Voting on the participatory budget in Bucharest has begun

Citizens will have a chance to take part in an exercise in direct democracy and influence the development of their city

On 8 November, local authorities in Bucharest announced the start of the vote on projects in the city’s participatory budget. Voting will last until 22 November and citizens will have the chance to pick from 29 projects, aiming to further the sustainable development of Romania’s capital.

The projects were submitted by non-governmental organisations based in Bucharest, as well as ordinary citizens or civil groups. The participatory budget totals more than 400,000 euros, while every project can receive a maximum of 100,000. The winners will be announced on 23 November.

The participatory budget is a relatively new initiative in Romania and it allows citizens to take direct action in their own urban environment. On the one hand, this happens through the submission process, when groups have the opportunity to advocate for extremely local issues. On the other hand, it happens through the voting process, where people have a direct choice about what city money gets spent on.

The eligible projects

Here are the projects that citizens will be able to vote on.

Mobility, accessibility and traffic safety

• Calea Dorobanti - bicycle track with ZICLA ZEBRA traffic dividers;
• Safe parking for bicycles in residential areas;
• ZERO casualties on the pedestrian crossing;
• Inclusive and interactive maps of public transport;
• Application for notifying illegal parking in support of drivers;
• Solar charging banks;
• Extending the InfoTB application and creating an application for the visually impaired;
• Bicycle infrastructure: markings, parking lots and bicycle repair stations;
• Calea Văcăreşti, an area without accidents with pedestrians;
• Safe to school;
• A friendlier neighbourhood for cyclists.

 Landscaping and playgrounds

• A leisure area for the patients of the Clinical Hospital "Prof. Dr. Theodor Burghele";
• Freerun and Parkour Park for children and teenagers;
• Personalized playgrounds with educational materials.

Arrangement of public spaces

• "House of Good Deeds" - a place specially arranged for donations for disadvantaged children;
• DIY community hub for bicycle repairs.

Digitization

• QRiosity - Promotion of cultural and tourist heritage through QR codes.

Safety, rehabilitation or restoration

• Multi-annual management plan of Cişmigiu Garden.

Environmental/animal protection

• Electric vehicle charging station and mobile station;
• Involvement for animals - web application dedicated to animal protection;
• A helping hand for the environment, the citizens and the animals from Bucharest;
• YES ECO-KIDS - animated series about ecology (non-formal education) - 12 episodes;
• Awareness program for the separate collection of waste;
• Pink-green robotics (slogan: Children collect - Park recycles);
• Crows from Cismigiu Garden / Neighbours with wings;
• Community composting in Cotroceni

Sport

• Tartan running tracks in the Circus Park;
• Cross promoting sports in Bucharest;
• Callisthenics - outdoor sports, professional and modern traction bars for table sports.