Residents shape Lahti through participatory budgeting – next goal is wider engagement

The City of Lahti’s participatory budgeting, or OSBU, has been evaluated for the years 2020–2025. The evaluation shows that the model has evolved from a pilot into an established and widely accepted form of participation. The evaluation was conducted by Mikko Rask, Associate Professor at the University of Helsinki, and Väki Insight.

Participatory budgeting offers Lahti residents a low-threshold way to influence their own living environment. In Lahti, participatory budgeting is also an important tool for democratic education. It offers children and young people a unique way to influence the use of public funds.

The impacts are visible locally—connection to decision-making should be strengthened

A key finding of the evaluation is that the impacts of participatory budgeting are particularly visible at the local level, such as in the development of parks, events, and everyday environments. The model has increased the sense of participation and produced concrete improvements in the daily lives of Lahti residents.

However, the connection to the city’s broader decision-making and strategic planning remains weak, and the objectives of the OSBU need to be clarified. The information on residents’ needs generated during the process should be utilized more systematically by city departments and in decision-making. The participation experience is also mixed for residents: brainstorming is seen as inspiring, but the later stages of the process remain unclear to many.

According to the evaluation, participatory budgeting should be continued. Overall, participatory budgeting is already an effective form of participation in Lahti, whose significance outweighs the resources invested in it. Development efforts should aim to increase participation among different population groups. In addition, the process should be made more open and transparent for both residents and city employees.

This is how participatory budgeting will continue in Lahti

During the current year, 40 resident-proposed ideas will be implemented across the city. City Council has decided that participatory budgeting will continue every two years after this. In 2027, the operating model will be developed in collaboration with residents and staff, as well as through peer learning from other cities.

The next participatory budgeting resident round will begin no earlier than late 2027, when Lahti residents can once again brainstorm and vote on how the city will use the 250,000 euros allocated for participatory budgeting.