Brasov flirts with direct democracy for second year in a row

The city opened a submissions platform for citizen projects under the participatory budget

On Monday, local authorities in the Romanian city of Brasov announced that they are opening the platform for project propositions for the participatory budget 2021-2022. In the next 30 days, citizens can submit their propositions for the future targeted development of the urban environment.

Voting on the projects in the participatory budget will start on 1 January and city officials will announce the winners on 2 February.

Barsov has already realised some projects from the previous year, most notably: a youth community centre with a cinema, new trolleybuses and equipping staff and patients in social centres with protective anti-Covid gear, like masks, face-shields and disinfectants.

Pitch in to make Brasov a better city

This year’s participatory budget focuses on four key areas: mobility, greenery, leisure and communities with a budget of around 100,000 euros per category. Citizens will have one month to submit their projects, starting from 1 November.

During this month the city will organise seminars and information sessions that are supposed to help applicants validate their ideas and check the eligibility of their projects. After that, the vote will take place in January, so that local authorities can put the projects on the municipal budget so that work on them can start immediately.

It is important to note that the whole programme has a budget of nearly 400,000 euros and if the top four projects cost less than the total, the city will also take on a fifth project. The fifth project will be one that has received the highest number of votes, regardless of category.

The four ways citizens can shape Brasov

 Here is a rundown of the categories in the participatory budget:

• Mobile City - mobility, accessibility and pedestrian safety. This category can include street layout, sidewalks, pedestrian areas, infrastructure for people with disabilities, car-restricted areas, bicycle lanes and etc.;
• Green city – redeveloping or establishing green areas, as well as playgrounds;
• Relaxed city – urban public spaces, focusing on pedestrian areas, squares, street furniture, public lighting and etc.;
• City ​​of the Communities- a focus on developing public spaces that strengthen neighbourhood character and build robust communities. This includes cultural infrastructure and activities like murals or neighbourhood events, but also community centres and sports infrastructure.