Budgeting in Place: How People's Budgets Shape Civic Life

Each year, cities and towns release budgets that allocate public funding for municipal services and public infrastructure. While these budgets can feel like mundane, bureaucratic documents, they’re central to the functioning of civic life—and from Boston to Nashville, everyday people across the U.S. are increasingly taking a more active role in shaping the line items on these important public ledgers.

On Thursday, May 28 from 5:30-7:30 pm, join us for an in-person conversation and workshop to learn more about participatory budgeting and People’s Budgets campaigns. Learn how residents can contribute to their city’s budget processes. Moderated by LMEC staff member Ian Spangler, this event brings together a panel of experts from Boston, New York City, and Nashville for a discussion about what participatory budgeting is, where it came from, and how you can get involved.

Light fare will be provided by the Kirstein Business Library & Innovation Center.

Meet the Panelists

Dr. Emily Barrett is a community-based researcher whose work focuses on economic geography, urban development, and affordable housing. Her recent research examines debates over public goods and municipal budgeting in U.S. cities, analyzing how they shape community-led efforts to create more affordable cities. Emily has an ongoing collaboration with the Nashville People’s Budget Coalition.

Dr. Celina Su is the inaugural Marilyn J. Gittell Chair in Urban Studies at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, as well as Professor of Political Science at Brooklyn College. Her academic, pedagogical, and creative work focuses on everyday struggles for collective governance, centering economic democracy and racial justice. Grounded in specific struggles and with specific communities (e.g., in education organizing in the South Bronx, refugee public health in northwest Thailand, and participatory budgeting in New York City), Celina’s work seeks to engage critical, bottom-up perspectives across geographical locales and disciplinary lines. Her latest book is Budget Justice: On Building Grassroots Politics and Solidarities, from Princeton University Press.

The Better Budget Alliance is a grassroots coalition of community-based organizations in Boston working to increase democratic control over Boston’s public budget. Since the passage of participatory budgeting through a ballot initiative in Boston in 2021, the Better Budget Alliance has convened a dynamic team of community leaders, participatory budgeting experts, and academic researchers to engage more Bostonians in the budget process and advocate for a city-wide participatory budgeting process that center equity and transparency. The BBA is currently organizing the People’s Campaign in Boston—join us to learn more.