Comparison of face-to-face and e-PB

Richard Fahey recently wrote a nice comparison of three PB processes that use differing amounts of online engagement, in Toronto, Berlin, and Belo Horizonte. Interestingly, he suggests that a greater percentage of participants had low incomes in the face-to-face processes than in the e-PB process. One of the reasons PB has been so popular is because it tends to at least partly reverse the standard political bias towards the more affluent. Does e-PB take the social justice out of PB, or does the online participation just need to be designed better?

Progress in Chicago

A quick update on Participatory Budgeting in Chicago's 49th Ward, which continues to move ahead. We've set up a Steering Committee of over 30 community organizations, which has been designing the PB process for the past few months. We're now finishing up the rulebook, which will include guidelines for the neighborhood assemblies, the geographic breakdown of the ward, thematic focuses for spending, selection of projects and community representatives, and roles of key actors.

The plan as it stands now is:
- October/November: neighborhood assemblies to identify spending needs and project ideas, and select community representatives
- November-February: meetings of community representatives, to turn project ideas into full proposals
- March 2010: a single voting day and assembly, to select projects to be funded

We'll post more news here as it develops.