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Participatory budgeting (PB) is a democratic process in which community members directly decide how to allocate a portion of a public budget. First developed in Porto Alegre, Brazil, in 1989, it has since spread to more than 3,000 cities across the world — including many European municipalities. When designed well, it is one of the most powerful tools available for meaningful youth participation in local governance.
How Participatory Budgeting Works
In a typical PB process, a municipality allocates a defined portion of its budget — ranging from a small discretionary fund to millions of euros — to be allocated through a public process. Citizens, usually residents of the municipality, are invited to submit project proposals, vote on submitted proposals, and see the winning proposals implemented. The key feature that distinguishes PB from consultation is that the decision is binding: the municipality commits to implement the projects that receive the most votes, within the defined scope.
The process typically runs over several months: proposal submission, community discussion, expert review for feasibility, public vote, and implementation. In well-designed processes, the municipality also reports back on the implementation of winning proposals, closing the accountability loop.
Youth-Specific PB
An increasing number of European cities run PB processes specifically designed for young people — "Youth Budgeting" or "Youth Participatory Budgeting" — in which young residents (often 14–26) decide on the allocation of a dedicated youth budget. These processes have been run in cities including Paris, Lisbon, Gdańsk, and Reykjavik, as well as in individual schools and youth institutions.
Youth PB is not "pretend democracy" — a consultation that adults can ignore. It is real democracy: the projects that young people choose get built. This is the most powerful thing about it. Young people know the difference between being consulted and actually deciding.
Evidence of Impact
Research on participatory budgeting — including youth-specific processes — consistently shows several positive outcomes. Participants report higher levels of civic knowledge, greater confidence in engaging with public institutions, and increased trust in local government — but only when the process is genuine and the results are implemented. When municipalities run PB as a consultation exercise and then override the results, trust collapses faster than it would have without the process at all.
Projects chosen through youth PB also tend to be well-used and highly valued by the communities they serve — because they address needs that adults running consultations from behind desks often miss.
Starting a Youth PB in Your Context
For youth organisations advocating for youth PB in their municipality, the most effective approach is to start with a small, successful pilot rather than a fully designed programme. Find a sympathetic local councillor or department head, identify a modest budget (even €5,000–10,000 can run a meaningful first process), design a simple, accessible process, and implement it rigorously — ensuring that winning projects are actually built. The evidence from a successful pilot is the most powerful argument for expanding the programme.