Five years after Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood pioneered participatory budgeting in the United States, the bottom-up budgeting practice is gaining adherents across the country. Can Rogers Park's experiment find success citywide?
"Here in the beach-lined Rogers Park neighborhood, Chicagoans are activating an experiment in democratic governance: participatory budgeting. A simple yet radical departure from traditional city budgeting processes, the participatory system allows residents of a given area to directly vote on how government money is spent within their community," explains Anna Clark.
In the years since Rogers Park began asking residents to propose priorities for using their council member's “menu money”, cities such as New York and Vallejo have experimented with the practice. "The results are promising," notes Clark, "with participation levels relatively strong and zero scandals to date."
"Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in late October that he’s interested in taking participatory budgeting citywide. And this isn’t just talk: Emanuel’s 2014 budget includes funds for a manager of such a program, who would provide technical support to bring the process into each of Chicago’s 50 wards. Other U.S. cities will be watching, potentially opening to the door for mainstreaming a practice that has struggled to gain legitimacy beyond the provinces of the left."
Read the full story: Five Years After Pioneering It in North America, Chicago Might Take Participatory Budgeting Citywide
Chicago to 'Facilitate and Accelerate' Growth in Seven Promising Neighborhoods
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has identified seven city neighborhoods as "Opportunity Planning Areas" where public resources will be directed to help shape and accelerate nascent redevelopment efforts, reports Fran Spielman.
South Chicago development proposal would 'upzone' neighborhoods to increase density
The South Chicago Land Use Framework plan also aims to promote pedestrian and transit-oriented developments.
A ‘shady’ deal: Chicagoans rally against planned Amtrak maintenance facility
The $900 million facility would allow Amtrak to maintain entire trains in one building, which the company says will reduce delays.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
Judges permit Denver to divert 77,000 acre feet from the Colorado River for reservoir expansion
Overuse and climate change have caused the Colorado River’s water levels to plummet.
New bill requires California data center developers to create water scarcity plans
Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed 7 bills intended to give California communities more information about the impact of proposed data centers.
San Diego may kill one-third of its bus routes as budget crisis looms
Under the city's proposed plan, 21% of Metropolitan Transit System riders would lose access to transit services.
Philadelphia to invest $2 billion into upgrading city airports as PHL places last in customer satisfaction
Modernizations to Philadelphia's airports will include baggage system upgrades and a new automated parking garage guidance system.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
KFH Group Inc.
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello