The 2022 Participatory Budgeting results are in!

From December 1-11, 8,707 Cambridge residents age 12 and older voted to decide how to spend $1 million on capital projects to improve the community. The winning projects were announced at the Cambridge Citywide Senior Center as part of a PB9 celebration. The following 8 projects have won $1,065,000 in FY24 Capital Funding:

1. Trees for Danehy Park and Cambridge ($100,000)
2. Technology for Youth Centers ($250,000)
3. Look and Listen: Safer Crossing for Cambridge ($180,000)
4. Smart Recycling and Trash Compactors ($40,000)
5. Electric Vehicle Charging Stations ($250,000)
6. E-cargo Bikes for Watering Trees ($25,000)
7. More Outdoor Public Wi-fi ($100,000)
8. Three New Public Art Murals ($120,000)

A detailed breakdown of the vote is available on the Cycle 9 page.

This year's voter turnout is the highest in Cambridge PB history, and is a 15% increase from the previous PB8 cycle! Thank you to all 8,707 residents that voted online, over the phone, and in-person. Special thanks to the City Manager for fully funding the eighth winning project, bringing the total FY24 PB9 funding to $1,065,000. In total, after this year's vote, PB will have funded 64 Capital Projects totaling $7.5 million dollars.

Here are the 20 projects on the PB9 ballot that were eligible for funding:

1. Electric Vehicle Charging Stations ($250,000)
2. Finding your way at Danehy Park ($75,000)
3. Visual Communication Boards in Playgrounds ($20,000)
4. Trees for Danehy Park and Cambridge ($100,000)
5. Bike Parking and Bike Repair Stations ($100,000)
6. Outdoor Gym ($130,000)
7. Let’s Play Pickleball ($60,000)
8. Three New Public Art Murals ($120,000)
9. Enhance The Moore Youth Center Exterior ($100,000)
10. Basketball Renovations ($275,000)
11. Let’s Play Chess ($35,000)
12. Digital Map for Navigating Cambridge ($60,000)
13. Sit and Recharge in the Shade ($100,000)
14. Smart Recycling and Trash Compactors ($40,000)
15. More Outdoor Public Wi-fi ($100,000)
16. Technology for Youth Centers ($250,000)
17. E-cargo Bikes for Watering Trees ($25,000)
18. Expand Access to Bluebikes ($175,000)
19. Automatic Doors for Libraries ($150,000)
20. Look and Listen: Safer Crossing for Cambridge ($180,000)

(Projects are listed in random order)

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Click here to stay informed about PB!

What is PB?

Participatory Budgeting is a democratic process through which community members directly decide how to spend part of a public budget. The City hopes that PB will help directly involve residents in the budgeting and City-building process, foster civic engagement and community spirit, and help ensure that the City’s Capital Plan reflects the priorities of Cambridge residents. This PB cycle, the City will set aside $1 million of the FY24 Capital Budget for one-time capital projects to improve the community.

PB9 timeline: 

• June 1 - July 31, 2022 - Community members brainstorm and submit IDEAS about how to spend $1 million of the City's FY24 Budget on capital projects to improve Cambridge
• August - November 2022 - Volunteer PB delegates will work in committees to research and develop submitted ideas into project proposals for the PB Ballot.
• November 2022 - City staff vet proposals for FEASIBILITY and COST.  
• December 1- 11, 2022 – Residents VOTE on which projects they’d like the City to fund. All Cambridge residents age 12 and older can vote, regardless of citizenship status. 
• December 14, 2022 - RESULTS are announced and winning projects are included in the City’s FY24 Capital Budget.
• July 2023 onward - Winning projects are implemented.

Check out the StoryMap of past winning PB projects

Click here to see our StoryMap that displays all of the winning projects from PB1, PB2, PB3, PB4, PB5, and PB6. *This map will be updated in 2023. 

You can learn more about winning projects from past cycles by exploring our PB Cycles tab.

Some Images provided by the Participatory Budgeting Project.