeting 2021-2022. In the next 30 days, citizens can submit their proposals for the future targeted development of the urban environment.
Voting on participatory budgeting projects will begin on January 1st and the city council will announce the winners on February 2nd.
Barsov has already implemented a number of projects from the previous year, especially: a youth community center with a cinema, new trolley buses and equipping staff and patients in social centers with protective anti-Covid equipment such as masks, face protection and disinfectants.
Help make Brasov a better city
This year’s participatory budgeting focuses on four areas: Mobility, greenery, leisure and communities with a budget of around 100,000 euros per category. Citizens have one month from November 1st to submit their projects.
This month the city is organizing seminars and information events to help applicants validate their ideas and check the eligibility of their projects. The vote will then take place in January so that the municipalities can include the projects in the municipal budget so that processing can begin immediately.
It should be noted that the entire program has a budget of almost 400,000 euros and if the four top projects cost less than the total, the city will also take on a fifth project. The fifth project, regardless of the category, will be one that received the most votes.
The four ways as citizens of Brasov. can design
Here is an overview of the categories in participatory budgeting:
- Mobile city – Mobility, accessibility and pedestrian safety. This category can include street design, sidewalks, pedestrian zones, infrastructure for people with disabilities, areas closed to cars, bike lanes, etc .;
- Green city – renovation or establishment of green areas and playgrounds;
- Relaxed city – urban public space with an emphasis on pedestrian zones, plazas, street furniture, public lighting, etc .;
- City of parishes– a focus on developing public spaces that strengthen neighborhood character and build resilient communities. This includes cultural infrastructure and activities such as murals or neighborhood events, but also community centers and sports infrastructure.
