Citizens of Tartu Choose To Fix Pedestrian Crossings and Riverbank Railings
For a second year in a row, the citizens of Tartu voted for their favorite ideas generated for the participatory budgeting project, and the results have now been announced. The slice of the city's budget will be spent on making all pedestrian crossings level with the road in order to make life easier for cyclists, parents with baby buggies and people in wheelchairs, and replacing the deteriorating barriers along the riverbank.
A total of 1,938 citizens cast a total of 4,029 votes over October 6 to 12. Everyone had a chance to decide between 25 ideas and choose three they liked the most.
The ideas to improve the sporting facilities in Dendropark, modernization of the system for providing the city's ski runs with artificial snow, and a live city gallery in the district of Annelinn also proved popular with voters.
The 140,000 euros allocated to participatory budgeting - roughly 1 percent of last year's budget - will fund the minimum of two projects, one of which has to be an investment, the other can be either an investment or an event.
The project received 92 ideas, 51 of which were taken into consideration and the final 25 put to a public vote.
The stated aim of participatory budgeting is to make governance more inclusive and improve people's understanding of the city budget.