Bucharest IS YOU!

Description

The project aims to increase the level of information and participation of Bucharest inhabitants in prioritizing public investment projects for the next mandate 2016 – 2020. The two partners will coordinate an exhaustive documentation on public expenditure for investment projects and on discrepancies of development at the level of all 6 Bucharest sectors, as well as a consultation process with all stakeholders (citizens, NGOs, businesses) with regards to their expectations for the next development projects. The project will advance an innovative model of community mobilization - BucharestISYOU public campaign, through which citizens will be invited to vote on their priorities for increasing the living standards in the Capital city and combating discrimination caused by incoherent investment policies of local public administrations of Bucharest, at the same time steering functional mechanisms of public consultation at the level of the General Council and the 6 sector administrations.

Summary of project results

The project “Bucharest IS YOU!” aimed to increase awareness and involvement of Bucharest residents in prioritising public investments during the next mayor’s mandate, 2016 - 2020. In a context where information on available resources and expenses incurred by local governments for the benefit of citizens is often unknown, Bucharest residents do not show interest in public decisions regarding the quality of life, the management of local public services, and the provision of a decent life standard. To answer these necessities, project partners developed a comprehensive documentation on public spending in major investment projects, in various sectors (infrastructure, public services, investments in culture, social services etc.). The information was included in the report: “Their or our Bucharest! - an assessment of the lack of civic involvement in the development of the Capital City in the last 4 years and the causes of this phenomenon”. The website www.bucurestitu.eu was designed. Through this site, citizens were able to find out about the utility of the projects, or about monthly costs of key services. The Platform’s importance lies in the citizens’ possibility to express their opinion on the investment projects the local authorities aimed to support in the next term. The website was disseminated both through online media (Facebook pages of partners), and an outdoor campaign. Another relevant component of the project's implementation has been organising public debates on the draft budget for each sector of Bucharest: 4 sector City Halls (1, 4, 5, 6) organized public debates regarding the local budgets, while 2 of them (2 and 3) only organised Local Council meetings, in which they discussed the budgets. As for the involvement of citizens, approximately 200 people attended the public meetings listed. The project team also took the initiative of organising a debate with the candidates for Mayor Office of Bucharest sectors, during which the promoter’s campaign results were presented, and letters with citizens' expectations in each district were handed to the candidates.

Summary of bilateral results