Environmental Aspects of Participatory Budgeting in Selected Cities in Europe

Małgorzata SIEMIONEK-RUSKAŃ; Anna SIEMIONEK-LEPCZYŃSKA

doi:10.14505/jemt.v16.2(78).03

Małgorzata SIEMIONEK-RUSKAŃ Department of Banking and Finance, Faculty of Management, University of Gdansk, Poland https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0733-456X
Anna SIEMIONEK-LEPCZYŃSKA Department of Corporate Finance, Faculty of Management, University of Gdańsk, Poland https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0303-7477

DOI: https://doi.org/10.14505/jemt.v16.2(78).03

Abstract

This paper explores the integration of environmental priorities into participatory budgeting (PB) processes in selected European cities, with a focus on Poland, Spain, and Portugal. Participatory budgeting enables citizens to directly influence how municipal funds are allocated, providing a democratic platform for the development of sustainable urban projects. Through a review of literature and case studies, the paper examines how PB contributes to environmental initiatives such as green infrastructure, waste management, energy efficiency, sustainable transport, and climate resilience. Case studies from Warsaw and Gdańsk in Poland, Barcelona and Valencia in Spain, and Lisbon and Porto in Portugal illustrate the diverse ways cities have used PB to fund projects like community gardens, green roofs, riverbank restoration, and bike infrastructure. These initiatives not only address local ecological challenges but also promote civic engagement, environmental justice, and long-term sustainability. The findings highlight the transformative potential of participatory budgeting as a tool for inclusive urban governance and environmental planning in selected European cities.

The main objective is to examine how PB can serve as a democratic tool for environmental governance, promoting sustainability, resilience, and citizen engagement.

The study adopts a qualitative case study approach supported by literature review and document analysis. It evaluates municipal participatory budgeting initiatives with a specific focus on green infrastructure, waste management, energy efficiency, sustainable mobility, and climate adaptation. Academic sources, city budget reports, and environmental planning documents were analyzed to identify the environmental impact and governance models of PB in each city.

Participatory budgeting in European cities increasingly funds environmental projects, such as green roofs, urban gardens, tree planting, sustainable transport, and flood prevention. The active involvement of citizens in decision-making ensures that environmental solutions are locally relevant, socially inclusive, and ecologically impactful. Results show that PB contributes to improved urban resilience, environmental justice, and long-term sustainability by aligning ecological goals with democratic processes.

This study is among the first to comparatively examine environmental projects under PB frameworks in Eastern and Southern Europe. It offers new insights into how participatory governance mechanisms can shape urban environmental policy and increase community ownership of green transitions.

Policymakers and city planners can use participatory budgeting as a strategic instrument for environmental planning, ensuring that public investments are both citizen-driven and environmentally sound. The paper provides examples and recommendations for replicating successful PB-based environmental initiatives across diverse urban contexts.

References

[1] Bartlett, T., and Schugurensky, D. (2024). Inclusive civic education and school democracy through participatory budgeting. Education, Citizenship and Social Justice, 19(3): 362-380. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1177/17461979231160701
[2] Bernaciak, A., Rzeńca, A. and Sobol, A. (2017). Participatory budgeting as a tool of environmental improvements in Polish cities, Economic and Environmental Studies 4(44): 893-906. DOI:https://doi.org/10.25167/ees.2017.44.16
[3] Cano, E. L., Moguerza, J. M., Ermolieva, T. and Ermoliev, Y. (2014). Energy efficiency and risk management in public buildings: strategic model for robust planning. Computational Management Science, 11: 25-44.
[4] Cucchiella, F., D’Adamo, I. and Rosa, P. (2016). Urban waste to energy (WTE) plants: A social analysis. JP Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 13(3): 421-444.
[5] Deenihan, G., and Caulfield, B. (2015). Do tourists value different levels of cycling infrastructure? Tourism Management, 46: 92-101.
[6] D'Orey, A., de Sousa Aragão, N. K. T., Costa, C. S., and Duarte, T. (2023). A review of urban river restoration projects: Practices and challenges. Default journal.
[7] Epting, S. (2020). Participatory Budgeting for Environmental Justice. Ethics, Policy & Environment, 23: 1-15. DOI: 10.1080/21550085.2020.1746003
[8] Falanga, R. (2024). Youth participation in environmental sustainability: insights from the Lisbon participatory budget. Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting and Financial Management, 36(1): 20-39. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JPBAFM-12-2021-0176
[9] Fekete, A. (2019). Critical infrastructure and flood resilience: Cascading effects beyond water. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Water, 6(5): e1370. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/wat2.1370
[10] Feldman, O. (2023). Innovative ways for financing transport infrastructure. In Capacity Building in Local Authorities for Sustainable Transport Planning (pp. 253-278). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore.
[11] Huang, B., Lei, J., Ren, F., Chen, Y., Zhao, Q., Li, S., and Lin, Y. (2021). Contribution and obstacle analysis of applying BIM in promoting green buildings. Journal of Cleaner Production, 278: 123946.
[12] Kasprzyk, M., Szpakowski, W., Poznańska, E., Boogaard, F. C., Bobkowska, K. and Gajewska, M. (2022). Technical solutions and benefits of introducing rain gardens–Gdańsk case study. Science of the Total Environment, 835, 155487. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155487
[13] Knickmeyer, D. 2020. Social factors influencing household waste separation: A literature review on good practices to improve the recycling performance of urban areas. Journal of Cleaner Production, Volume 245, 2020, 118605. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.118605
[14] Langemeyer, J., Wedgwood, D., McPhearson, T., Baró, F., Madsen, A. L., and Barton, D. N. (2020). Creating urban green infrastructure where it is needed–A spatial ecosystem service-based decision analysis of green roofs in Barcelona. Science of the total environment, 707, 135487. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135487
[15] Liberalesso, T., Cruz, C. O., Silva, C. M., and Manso, M. (2020). Green infrastructure and public policies: An international review of green roofs and green walls incentives. Land use policy, 96, 104693. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2020.104693
[16] Luke, N., and Heynen, N. (2020). Community solar as energy reparations: Abolishing petro-racial capitalism in New Orleans. American Quarterly, 72(3): 603-625.
[17] Lunag Jr, M. N., and Elauria, J. C. (2024). Community-based design compost processor: its performance, economic, and environmental impact assessment. Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management, 26(6): 3728-3744. DOI. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10163-024-02072-9
[18] Miller, R. W., Hauer, R. J., and Werner, L. P. (2015). Urban forestry: planning and managing urban greenspaces. Waveland press. ISBN: 13: 978-1-4786-0637-6, p. 25-35.
[19] Ronda, Sergio and Gil-Jaurena, Ines. (2021). Transformaciones del Presupuesto Participativo en España: de la aplicación del modelo de Porto Alegre a la instrumentalización de las nuevas experiencias. OBETS Revista de Ciencias Sociales. 16. 151. DOI: 10.14198/OBETS2021.16.1.10
[20] Sharma, R., and Malaviya, P. (2021). Management of stormwater pollution using green infrastructure: The role of rain gardens. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Water, 8(2), e1507.
[21] Siemionek-Ruskań, M. and Siemionek-Lepczyńska, A. (2024). How Advanced Is Green Participatory Budgeting in Poland and Spain? A Case Study of Gdansk and Barcelona. Journal of Environmental Management and Tourism, 3(75): 449 - 458. Access date: 15.04.2025. DOI:https://doi.org/10.14505/jemt.v15.3(75).03
[22] Sintomer, Y., Herzberg, C., Allegretti, G., Röcke, A., and Alves, M. L. (2013). Participatory budgeting worldwide. Dialog Global, (25): 1-93.
[23] Tawil, M., Reicher, C., Ramadan, K. Z., and Jafari, M. (2014). Towards more pedestrian friendly streets in Jordan: The case of Al Medina Street in Amman. Journal of Sustainable Development, 7(2): 144.
[24] Van der Jagt, A. P., Szaraz, L. R., Delshammar, T., Cvejić, R., Santos, A., Goodness, J., and Buijs, A. (2017). Cultivating nature-based solutions: The governance of communal urban gardens in the European Union. Environmental research, 159: 264-275.
[25] Wampler, B., McNulty, S., McNulty, S. L., and Touchton, M. (2021). Participatory budgeting in global perspective. Oxford University Press.
[26] Wilczyńska, A., Myszka, I., Bell, S., Slapińska, M., Janatian, N., and Schwerk, A. (2021). Exploring the spatial potential of neglected or unmanaged blue spaces in the city of Warsaw, Poland. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 64, 127252. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2021.127252
[27] Wretstrand, A., Svensson, H., Fristedt, S., and Falkmer, T. (2009). Older people and local public transit: Mobility effects of accessibility improvements in Sweden. Journal of Transport and Land Use, 2(2): 49-65.
[28] Zarządzenie nr 279/25 Prezydenta Miasta Gdańska z dnia 14 lutego 2025 r. w sprawie wprowadzenia "Gdańskiej Karty dla drzew".
[29] https://um.warszawa.pl/waw/bo, access date: 13.04.2025
[30] https://www.decidim.barcelona/processes/pressupostos2024, access date: 13.04.2025
[31] https://www.gdansk.pl/budzet-obywatelski, access date: 13.04.2025