Slovenian municipalities expand participatory budgeting programs

Municipalities in Slovenia are expanding their participatory budgeting programs, seeing record interest from citizens in Maribor and Kranj.

In Maribor, the city council is considering a plan to implement more projects selected through the participatory budget in 2026. The municipality has allocated 412,000 euros (excluding VAT) for these investments. Key planned projects include a motorcycling and dog park, a Kneipp oasis, bicycle stands, and various urban renovations such as the repair of a pedestrian bridge in Studenci and the renovation of the Greenwich square. The municipality has previously implemented projects worth approximately one million euros through this cycle.

In Kranj, voting is beginning for the 2027-2028 participatory budget projects. Citizens will choose from 160 proposals, a record high following a spring collection phase that received 334 initiatives. The municipality has allocated 1.25 million euros for these projects, providing 50,000 euros to each local community. The proposals cover diverse areas including sports, recreation, traffic safety, green spaces, and infrastructure improvements like the renovation of Plečnik stairs.