On Tuesday, May 13th, The White House and the Participatory Budgeting Project co-hosted a day-long meeting on participatory budgeting, as part of the White House’s efforts to advance PB. “Promoting Innovation in Civic Engagement: Exploring Community‐Led Participatory Budgeting in the United States” brought together over 60 city leaders, community organizers, residents, funders, researchers and technologists to share best practices and identify next steps for expanding and deepening PB.

Invited experts, including PBP Executive Director Josh Lerner and Associates Gianpaolo Baiocchi and Madeleine Pape, spoke about the latest developments in PB and about research efforts to measure PB’s impact. Our partner organizations Community Voices Heard and the Community Development Project shared their experiences from PBNYC, and we discussed key engagement, implementation, and research strategies in small break-out groups with dozens of partners from across the country, as well as representatives from the White House and federal agencies.

“Five years ago participatory budgeting was an obscure idea in the US,” concluded Josh Lerner. “Now, as the White House has recognized, it’s a best practice for civic engagement, used by over 40 cities, districts, universities, schools, and other institutions across the country.” Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this rapid transformation!

Read more about the event on the White House OSTP blog.