Update on the City's First Participatory Budgeting Ideas in Action Cycle

Highlights from the pilot year of Ideas in Action!

In the summer of 2024, the City of Boston’s Office of Participatory Budgeting (OPB) launched Ideas in Action, an initiative where Boston residents can decide how to spend $2 million of the City’s budget to benefit their communities. Thousands of residents came together and engaged in community meetings, submitted project ideas, drafted the proposals that appeared on the ballot, and collectively voted on the projects that they wanted to see implemented. 

Highlights from the Pilot Year of Ideas in Action:

• Boston residents submitted over 1200 project ideas. The Office offered multiple channels for residents to participate including 
  • Nineteen (19) idea collection workshops across the City in partnership with community organizations
  • Online PB Portal 
  • In-person submissions through PB Corners at City Hall and Boston Public Library Branches
  • Multi-lingual PB Phone Line
• In the Fall of 2024, OPB hosted three (3) Visioning Forums:
  • 15 project proposals were drafted by Boston residents with support from OPB and City Departments
  • Three (3) in-person Visioning Forums hosted in East Boston, Roxbury, and Dorchester with ~100 resident participants worked with 20 City Departments to review, assess, and draft project proposals for the PB Ballot.
• In January of 2025, a total of 4,462 Boston residents cast their ballot in person and online, selecting their top proposals to be funded.
  • 14 ballot proposals available for PB Voting 
  • 4.35 (high) average number of projects selected per voter
  • Highest voter turnout in Dorchester, Brighton, Roxbury, East Boston, South Boston, and Hyde Park
• Media Campaign (Idea Collection + Voting)
  • 10 earned media placements across mainstream and ethnic media outlets + 3 mainstream media interviews
  • 3.5M total impressions* during Idea Submission + Voting
  • ~20M total digital clicks: digital newspapers, ads, + social
  • 750+ Radio spots aired with 883,200+ impressions
  • Outreach in six (6) Languages: English, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Haitian Creole, Vietnamese, Chinese

*The total number of times a piece of content is displayed to users, regardless of whether they engage with it or not. 

Thanks to everyone who used their voice and actively participated in this exciting pilot year! Your engagement played a huge role in making this first PB Cycle a successful one! We invite you to continue engaging with Ideas in Action Cycle 2!

Visit Ideas in Action