Participatory Budgeting as a Tool of Environmental Improvements in Polish Cities
Arnold BERNACIAK
Agnieszka RZEŃCA
Agnieszka SOBOL
Abstract
The phenomenon of participatory budgeting in Polish cities shows growing awareness of citizens’ role in local development. Participatory budgeting is a tool of partial empowerment of residents through local budgetary policy. A social energy released by initiatives and proposed projects allows for implementation of relevant activities that from the residents’ perspective improve quality and comfort of urban life. Research problem around which the article is focused is a question to what extent an interest of inhabitants is related to projects and tasks of environmental character in their cities.
The empirical part of the paper presents an analysis of participatory budgeting in Katowice, Łódź and Poznań and applies to projects reported in 2015 and realized in 2016. The aim of this article is to identify the activities of residents of the selected cities related to improvement of the quality of environment through participatory budgeting. The studies clearly show that despite the apparent differences between the cities, the participatory budgeting is an important area of creativity and innovation of the residents towards quality of urban environment.
Keywords:
local development, participatory budgeting, environmental protectionReferences
Cabannes, Y.; Lipietz, B. (2015). The Democratic Contribution of Participatory Budgeting. International Development 15(168): 1-33. Available at: http://www.lse.ac.uk/internationalDevelopment/home.aspx. Accessed 14 March 2017.
Central Statistical Office of Poland (2015). Acquisition of new indicators on the implementation of public services in the field of social participation. Available at: http://stat.gov.pl/files/gfx/portalinformacyjny/pl/defaultstronaopisowa/5851/1/1/streszczenie_partycypacja_spoleczna.pdf. Accessed 14 March 2017. Warsaw: Central Statistical Office of Poland.
Chiesura, A. (2004). The role of urban parks for the sustainable city. Landscape and Urban Planning 68(1): 129-138.
European Commission (2001). European Governance: A White Paper. Brussels COM(2001) 428.
European Environmental Agency (2013). Achieving energy efficiency through behaviour change: what does it take? Technical Report No 5/2013. Copenhagen.
European Commission (2014). Attitudes of European citizens towards the environment. Special Eurobarometer 416. Brussels.
European Union (2011). Cities of tomorrow. Regional Policy. Brussels.
Kaufmann, D.; Kraay, A.; Mastruzzi, M. (2010). The Worldwide Governance Indicators: Methodology and Analytical Issues. Brookings Institution: The World Bank.
Łukaszewski, J. (2017). Participatory Budget. Vices less but more honestly. Available at: www.Poznań.wyborcza.pl/Poznań. Accessed 15 June 2017.
OECD (2005). Modernising government: the way forward. Paris: OECD.
Participatory budget and the choice of Poznań citizens, Available at: http://m.Poznań.pl/mim/bm/news/ wydarzenia-Poznańskie,c,10/budzet-obywatelski-i-wybor-Poznańiakow,55585.html. Accessed 8 June 2017.
Participatory budget of the City of Katowice. Available at: http://bo.katowice.eu/. Accessed 11 February 2017.
Participatory budget of the City of Lodz. Available at: http://uml.lodz.pl/budzet_obywatelski/. Accessed 11 February 2017.
Participatory budget of the City of Poznań. Available at: https://budzet.um.Poznań.pl/. Accessed 8 February 2017.
Poznań City Council (2014). Study of conditions and directions of spatial development of the City of Poznań.
Taylor, P. (2004). 72 Frequently Asked Questions about Participatory Budgeting. Quito: UN-HABITAT. Poznań: Poznań City Council.
Act of 27 April 2001, Environmental Law, consolidated text: Journal of Laws 2017 item 519 with further amendments.
Wampler, B. (2007). A guide to participatory budgeting. In: Shah, A. (ed.). Participatory budgeting: 21-54. Washington: The World Bank.
Authors
Arnold BERNACIAKAuthors
Agnieszka RZEŃCAAuthors
Agnieszka SOBOLStatistics
Downloads
Most read articles by the same author(s)
- Anna Bernaciak, Arnold Bernaciak, The efficiency of systemic solutions for the removal of asbestos in Poland – current status and prospects , Economic and Environmental Studies: Vol. 16 No. 4 (40) (2016)
- Agnieszka SOBOL, The views of the young generation of a city as a common good , Economic and Environmental Studies: Vol. 16 No. 4 (40) (2016)
- Arnold BERNACIAK, Natalia STRZELECKA, Natural values as a factor in the location of residential investments , Economic and Environmental Studies: Vol. 14 No. 2 (30) (2014)
- Arnold BERNACIAK, THE ENYIRONMENTAL KUZNETS CURVE IN TRANSITION COUNTRIES ON THE EXAMPLE OF POLAND , Economic and Environmental Studies: Vol. 11 (2008)
