Ideas in Action
Ideas in Action is the City of Boston's Participatory Budgeting initiative, where residents can decide how to spend a part of the City’s budget.
The newest cycle of Ideas in Action has officially begun!
From July 1st to July 31st, Boston residents have the power to decide how to spend $2 million of the City’s budget to directly benefit our communities.
The fastest way to submit your project ideas is by visiting participate.boston.gov or by calling (617) 635-3059.
- To learn about other ways to participate, click on the Idea Collection tab below!
🔗 Check eligibility criteria and project guidelines | 🏆 See winning projects from past cycles
STAY INVOLVED THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS
HOW DO I ENGAGE?
Ideas in Action runs from July 2026 to February 2027, and includes the following key phases:
July 1 – July 31, 2026 Idea Collection Campaign: Submit Your Ideas!
- Submit ideas during the Idea Collection Campaign through July 31, 2025 by:
- Visiting the Online PB Portal Website (participate.boston.gov)
- Calling the PB Phone Line at (617) 635-3059
- At PB Corners inside Boston Public Libraries, selected BCYF Community Centers, & City Hall
- Attending City-sponsored Idea Collection Workshops
- Host Your Own Idea Collection Workshop!
October – November 2026 Proposal Development Forums & Online Engagement
- Help determine which ideas will make it to the final ballot by attending Proposal Development Forums in October and Proposal Drafting Forum in November 2026.
January 2027 Public Voting Period
- Vote on your top 5 ideas to be funded starting in January 2027!
February 2027 and Onward: Fund and Implement Project Proposals
- Track progress of PB funded projects on the website and through the annual report.
About Ideas In Action
Ideas in Action is an opportunity for Bostonians to unite in open dialogue about budget priorities, engage in identifying community-initiated project ideas, and take collective action to help decide what projects get implemented for the benefit of the City.
Through collaboration with City Departments, partnerships with community organizations, and with guidance from our External Oversight Board (EOB), the Office of Participatory Budgeting (OPB) plans to host yearly Participatory Budgeting cycles in order to:
- Offer opportunities for the public to propose community-centered project ideas to address local priorities and vote on those they would like to see funded with the Office’s budget, and
- Gauge and identify resident priorities to help inform future City and departmental budget investments.
OPB and its Board have created a “Participatory Budgeting Rulebook” to provide a comprehensive framework and standard set of rules and operations for this new initiative in Boston.
Have question or need assistance? Contact:
Rulebook and Executive Summary
RulebookDownload the Participatory Budgeting Rulebook for 2026-2027 Cycle of Ideas in Action:
Download the Executive Summary:
English | Español | Kreyòl ayisyen | Tiếng Việt | 简体中文 | Português | 繁體中文
Previous Cycle Summaries
Previous CyclesIdea Collection
- Boston residents submitted over 1200 project ideas. The Office offered multiple channels for residents to participate including
- Nineteen (19) idea collection workshops across the City in partnership with community organizations
- Online PB Portal
- In-person submissions through PB Corners at City Hall and Boston Public Library Branches
- Multi-lingual PB Phone Line
Proposal Development
Open configuration options
- In the Fall of 2024, OPB hosted three (3) Visioning Forums:
- 15 project proposals were drafted by Boston residents with support from OPB and City Departments
- Three (3) in-person Visioning Forums hosted in East Boston, Roxbury, and Dorchester with ~100 resident participants worked with 20 City Departments to review, assess, and draft project proposals for the PB Ballot.
Voting
- In January of 2025, a total of 4,462 Boston residents cast their ballot in person and online, selecting their top proposals to be funded.
- 14 ballot proposals available for PB Voting
- 4.35 (high) average number of projects selected per voter
- Highest voter turnout in Dorchester, Brighton, Roxbury, East Boston, South Boston, and Hyde Park
- Media Campaign (Idea Collection + Voting)
- 10 earned media placements across mainstream and ethnic media outlets + 3 mainstream media interviews
- 3.5M total impressions* during Idea Submission + Voting
- ~20M total digital clicks: digital newspapers, ads, + social
- 750+ Radio spots aired with 883,200+ impressions
- Outreach in six (6) Languages: English, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Haitian Creole, Vietnamese, Chinese
