Ideas in Action
Ideas in Action is the Boston's Participatory Budgeting initiative, where residents can decide how to spend a part of the City’s budget.
The Office of Participatory Budgeting invites all Bostonians to share their project ideas on how to spend $2 million of the City's budget to benefit our communities. The Idea Collection Phase starts on July 1st.
STAY INVOLVED THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS
HOW DO I ENGAGE?
Ideas in Action runs from July 2025 to February 2026, and includes the following key phases:
July 1 – July 31, 2025: Idea Collection Campaign - Submit Your Ideas!
- Submit ideas during the Idea Collection Campaign through July 31, 2025 by:
- Visiting the Online PB Portal Website (Available on July 1st)
- Calling the PB Phone Line at (617) 635-3059
- At PB Corners inside Boston Public Libraries, selected BCYF Community Centers, and City Hall
- Attending City-sponsored Idea Collection Workshops
- Host Your Own Idea Collection Workshop!
October – December 2025: Visioning Forums and Online Engagement
- Help determine which ideas will make it to the final ballot by attending Visioning Forums between October and December 2025.
January 2026: Public Voting Period
- Vote on your top 5 ideas to be funded between January 15 and February 2026!
Spring 2026: Fund and Implement Project Proposals
- Track progress of PB funded projects on the website and through the annual report.
Rulebook and Executive Summary
RulebookDownload the Participatory Budgeting Rulebook for Cycle Two of Ideas in Action:
Download the Executive Summary:
English | Español | Kreyòl ayisyen | Tiếng Việt | 简体中文 | Cabo Verdean Creole - Kriolu | العربية | Português | Af Soomaali
About Ideas In Action
Ideas in Action is an opportunity for Bostonians to unite in open dialogue about budget priorities, engage in identifying community-initiated project ideas, and take collective action to help decide what projects get implemented for the benefit of the City.
Through collaboration with City Departments, partnerships with community organizations, and with guidance from our External Oversight Board (EOB), the Office of Participatory Budgeting (OPB) plans to host yearly Participatory Budgeting cycles in order to:
- Offer opportunities for the public to propose community-centered project ideas to address local priorities and vote on those they would like to see funded with the Office’s budget, and
- Gauge and identify resident priorities to help inform future City and departmental budget investments.
OPB and its Board have created a “Participatory Budgeting Rulebook” to provide a comprehensive framework and standard set of rules and operations for this new initiative in Boston.
Have question or need assistance? Contact:
Previous Cycle Summaries
Previous CyclesIdea Collection
- Boston residents submitted over 1200 project ideas. The Office offered multiple channels for residents to participate including
- Nineteen (19) idea collection workshops across the City in partnership with community organizations
- Online PB Portal
- In-person submissions through PB Corners at City Hall and Boston Public Library Branches
- Multi-lingual PB Phone Line
Proposal Development
Open configuration options
- In the Fall of 2024, OPB hosted three (3) Visioning Forums:
- 15 project proposals were drafted by Boston residents with support from OPB and City Departments
- Three (3) in-person Visioning Forums hosted in East Boston, Roxbury, and Dorchester with ~100 resident participants worked with 20 City Departments to review, assess, and draft project proposals for the PB Ballot.
Voting
- In January of 2025, a total of 4,462 Boston residents cast their ballot in person and online, selecting their top proposals to be funded.
- 14 ballot proposals available for PB Voting
- 4.35 (high) average number of projects selected per voter
- Highest voter turnout in Dorchester, Brighton, Roxbury, East Boston, South Boston, and Hyde Park
- Media Campaign (Idea Collection + Voting)
- 10 earned media placements across mainstream and ethnic media outlets + 3 mainstream media interviews
- 3.5M total impressions* during Idea Submission + Voting
- ~20M total digital clicks: digital newspapers, ads, + social
- 750+ Radio spots aired with 883,200+ impressions
- Outreach in six (6) Languages: English, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Haitian Creole, Vietnamese, Chinese
