History of Participatory Budgeting in Seattle

Participatory Budgeting is a democratic process that was first developed in Brazil in 1989 and is now practiced in over 3,000 cities around the world, including Chicago, Boston, New York, and San Francisco. Participatory budgeting focuses on engaging people who have not historically been involved in government or budget processes and lets community members directly decide how to spend part of a public budget.

The initiative began in Seattle in July 2015 with the launch of a citywide youth participatory budgeting process called Youth Voice, Youth Choice.

In 2017, the program was opened up to involve all Seattle residents. $2 million of the City's budget was set aside for Your Voice, Your Choice: Parks and Streets, which wrapped in what was previously known as our Neighborhood Park and Street Fund.

Learn About Past Projects

In 2019, more than 6,500 community members voted for their favorite park and street projects and 22 projects were selected. The top-voted projects were all focused on street improvements which will be implemented by Seattle Department of Transportation in 2020.

Vote Results

Read about the winning projects from the 2019 Your Voice, Your Choice program: 2019 Vote Results.

View a map of the projects selected by voters to receive funding.

2018 Funded Projects

In 2018, with $3 million available, a maximum of $285,000 was allocated for each City Council District. The remaining $1 million was designated for funding projects in the City's Equity and Environment Initiative (EEI) Focus Areas — geographic areas where communities of color, immigrants, refugees, people with low incomes, Native peoples, and limited-English proficiency individuals tend to live. Overall, 51 projects — of which 20 are located in EEI Focus Areas — received awards.

View a map of the projects selected by voters to receive funding.

District 1 

  • [1A - Project #18-161] Riverview/Puget Ridge: Pedestrian Lighting Improvements at SW Morgan St bus stop near South Seattle College (Cost: $90,000, Total Votes: 287)
  • [1B - Project #17-014] South Park: Intersection Improvements at Dallas Ave S, 12th Ave S, and Thistle St (Cost: $3,500, Total Votes: 290)*
  • [1C - Project #18-149] South Park: Walkway Improvements on S Cloverdale St under SR-99 overpass (Cost: $90,000, 60% design only, Total Votes: 364)*
  • [1D - Project #17-187] South Park: Signage Improvements at S Henderson and 12th Ave S (Cost: $2,000, Total Votes: 208)*
  • [1F - Project #17-174] North Admiral: Crossing Improvements on California Ave SW and SW College St (Cost: $90,000, Total Votes: 277)
  • [1H - Project #17-177] North Delridge: Improvements to basketball courts at Delridge Community Center (Cost: $7,000, Total Votes: 367)
  • [1I - Project #18-1045] North Delridge: Equipment Refurbishment at Puget Boulevard Commons/Cottage Grove Park (Cost: $90,000, Total Votes: 271)
  • [1J - Project #18-1043] Fauntleroy: Benches in Lincoln Park (Cost: $15,330, Total Votes: 355)
  • [1K - Project #17-006] Roxhill/South Delridge: Trail Improvements at Roxhill Park (Cost: $88,800, Total Votes: 305)*

District 2

  • [2A - Project #17-235] Georgetown: Walkway Improvements on 4th Ave S, between E Marginal Way S & S Michigan St (Cost: $75,600, 60% design only, Total Votes: 190)
  • [2D - Project #17-207] Beacon Hill: Crossing Improvements on Beacon Ave S between S Spokane St & S Alaska St (Cost: $90,000, Total Votes: 180)*
  • [2E - Project #18-297] Rainier Vista: Public Safety Improvements on S Genesee St between Jill Pl S and 29th Ave S (Cost: $90,000, design only, Total Votes: 263)*
  • [2F - Project #18-240] Little Saigon: Pedestrian Lighting on S Jackson St at 12th Ave S (Cost: $90,000, Total Votes: 518)*
  • [2G - Project #18-210] New Holly: Walkway Improvements on 33rd Ave S between Graham and Holly Drive South (Cost: $90,000, design only, Total Votes: 396)*
  • [2H - Project #18-207] Brighton: Crossing Improvements on Rainier Ave S & S Holly St (Cost: $90,000, Total Votes: 263)*
  • [2J - Project #18-202] Rainier Beach: Pedestrian Improvements on Rainier Ave from 57th Ave S to Henderson Ave S (Cost: $90,000, Total Votes: 396)*
  • [2K - Project #18-2024] Georgetown: Safety Improvements in Oxbow Park (Cost: $5,900, Total Votes: 124)
  • [2L - Project #17-233] Chinatown International District: Improvements in Hing Hay Park (Cost: $90,000, Total Votes: 564)*
  • [2M - Project #18-2011] Beacon Hill: Trail Improvements in Dr. Jose Rizal Park (Cost: $44,000, Total Votes: 238)*
  • [2N - Project #17-322] Beacon Hill: Improvements to Basketball Courts at Beacon Hill Playfield (Cost: $29,980, Total Votes 263)*
  • [2O - Project #17-344] Seward Park: Trail Improvements in Seward Park (Cost: $90,000, Total Votes: 350)

District 3

  • [3A - Project #18-313] First Hill: Sidewalk Repair on Summit Ave between Madison St & Spring St (Cost: $90,000, Total Votes: 136)
  • [3B - Project #18-805] Capitol Hill: Crossing Improvements on E Aloha St and 14th Ave E (Cost: $83,298, Total Votes: 297
  • [3E - Project #17-358] Squire Park: Crossing Improvements on 19th & Cherry (Cost: $10,000, Total Votes: 236)
  • [3F - Project #18-360] Squire Park: Crossing Improvements on E Jefferson & 16th/17th/18th Avenues (Cost: $5,000, Total Votes: 176)
  • [3G - Project #18-357] Leschi: Traffic Calming on 29th Avenue between E Yesler Way and E Alder St (Cost: $16,100, Total Votes: 148)
  • [3H- Project #18-346] Atlantic: Pathway Improvements on Rainier & I-90 (Cost: $56,800, Total Votes: 182)*
  • [3J - Project #18-3006] Judkins Park: Improvements at Judkins Park (Cost: $24,700, Total Votes: 291)*

District 4

  • [4C - Project #18-418/18-470] Ravenna: Traffic Calming on 20th Ave NE between 65th and Lake City Way (Cost: $88,000, Total Votes: 277)
  • [4D - Project #18-481] Wedgwood: Crossing Improvements at NE 77th St and 25th Ave NE (Cost: $90,000, Total Votes: 243)
  • [4E - Project #18-402] Wallingford: Crossing Improvements on Burke-Gilman Trail crossing Stone Way N at N 34th St (Cost: $90,000, Total Votes: 300)
  • [4H - Project #18-425] Maple Leaf: Crossing Improvements at 15th Ave NE and NE 85th St (Cost: $33,570, Total Votes: 269)

District 5

  • [5A - Project #17-558] Lake City: Walkway Improvements on 33rd Ave NE, between 125th & NE 130th (Cost: $30,000, Total Votes: 392)*
  • [5B - Project #18-580] Lake City: Crossing Improvements on 33rd Ave NE between NE 125 Street and NE 130 Street (Cost: $70,000, Total Votes: 354)*
  • [5C - Project #18-566] Lake City: Walkway Improvements on 26th Ave NE from NE 125th St to Virgil Flaim Park (Cost: $90,000, Total Votes: 314)
  • [5D - Project #18-521] Little Brook: Intersection Improvements on 32nd Ave NE at NE 137th & NE 140th Streets (Cost: $3,000, Total Votes: 242)*
  • [5E - Project #17-532] Haller Lake: Crossing Improvements at 1st Ave NE & NE 117th St (Cost: $90,000, Total Vote: 201)
  • [5G - Project #18-543] Meadowbrook: Traffic Calming and Crossing Improvements at NE 105th St and NE 104th Pl (Cost $27,500, Total Votes: 196)
  • [5I - Project #18-520] Broadview: Intersection Improvements at 1st Ave NW and N/NW 137th St (Cost: $2,700, Total Votes: 182)
  • [5J - Project #18-592] Little Brook: Traffic Calming and Pedestrian Improvements on NE 145th (Cost: $90,000, Total Votes: 174)*

District 6

District 7

  • [7D - Project #17-338] Crossing Improvements to 2nd Ave Ext S. and S. Jackson intersection (Cost: $43,000, Total Votes: 189)*
  • [7E - Project #18-725] Belltown: Crossing Improvements on Western Ave & Lenora/Blanchard (Cost: $90,000, Total Votes: 295)
  • [7F - Project #17-715] Belltown: Crossing Improvements at Denny Way & 5th Ave (Cost: $90,000, Total Votes: 318)
  • [7G - Project #17-761] Queen Anne: Crossing Improvements on 3rd Ave W, near Fulton St (Cost: $83,500, Total Votes: 201)

(Projects in EEI Focus Areas are indicated with an *.)

In 2017, community members from all over the city submitted nearly 900 project ideas, which were narrowed down to 10 per City Council district by Project Development Teams. Each Council district selected their top projects amounting up to $285,000 per district. These projects were included in the Mayor's 2018 proposed budget, and work will take place throughout 2018.

Vote Results

Read about the winning projects from the 2017 Your Voice, Your Choice program: 2017 Vote Results.

Voter Guides

The Your Voice, Your Choice: Parks & Streets Voter Guides contain detailed information on each individual project that was on the ballot. The guides provide cost breakdowns, images, and proposed solutions that will help familiarize you with each project in your council district.

District 1 Voter Guide 
District 2 Voter Guide 
District 3 Voter Guide 
District 4 Voter Guide 
District 5 Voter Guide 
District 6 Voter Guide 
District 7 Voter Guide

Project Map

View a map of the final status of all ideas submitted in 2017: 2017 Ideas Collected Map.

Implementation

Track the progress of winning 2017 projects on the Seattle Department of Transportation's YVYC Project Implementation website.

Neighborhoods

Jenifer Chao, Director
Address: 600 4th Avenue, 4th Floor, Seattle, WA , 98104
Mailing Address: PO Box 94649, Seattle, WA, 98124-4649
Phone: (206) 684-0464
Fax: (206) 233-5142
seattleneighborhoods@seattle.gov

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