Abstract
Since the late 1960s, progressive scholars and grassroots movements argued in favor of more open and participatory urban policymaking, encouraging the state bureaucracy to directly engage with citizens and, thus, facilitate new governance mechanisms to accommodate emerging social needs (Ahn et. al. 2023: 399).
As a means of achieving this, Participatory Budgets (PBs) involve citizens directly in decision-making about the allocation of public funds, fostering community development and a sense of ownership. Originating in PortoAllegre, Brazil, in 1989, PBs addressed dissatisfaction with traditional top-down budgeting approaches, which often marginalized citizen voices and perpetuated inequalities.
This policy brief presents a synthesis of research conducted by the Sociological Department of the University of Vienna on the Viennese PB, Wiener Klimateam, and offers valuable insights for public administration with respect to the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of future PB projects.
