A RÉSZVÉTELI KÖLTSÉGVETÉS TÉRBELISÉGE BUDAPESTEN – LEHETŐSÉGEK ÉS KORLÁTOK I. RÉSZ

Absztrakt

In recent decades, participatory budgeting (PB) has emerged as one of the most significant democratic innovations, aiming to enhance civic engagement and ensure a fairer distribution of urban resources. This study—as the first part of a two-part analysis—examines the institutional framework, thematic characteristics, and implementation challenges of the participatory budgeting programme in Budapest between 2020 and 2025, within the critical theoretical framework of spatial justice. The research methodology relies on the quantitative analysis of 2,595 citizen proposals recorded on the official platform (otlet.budapest.hu). The theoretical introduction clarifies the three dimensions of spatial justice—distributive, procedural, and recognitive—which are essential for understanding the environmental and social inequalities of post-socialist urban development. The findings indicate a prominent demand among Budapest residents for sustainability and green space development: more than one-third of the proposals fall into the “Green Budapest” category, reflecting strong social pressure for climate adaptation and a liveable urban environment. Furthermore, the high proportion of “Local Ideas” confirms a strong attachment to the immediate living environment and the importance of local identity. However, the analysis highlights severe procedural limitations and institutional bottlenecks. Data reveals that only 0.4% of the submitted proposals reached the full implementation phase during the examined period. This significant “implementation deficit” can be attributed to strict professional screening, bureaucratic hurdles, and the slow pace of execution, which risks undermining the programme’s legitimacy and public trust in the long term. While this paper discusses the institutional, theoretical, and thematic frameworks of the programme, the detailed analysis of the specific spatial patterns of proposals, district-level inequalities, and the social determinants of participation will be presented in the second part of this study.