SUMMARY
Back in 1989, the city of Porto Alegre in Brazil was the first to involve its citizens in budgetary decisions, with a view to sharing wealth. Still marginal in the 2010s, the number of French communes that have set up a participatory budget has risen from 7 to 170 in six years. One of the main reasons for this boom is the growing need for legitimacy in public action: the aim is often to strengthen dialogue and trust between local authorities and citizens by involving them in political decision-making. This makes it possible to finance projects proposed and approved by local residents, by calling on their expertise. Finally, from a technical point of view, the development of digital platforms has also facilitated consultations.
The commune of Brest, with a population of 150,000, embarked on the implementation of a participatory budget in 2018. The success of the first edition encouraged its renewal in 2019 and then in 2021.
Keywords: public action, attractiveness, participatory budget, creativity, participatory democracy, social innovation, investment, quality of life, Brest, Finistère.
Illustration : Brest Métropole
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